מְחִי
a stroke, i.e. battering-ram
Definition
The Hebrew noun מְחִי (mᵉchîy) refers to a striking or battering instrument, specifically a battering-ram used in ancient warfare. It denotes a tool designed for forceful impact, employed to breach fortified walls and gates. This word appears only in Ezekiel 26:9, where it describes the military engines Nebuchadnezzar would use against the city of Tyre. The term's core meaning is an implement that delivers a powerful blow, extending from the basic sense of 'stroke' to the specific siege weapon.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in Ezekiel 26:9. It is employed in a prophetic context of divine judgment, specifically describing the siege warfare tactics that the Babylonian king would bring against the Phoenician city of Tyre. The usage is singular and highly specific, painting a vivid picture of military assault and the instruments of destruction.
Etymology
The noun מְחִי (mᵉchîy) is derived from the root verb מָחָה (māchâ, H4229), which means 'to strike' or 'to wipe away.' This root conveys the action of hitting or erasing. The noun form thus signifies 'a stroke' or 'that which strikes,' which in the context of Ezekiel 26:9 is concretized as the battering-ram, the primary striking engine in ancient siege warfare.
Semantic Range
While the word itself is a technical military term, its single biblical occurrence in Ezekiel 26:9 is theologically significant. It functions within a prophecy of God's judgment against the proud, commercial city of Tyre. The 'battering-ram' is an instrument of divine wrath, demonstrating that God uses human armies and their tools to execute His judgments on sinful nations. Understanding this term enriches the reading by highlighting the concrete, violent means through which prophetic warnings of judgment were fulfilled.
In its ancient Near Eastern context, a battering-ram was a sophisticated siege engine, often a large, mounted beam with a metal head, used to repeatedly strike city gates or walls until they broke. Its mention in Ezekiel reflects the advanced military technology of the Babylonian empire. For the original audience, this term would evoke a powerful image of inevitable destruction and the vulnerability of even the most fortified cities against a determined besieger.
כָּרִית (kārîṯ, H3772) — a cutting instrument or axe, focusing on slicing rather than blunt-force impact. מַגֵּפָה (maggēp̄â, H4046) — a blow or plague, often used for a divinely sent strike or disaster, not a man-made tool.
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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