מַעְדֵּר

מַעְדֵּר

a (weeding) hoe

Definition

The Hebrew noun מַעְדֵּר (maʻdêr) refers to a specific agricultural tool, a hoe or mattock, used for digging, tilling, or weeding soil. It is derived from a root meaning 'to dig' or 'to hoe,' indicating its primary function in cultivation. In its single biblical occurrence in Isaiah 7:25, it describes a tool used on land that has become overgrown with thorns and briers, highlighting a shift from careful cultivation to basic, defensive land management.

Biblical Usage

This word appears only once in the Old Testament, in Isaiah 7:25. It is used in a prophetic context describing the desolation that will come upon the land. The verse states that all hills once used for careful cultivation will be so overrun with thorns that they will only be accessible for fear of briers and thorns, becoming places for sending cattle and for the 'maʻdêr'—implying the land will only be worked with the most basic, rough tools for survival, not for fruitful agriculture.

Etymology

מַעְדֵּר (maʻdêr) is a noun derived from the root ע־ד־ר (ʻ-d-r, H5737), which means 'to hoe' or 'to dig.' It is related to the verb עָדַר (ʻādar), 'to hoe.' The noun form specifically denotes the tool used for this action. Cognates in other Semitic languages, like Ugaritic and Arabic, confirm the meaning related to digging or cultivating the ground.

Semantic Range

In Isaiah 7:25, the 'maʻdêr' is more than a simple farm tool; it becomes a symbol of judgment and degradation. The prophecy contrasts the careful vineyard cultivation of the peaceful past (Isaiah 5:1-7) with a future where the land is so cursed and overgrown that only a basic hoe can be used, implying hardship, invasion, and the withdrawal of God's blessing. It illustrates how divine judgment impacts daily life and agriculture, turning fruitful land into a place of mere survival. In ancient Israelite agriculture, hoes and mattocks were essential iron tools for breaking up soil, planting, and weeding. They were simpler and more ubiquitous than the plough, which required an ox. The specific mention of the 'maʻdêr' in Isaiah 7:25 would resonate with an agrarian society, vividly portraying a decline from sophisticated farming to rudimentary, labor-intensive scratching of the soil—a clear marker of economic and social collapse. אֵת (ʼēth, H855) — A general term for a ploughshare or digging tool, often of metal; can imply a more substantial cutting blade. חֲרֵשִׁים (ḥărēshîm, H2758) — Refers to ploughs or farming implements collectively, emphasizing the act of ploughing rather than a specific hand-tool.

Word Details