מְחָא
𐤌𐤇𐤀
mᵉchâʼ
H4223 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
Aramaic verb meaning to strike, hit, or crush—often with the sense of a decisive or violent action such as breaking, striking down, or destroying; by extension, can refer to impaling or executing by hanging, as well as restraining or arresting (i.e., stopping someone by force). The contexts range from physical violence or judicial execution to halting someone's actions forcibly.
Semantic Range
to strike, to hit, to crush, to smite, to impale, to hang (execute), to arrest or stay (restrain by force)
Root / Etymology
Aramaic מְחָא (mechā); likely cognate with Hebrew מָחָה (machah), from root מחא, meaning 'to strike, hit.' While the Hebrew root has a similar meaning ('to wipe, blot out, strike'), the Aramaic form emphasizes striking or beating. The word is derived from the root מחא, with the core sense of a decisive strike or blow.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Aramaic portions of the Hebrew Bible, particularly in Daniel, מְחָא is used with violent or judicial connotations, such as striking down or executing (see Daniel 3:20-21, where the context is the execution by furnace). In legal and narrative contexts, it can refer to impaling or hanging as a form of execution, which was practiced by imperial authorities in the Persian and Hellenistic periods. In some cases, it may convey the idea of 'stopping' or 'arresting' someone by force. English translations often render it as 'strike,' 'smite,' or 'hang,' but these may obscure the broader range of violence or judicial power implied in the ancient context. The word is relatively rare and appears mainly in Aramaic texts of the Hebrew Bible, making comparative Semitic philology valuable for full semantic recovery. Later translation traditions sometimes use the term 'hang' or 'impale,' but these reflect the specific act of execution rather than the general act of striking or restraining.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(Aramaic) corresponding to מָחָא; to strike in pieces; also to arrest; specifically to impale; hang, smite, stay.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
מחא (m-ḥ-ʾ) — to strike, hit, crush
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4222 | מָחָא | your clapping |
Word Forms
4 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4223-01 |
מְחָ֣ת | mechat | AVqp3fs |
struck | she struck | struck | 1 |
H4223-04 |
יִתְמְחֵ֣א | yitemeche | AVui3ms |
he shall be impaled | he will strike himself down | he shall be impaled | 1 |
H4223-02 |
וּ/מְחָ֤ת | umechat | AC/Vqp3fs |
and struck | and she struck | and struck | 1 |
H4223-03 |
יְמַחֵ֣א | yemache | AVpi3ms |
can stay | he will strike down | can stay | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4223-02 |
Daniel 2:34 | וּ/מְחָ֤ת | umechat | AC/Vqp3fs |
and struck | and she struck | and struck |
H4223-01 |
Daniel 2:35 | מְחָ֣ת | mechat | AVqp3fs |
struck | she struck | struck |
H4223-03 |
Daniel 4:32 | יְמַחֵ֣א | yemache | AVpi3ms |
can stay | he will strike down | can stay |
H4223-04 |
Ezra 6:11 | יִתְמְחֵ֣א | yitemeche | AVui3ms |
he shall be impaled | he will strike himself down | he shall be impaled |