מוֹקְדָה
fuel
Definition
The Hebrew noun מוֹקְדָה (môwqᵉdâh) refers specifically to the fuel or material that sustains a fire, particularly in the context of a sacrificial altar. It is used in Leviticus 6:9 (Hebrew 6:2) to describe the wood and other combustible material that must be kept burning continuously on the altar for the burnt offering. This term emphasizes the necessity of maintaining the sacred fire, which was divinely kindled (Leviticus 9:24), as a perpetual act of worship. While its core meaning is 'fuel,' its singular biblical occurrence ties it exclusively to the ritual fire of the Tabernacle.
Biblical Usage
This word appears only once in the Old Testament, in Leviticus 6:9, within the Priestly instructions for the continual burnt offering ('olah). It is used in a highly specific cultic context, detailing the priestly duty to ensure the altar fire never goes out by regularly adding מוֹקְדָה. This singular usage pattern underscores its technical, ritual significance rather than a general term for everyday fuel.
Etymology
מוֹקְדָה is the feminine form of the masculine noun מוֹקֵד (môqēd, H4168), which means 'a hearth' or 'a burning.' Both derive from the root י.ק.ד (y.q.d), meaning 'to burn' or 'to be kindled.' This root family is associated with fire and burning, seen in words like יָקֹד (yāqōd, 'burning mass') in Isaiah 10:16. The feminine form here likely denotes the concrete material (the fuel) that facilitates the action of the masculine noun (the hearth or burning place).
Semantic Range
Though a simple term for 'fuel,' מוֹקְדָה carries theological weight in its context. The perpetual altar fire (Leviticus 6:13), sustained by this fuel, symbolized God's constant presence, acceptance, and purification. It represented an unbroken line of worship and atonement, with the fuel being the practical means of maintaining this divine ordinance. Understanding this term highlights the meticulous care and continuous devotion required in Israel's sacrificial system, pointing to the ultimate, once-for-all sacrifice of Christ that fulfills this perpetual offering (Hebrews 10:11-14).
In ancient Israelite culture, maintaining a fire required constant effort and provision of specific materials like wood. In the Tabernacle (and later Temple) context, this practical task was elevated to a sacred, priestly duty. The fuel was not mundane; it was consecrated for use on God's altar to sustain the fire He Himself had started. This differs from a modern understanding of fuel, as it was inseparable from its ritual purpose and the theology of God's enduring presence.
עֵצִים ('ēṣîm, H6086) — A general term for 'wood,' which could be used for construction or fuel, including for the altar (Genesis 22:3, Leviticus 1:7-8). מוֹקְדָה is the specific fuel material (which included wood) for the continual altar fire. אֵשׁ ('ēš, H784) — The common word for 'fire' itself, which the מוֹקְדָה sustains.
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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