מַהְפֶּכֶת
𐤌𐤄𐤐𐤊𐤕
mahpeketh
H4115 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
An instrument of restraint, specifically a device used to confine the feet or hands, such as stocks; in some contexts refers more broadly to a contraption used for holding or binding a person as a form of punishment or custodial restraint. The term can be used for wooden or metal restraining devices found in ancient legal and penal practices, and may be connected to practices of detention or public shame.
Semantic Range
stocks, instrument of restraint, device for binding limbs, penal restraint device, tool for immobilization as punishment
Root / Etymology
The noun מַהְפֶּכֶת derives from the root הפך (h-f-k), which fundamentally means 'to turn, overturn, change.' The nominal form מַהְפֶּכֶת is likely a structural noun indicating an instrument that effects turning, twisting, or confining movement. Thus, while the root conveys motion or change, the derived noun refers to something that forcibly restricts or alters normal movement by confinement.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, מַהְפֶּכֶת specifically names a form of physical restraint, notably in Jeremiah 20:2, likely employed as a penal instrument within gate areas of the city, corresponding to locations where legal decisions were rendered. This device is best understood as an ancient form of stocks—wooden or metal beams with holes through which limbs (typically feet, sometimes hands) were inserted and secured, immobilizing the person. Such instruments were used as punishment and to humiliate or publicly expose individuals subjected to judicial penalty. Unlike modern concepts of 'prison,' the device itself does not designate a place of confinement, but a tool of immobilization. Later translation traditions (LXX, Vulgate) render it as 'stocks,' and sometimes as 'prison,' though the physical device rather than the place is meant. The word is distinct from other Hebrew terms for incarceration or imprisonment (such as בית הסהר, house of detention). Usage is concentrated in prophetic and legal texts, reflecting the development of judicial procedures in monarchic Judah. The King James Version glosses 'prison' or 'stocks,' but often does not convey the full physical and legal context.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from הָפַךְ; a wrench, i.e. the stocks; prison, stocks.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
הפך (h-p-k) — to turn, overturn, change, alter
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H2015 | הָפַךְ | in overturning |
| H2016 | הֶפֶךְ | reversal |
| H2017 | הֹפֶךְ | your overturning |
| H2018 | הֲפֵכָה | the catastrophic overturning |
| H2019 | הֲפַכְפַּךְ | habitually twisted one |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4115-02 |
הַ/מַּהְפֶּ֗כֶת | hamahepekhet | HTd/Ncfsa |
of the stocks | the restraint-stocks | 3 |
H4115-01 |
הַ/מַּהְפָּ֑כֶת | hamahepakhet | HTd/Ncfsa |
the stocks | the limb-turning restraint | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4115-02 |
Jeremiah 20:2 | הַ/מַּהְפֶּ֗כֶת | hamahepekhet | HTd/Ncfsa |
the stocks | the restraint-stocks |
H4115-01 |
Jeremiah 20:3 | הַ/מַּהְפָּ֑כֶת | hamahepakhet | HTd/Ncfsa |
the stocks | the limb-turning restraint |
H4115-02 |
Jeremiah 29:26 | הַ/מַּהְפֶּ֖כֶת | hamahepekhet | HTd/Ncfsa |
the-stocks | the restraint-stocks |
H4115-02 |
2 Chronicles 16:10 | הַ/מַּהְפֶּ֔כֶת | hamahepekhet | HTd/Ncfsa |
of the stocks | the restraint-stocks |