Bible Word Study
כַּשִּׁיל
kashshîyl · properly, a feller, i.e. an axe
כַּשִּׁיל
properly, a feller, i.e. an axe
Definition
The Hebrew noun כַּשִּׁיל (kashshîyl) refers specifically to an axe or hatchet used for cutting down trees. It is derived from a root meaning 'to stumble' or 'to fall,' picturing the axe as an instrument that causes trees to fall. This word appears only once in the Old Testament, in Psalm 74:6, where it describes the axes used by enemies to destroy the carved woodwork of the sanctuary. There are no other attested biblical meanings or uses, making its definition quite specific.
Biblical Usage
כַּשִּׁיל is used only in Psalm 74:6, within a lament over the destruction of the temple. The context is one of violent desecration, where the 'axes' (כַּשִּׁיל) are wielded by adversaries to smash the sacred wood carvings. This singular usage places the word firmly in a context of intentional ruin and sacrilege against God's dwelling place.
Etymology
The noun כַּשִּׁיל comes from the root כָּשַׁל (kāshal, H3782), meaning 'to stumble, totter, or fall.' Thus, an axe is literally 'a feller'—an instrument that causes something (like a tree or a wooden structure) to fall down. This connection highlights the tool's primary function through its verbal root.
Semantic Range
Though a simple tool, the כַּשִּׁיל in Psalm 74:6 is a powerful symbol of violent opposition to God and the desecration of His holy place. Its use underscores the vulnerability of the physical sanctuary to human destruction and frames the psalmist's plea for God to remember and act. Understanding this Hebrew term enriches the reading of Psalm 74 by emphasizing the deliberate, tool-wielding aggression behind the temple's ruin, contrasting with God's creative and ordering power celebrated earlier in the psalm. In the ancient Near East, axes were common tools for woodworking and construction, as well as instruments of war and demolition. The specific mention in Psalm 74:6 likely refers to a metal axehead fitted onto a wooden handle, used for both cutting trees and, in this tragic case, for demolishing the elaborate, likely cedar, woodwork within the temple. This act was not merely practical destruction but a profound cultural and religious insult. גַּרְזֶן (garzen, H1631) — a more common general term for axe, used for both woodcutting (Deuteronomy 19:5) and as a weapon (Judges 9:48). כַּשִּׁיל is more specific, emphasizing the act of felling.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]