מַאֲכֹלֶת
something eaten (by fire), i.e. fuel
Definition
The Hebrew noun מַאֲכֹלֶת (maʼăkôleth) refers to something that is consumed, specifically fuel for a fire. It is derived from the root meaning 'to eat,' and in its two biblical occurrences, it vividly describes the material that sustains a destructive blaze. In Isaiah 9:5, it appears in a prophecy of judgment, where the people become 'fuel for the fire'—a metaphor for being consumed by conflict. In Isaiah 9:19, it is used literally within a description of societal collapse, where 'no man spares his brother' and they devour each other like fuel in a fire. The word consistently conveys the idea of combustible material that is utterly consumed.
Biblical Usage
This word is used exclusively in the book of Isaiah, both times within the same prophetic oracle of judgment (Isaiah 9:8-21). Its usage is metaphorical in Isaiah 9:5, where the people themselves are the 'fuel' for the fire of God's wrath and civil strife. In Isaiah 9:19, the usage is more direct, describing the literal fuel of a fire within a scene of utter societal breakdown and self-destruction. The pattern is one of complete consumption, whether literal or figurative, within contexts of divine judgment and national chaos.
Etymology
מַאֲכֹלֶת is a feminine noun derived from the root אָכַל (ʼākhal, H398), meaning 'to eat, consume, devour.' It is formed using the maqṭēl pattern (מַקְטֶלֶת), which often creates nouns denoting instruments or locations. Thus, מַאֲכֹלֶת essentially means 'an instrument or means of consumption.' This derivation powerfully connects the act of eating with the action of fire, portraying fire as a devouring force.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it is employed by Isaiah to illustrate the consequences of rebellion against God. It portrays God's judgment not as a distant abstraction but as a consuming reality that uses the people's own sin and conflict as its fuel. Understanding this Hebrew term enriches the reading of Isaiah 9 by highlighting the intense, self-destructive nature of divine wrath—where the nation becomes the very substance that feeds the fires of its own punishment. It underscores the theme that turning from God leads to internal consumption and ruin.
In an ancient Near Eastern context where fire was essential for warmth, cooking, and sacrifice, and also a primary agent of destruction in warfare, fuel was a vital and tangible commodity. The metaphor of people as 'fuel' would have been viscerally understood. It evoked images of a fire so voracious it consumes everything in its path, leaving only ashes—a powerful picture of total devastation from which there is no recovery, far more potent than a modern analogy.
עֵצִים (ʿēṣîm, H6086) — This common word for 'wood' or 'trees' is the literal material used as fuel, whereas מַאֲכֹלֶת focuses on the function of being consumed. / אֲשֵׁרָה (ʼăshērâ, H842) — In some contexts, this can refer to a wooden cultic pole or tree, but it is not a direct synonym for fuel.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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