slaughter-altar of
| Root | זבח (z-b-ḥ) |
| Core Meanings | slaughter, sacrifice, ritual killing, offering by slaughter |
| Semantic Range | altar for animal sacrifice, sacrificial altar, designated place of ritual slaughter, cultic offering site |
| Conceptual Significance | The מִזְבֵּחַ stands at the center of Israelite sacrificial worship as the ordained place where covenant offerings are slaughtered and presented to YHWH. It embodies the meeting point between worshiper and Elohim, where atonement, thanksgiving, and covenant fellowship are enacted through sacrificial blood. |
| Morphological Notes | Common masculine singular noun in the construct state (HNcmsc). The prefixed מ־ (mem) marks it as a place/instrument noun derived from the verbal root זבח. In construct, it links to a following genitive (e.g., "slaughter-altar of YHWH"). |
| Rendering Rationale | The noun מִזְבֵּחַ derives from the root זבח (“to slaughter, sacrifice”) and literally denotes a place of slaughtering for sacrifice. Rendering it as "slaughter-altar" preserves the verbal connection to sacrificial killing rather than the more generic "altar." The construct form (masculine singular construct) is reflected by "of," indicating it is grammatically bound to a following noun. |
AI-generated (openai/gpt-5.2-chat-latest)