מַק (maq)
maq
decay
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun maq denotes physical decay or rottenness. In the Old Testament, it appears only twice, both within the book of Isaiah. The word describes a state of deterioration where something has lost its vitality and integrity, turning from a solid state into something useless or corrupt.
Its usage is vividly concrete. In Isaiah 3:24, it describes the smell of putrefaction that replaces perfume when judgment falls on Jerusalem. Later, in Isaiah 5:24, it appears metaphorically to describe how God’s people will become like dust that decays and blows away because they have rejected the law of the Lord. The term carries a heavy theological weight, illustrating the inevitable result of turning away from divine order.
This word highlights the contrast between life and decay. It is not merely about age or wear but about active corruption. Translators often render it as "rottenness" or "decay," capturing the sense of something that has gone bad rather than simply worn out. The brevity of its occurrence in Scripture underscores the severity of the condition it describes.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word maq describes a deep, physical decay where vitality is lost and integrity collapses. It appears only twice in Scripture, both within Isaiah, painting a stark picture of what happens when life moves away from its source. In Isaiah 3:24, the pleasant scent of spices turns into the smell of rot, showing how judgment strips away comfort and leaves behind something unpleasant and broken.
This word reminds us that decay is not just natural wear but an active corruption resulting from rejecting divine order. When Isaiah 5:24 speaks of roots becoming like maq, it illustrates how spiritual neglect leads to a total loss of strength and stability. We are invited to see this contrast clearly: life flourishes in connection with God, while distance from Him leads to emptiness.
Understanding this word helps us appreciate the value of staying rooted in truth. It is a sobering reminder that our choices have real consequences, but also a hopeful one, as it points to the alternative of lasting vitality found in faithful obedience.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- rottenness1×
- like <the>/ rottenness1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- מַ֣ק1×
- כַּ/מָּ֣ק1×
Key Verses
-
Isaiah 3:24
It shall happen that instead of sweet spices, there shall be rottenness; instead of a belt, a rope; instead of well set hair, baldness; instead of a robe, a wearing of sackcloth; and branding instead of beauty.
This verse uses the word to describe the shocking replacement of perfume with the smell of rot, illustrating how judgment removes beauty and comfort.
-
Isaiah 5:24
Therefore as the tongue of fire devours the stubble, and as the dry grass sinks down in the flame, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust, because they have rejected the law of Yahweh of Armies, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
Here the term describes roots turning to dust due to rejecting God's law, showing how spiritual neglect leads to complete loss of strength.