מַקְצֻעָה (maq.tsu.ah)
maq.tsu.ah
plane
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun maqtsu’ah refers to a scraping tool, specifically one used by craftsmen shaping wood. It appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, in Isaiah 44:13, where it describes an instrument held by a carpenter.
In this context, the word highlights the mundane reality of idol-making. The prophet contrasts the human effort involved—measuring, marking, and scraping timber—with the silence and powerlessness of the resulting statue. By naming such a specific tool, the text underscores that idols are not divine mysteries but products of ordinary labor.
This single occurrence serves as a sharp critique of trust in manufactured objects. The scraper is a symbol of human ingenuity applied to inert material, reminding readers that what is fashioned by hands cannot hear or save.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word maqtsu’ah appears only once in Scripture, found in Isaiah 44:13. It names the specific scraping tool a carpenter uses to smooth wood. This detail grounds our faith in reality. God is not distant or abstract; He created the hands that work and the tools they use.
Idols are made by human effort. They require measuring, marking, and scraping. But these objects cannot speak or save. True hope rests in the Creator who shaped us, not in what our hands fashion. When we feel overwhelmed by our own limitations, remember that God values honest work and simple tools.
This passage invites us to trust in the One who made the wood and the maker. We do not need manufactured gods. We have a living God who hears us. Let this truth bring peace to your heart today.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- with <the>/ scraping tools1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- בַּ/מַּקְצֻע֔וֹת1×
Key Verses
-
Isaiah 44:13
The carpenter stretches out a line. He marks it out with a pencil. He shapes it with planes. He marks it out with compasses, and shapes it like the figure of a man, with the beauty of a man, to reside in a house.
This verse identifies the specific scraping tool used by the carpenter, highlighting the ordinary labor involved in creating an idol that cannot save.