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מַלְקוֹחַ

𐤌𐤋𐤒𐤅𐤇

malqôwach

H4455 noun

SILEX Entry

Root לקח to take, seize, capture

Definition

A thing taken by force, especially as booty, spoil, or prey; also refers to the jaws, especially as the instruments of seizing or taking food. The noun is used for that which is captured or seized from an enemy or by predatory animals, and by extension for those people or goods that have been taken captive or plundered. Less frequently, the term designates the physical organ (the jaws) as a metaphor or synecdoche for seizure or grasping.

Semantic Range

spoil, booty, prey, thing or person taken as captive in war, jaws (as means of grasping or seizing), captured goods, people taken in conquest or raid

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root לָקַח (לקח), meaning 'to take, seize.' The noun formation מַלְקוֹחַ captures both the result of seizing (the thing taken, i.e., prey, spoil, or captives) and the means of seizing (jaws).

Historical & Contextual Notes

In early Israelite and monarchic narratives, מַלְקוֹחַ primarily refers to physical goods or captives taken as spoil during warfare (cf. Num 31:11, 31:26, Isa 49:24). It encapsulates not only possessions but also people seized in battle. In poetic texts (e.g., Psalms), the word can also denote predatory prey, reflecting a metaphorical or natural setting (Psalm 22:14 where 'jaws' are mentioned, and Psalm 124:6-7, where the idea of escaping 'the snare' ties to prey imagery). The meaning 'jaws' occurs less frequently, typically in literal descriptions of the mouth as a means of taking (cf. metaphorical usage in Micah 3:2-3). The English translation 'prey,' 'booty,' or 'spoil' often reflects the full semantic breadth, while 'jaws' is context-dependent and less common. Related terms include שָׁלָל (shalal, general 'spoil' or 'booty') and טֶרֶף (ṭereph, 'prey' especially of animals), both of which overlap with but are distinct from מַלְקוֹחַ, the latter sometimes implying a greater focus on the act of taking by force or aggression. Later usage, especially in post-exilic and Second Temple Hebrew (and in cognate languages), may differentiate more sharply between human and animal contexts, but such distinctions are blurred in the classical biblical corpus.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from לָקַח; transitively (in dual) the jaws (as taking food); intransitively, spoil (and captives) (as taken); booty, jaws, prey.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

לקח (l-q-ḥ) — to take, seize, capture

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3947 לָקַח in your taking
H3948 לֶקַח Take!
H3949 לִקְחִי and Taken-One
H4457 מֶלְקָח with grasping-tongs
H4727 מִקָּח and acquisition-of

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H4455-01 הַ/מַּלְק֑וֹחַ hamaleqocha HTd/Ncmsa the prey the seized spoil 4
H4455-02 מַלְק֨וֹחַ֙ maleqocha HNcmsc the prey seized spoil 2
H4455-04 וּ/מַלְק֥וֹחַ umaleqocha HC/Ncmsa and the prey and seized spoil 1
H4455-03 מַלְקוֹחָ֑/י maleqochay HNcmdc/Sp1cs to my jaws my seizing jaws 1

Occurrences in Scripture

8 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H4455-01 Numbers 31:11 הַ/מַּלְק֑וֹחַ hamaleqocha HTd/Ncmsa the prey the seized spoil
H4455-01 Numbers 31:12 הַ/מַּלְק֛וֹחַ hamaleqocha HTd/Ncmsa the prey the seized spoil
H4455-02 Numbers 31:26 מַלְק֨וֹחַ֙ maleqocha HNcmsc of the plunder seized spoil
H4455-01 Numbers 31:27 הַ/מַּלְק֔וֹחַ hamaleqocha HTd/Ncmsa the booty the seized spoil
H4455-01 Numbers 31:32 הַ/מַּלְק֔וֹחַ hamaleqocha HTd/Ncmsa the plunder the seized spoil
H4455-02 Isaiah 49:24 מַלְק֑וֹחַ maleqocha HNcmsa the prey seized spoil
H4455-04 Isaiah 49:25 וּ/מַלְק֥וֹחַ umaleqocha HC/Ncmsa and the prey and seized spoil
H4455-03 Psalms 22:16 מַלְקוֹחָ֑/י maleqochay HNcmdc/Sp1cs to my jaws my seizing jaws
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