מַכָּה
a wound; figuratively, carnage, also pestilence
Definition
The Hebrew noun מַכָּה (makkâh) fundamentally means a 'blow' or 'strike,' and by extension, the resulting 'wound.' It encompasses a wide range of inflictions, from physical injuries caused by violence (e.g., a stripe from flogging in Deuteronomy 25:3) to collective disasters. In its figurative and corporate senses, it often refers to divinely sent 'plagues' or 'pestilence' (as in the covenant curses of Leviticus 26:21 and Deuteronomy 28:59-61) and military 'slaughter' or 'carnage' (Joshua 10:10, 20). Thus, it can describe individual harm, national judgment, or widespread affliction.
Biblical Usage
מַכָּה is used 45 times across the Pentateuch, Historical Books, and Prophets. In legal contexts, it specifies corporal punishment (Deuteronomy 25:3). Its most theologically significant usage is in descriptions of God's covenant judgments, where it denotes plagues and pestilence sent upon Israel for disobedience (Leviticus 26:21; Deuteronomy 28:59-61; 29:22). In narrative, it describes military defeats, such as the great slaughter God inflicted on the Amorites (Joshua 10:10). It also appears in the story of the quail, where a 'very great plague' strikes the people (Numbers 11:33).
Etymology
Derived from the root נָכָה (nākâ, H5221), meaning 'to strike, smite, hit.' The noun form מַכָּה is the feminine singular, while מַכֶּה is a less common masculine variant. The root conveys the action of hitting, and the noun signifies the result—the blow itself or its effect. Cognates in other Semitic languages carry similar meanings of striking or wounding.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as a key term for divine judgment within the covenant framework. The 'blows' or 'plagues' (מַכָּה) are not random disasters but are presented as direct consequences for breaking covenant with God (Leviticus 26, Deuteronomy 28). Understanding this term enriches reading by connecting physical and national calamities to the spiritual principle of sowing and reaping. It underscores the seriousness of God's holiness and the tangible outworking of His justice, while also providing a backdrop for understanding redemption from such judgments.
In its ancient Near Eastern context, a מַכָּה from flogging (Deuteronomy 25:3) was a common judicial punishment, with strict limits to maintain human dignity. The concept of a plague or pestilence sent by a deity was a widely held belief; in Israel's theology, however, it was specifically framed as the action of Yahweh, the covenant God, in response to the moral and spiritual state of His people. The word's use for both individual wounds and national disasters reflects a holistic worldview where personal and corporate well-being were deeply interconnected.
נֶגַע (negaʿ, H5061) — Often translated 'plague' or 'affliction,' but with a stronger connotation of something contagious or divinely inflicted, frequently in ritual purity contexts. פֶּצַע (petsaʿ, H6482) — A wound, specifically a bruise or laceration from violence, with less emphasis on the causative blow. שֶׁבֶר (shever, H7667) — A breaking, fracture, or crushing blow, often used metaphorically for disaster or ruin.
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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