מַדְהֵבָה
𐤌𐤃𐤄𐤁𐤄
madhêbâh
H4062 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A rare term, possibly denoting a place associated with gold production or abundance, or a state of luxury or opulence; usage suggests reference to a place characterized metaphorically or actually by wealth, particularly gold.
Semantic Range
place of gold, golden city, place of wealth or opulence, condition of luxury, city epithet for Babylon
Root / Etymology
From the root דהב (gold), likely of Semitic origin, denoting gold as a physical substance, or by extension, wealth or splendor. The form מַדְהֵבָה may represent a feminine abstract or place noun, but precise derivation and morphological development is uncertain; possibly patterned after nouns denoting locality or attribute.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The term appears only in Isaiah 13:22, in a prophetic oracle against Babylon, rendered variously as 'golden city,' 'luxurious city,' or as a proper noun, possibly a place-name. Its root connection to gold indicates a semantic association with wealth and opulence. The translation 'golden city' relies on the assumed etymology, but the precise referent (whether an actual location, a descriptive epithet for Babylon, or a metaphor for prosperity) remains uncertain. Later translators (e.g., LXX, Vulgate) provide interpretive renderings emphasizing wealth or splendor. The infrequency and contextually loaded usage, coupled with uncertainty about its vocalization and formation, limit lexicographic certainty. Notably, the term does not recur elsewhere, and its meaning should be understood as shaped by its poetic-prophetic context. No direct connection to historic ethnic or geographic identities is present beyond its application in a prophecy concerning Babylon.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
perhaps from the equivalent of דְּהַב; goldmaking, i.e. exactness; golden city.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
דהב (d-h-b) — gold, to be gold, to become golden, wealth
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1722 | דְּהַב | the gold |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4062-01 |
מַדְהֵבָֽה | madehevah | HNcfsa |
the raging | golden place | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4062-01 |
Isaiah 14:4 | מַדְהֵבָֽה | madehevah | HNcfsa |
the raging | golden place |