מְדֹכָה
𐤌𐤃𐤊𐤄
mᵉdôkâh
H4085 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A vessel or bowl, typically made of stone or bronze, used for crushing, grinding, or pounding substances such as grain, spices, or medicinal ingredients by means of a pestle. In biblical usage, refers concretely to the physical object (mortar) but can also be used figuratively for contexts involving crushing or breaking down materials.
Semantic Range
mortar (vessel for crushing or grinding foodstuffs or substances), instrument of pounding, figurative for thorough processing or testing
Root / Etymology
From the root דּוּךְ, meaning 'to pound, crush, beat.' The noun מְדֹכָה is formed with the mem-prefix functioning as a place or instrument, i.e., 'place/instrument of pounding.' Thus, מְדֹכָה is literally 'a container or vessel in which pounding takes place.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
The term appears in Numbers 11:8 to describe the vessel in which manna is processed, indicating everyday culinary use among Israelites during the wilderness period. Elsewhere, the term is used in Proverbs 27:22, where it appears in a proverb concerning the inherent nature of a fool, with the mortar as the illustrative tool in the process of pounding grain. While standard English translations usually render the term as 'mortar,' the cultural context is broader, encompassing domestic, ritual, and medicinal uses. Mortars were common implements in ancient Near Eastern households and could be made from various materials depending on use and region. The word is distinct from מַכְתֵּשׁ (makhtesh), another term for 'mortar,' which may sometimes refer to a different type or style of vessel (see Judges 15:19 for makhtesh as a place name).
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from דּוּךְ; a mortar; mortar.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
דוך (d-w-k) — crush, pound, beat
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1743 | דּוּךְ | they crushed |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4085-01 |
בַּ/מְּדֹכָ֔ה | bamedokhah | HRd/Ncfsa |
in a mortar | in the pounding-vessel | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4085-01 |
Numbers 11:8 | בַּ/מְּדֹכָ֔ה | bamedokhah | HRd/Ncfsa |
in a mortar | in the pounding-vessel |