מַלְקוֹחַ
transitively (in dual) the jaws (as taking food); intransitively, spoil (and captives) (as taken)
Definition
The Hebrew noun מַלְקוֹחַ (malqôwach) has two primary meanings derived from its root idea of 'taking.' Its most common meaning is 'spoil,' 'booty,' or 'plunder' taken in war, including captured people and goods (Numbers 31:11-12, 32). In a distinct metaphorical usage found only in Psalm 22:15, it appears in the dual form to mean 'jaws,' picturing them as the instrument that 'takes' or consumes food. This creates a powerful image of the psalmist's suffering.
Biblical Usage
This word is used primarily in the context of warfare and division of spoils. Five of its eight occurrences are in Numbers 31, detailing the spoils taken from the Midianites and the laws for their purification and distribution. The other three uses are poetic: Psalm 22:15 uses the dual form ('jaws') metaphorically, and Isaiah 49:24-25 uses it twice for 'prey' or 'captives' in a prophetic promise of deliverance, asking if spoil can be taken from a mighty warrior.
Etymology
מַלְקוֹחַ is a noun derived from the common Hebrew root לָקַח (lāqach, H3947), meaning 'to take,' 'seize,' or 'accept.' The noun form specifically denotes that which is taken or seized. This direct connection to the action of taking clearly explains its dual application to physical spoils seized in battle and the jaws as the body part that takes in food.
Semantic Range
This word connects to themes of God's provision, justice, and deliverance. In Numbers, the spoils are God-given, yet require holy handling (purification, tribute). In Isaiah, it frames a theological question about God's power to liberate those taken captive by evil. The metaphorical use in Psalm 22, applied prophetically to the suffering Messiah, enriches our understanding of Christ's feeling of being consumed by death. It shows how physical conquest and personal suffering are both under God's sovereign purposes.
In ancient Near Eastern warfare, taking spoils (people, livestock, valuables) was a primary economic and strategic objective, a way to weaken enemies and enrich the victors. Israel's laws in Numbers 31 set them apart, mandating purification of spoils to maintain ritual purity, showing that even the profits of war were subject to God's holiness. The imagery of 'jaws' reflects a concrete, physical understanding of the body and suffering.
שָׁלָל (shālāl, H7998) — A more general and common term for spoil or plunder, without the specific 'captured' nuance. בִּזָּה (bizzāh, H957) — Spoil or booty, often emphasizing the act of plundering itself. שֶׁבִי (shebî, H7628) — Specifically refers to captives taken as spoil, not the general goods.
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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