מַקָּבָה
𐤌𐤒𐤁𐤄
maqqâbâh
H4717 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A hammer, specifically a tool used for striking, pounding, or shaping objects, particularly in metalwork and construction. It denotes an implement designed primarily to apply force through impact, typically to drive nails or wedges, break apart objects, or shape materials. While the primary sense is that of a hammer, the term focuses on its function as a striking tool, not as a weapon or symbol.
Semantic Range
hammer for metalwork, hammer for construction, tool for striking or shaping, instrument for driving or forming objects
Root / Etymology
From the root נקב (n-q-b), meaning 'to pierce, perforate, bore.' The noun מַקָּבָה (maqqâbâh) is a feminine form denoting an instrument for boring or piercing, which later became associated with the broader function of a hammer – that is, a tool used to drive objects or to forge metal through forceful blows.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, מַקָּבָה appears in contexts involving craftsmanship, most notably in descriptions of tools used in the construction of the Tabernacle (Exodus 27:2; 38:2; 1 Kings 6:7). The emphasis is on its role as an artisan's instrument, particularly in metalworking and stone-dressing. The term differs from other implements such as פַּטִּישׁ (pattiš; 'mallet' or 'sledgehammer'), which may refer to heavier or more general-purpose striking tools. In Greco-Roman and later periods, the function and terminology for such tools expanded, but the biblical מַקָּבָה is primarily technical, not metaphorical or symbolic. English translations generally render it as 'hammer,' which is appropriate; however, nuances related to its specialized artisan or construction context are sometimes overlooked. The word is rare in biblical Hebrew and does not carry significant symbolic or cultic associations.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from נָקַב; properly, a perforatrix, i.e. a hammer (as piercing); hammer.
Bantu Hebrew
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נקב (n-q-b) — to pierce, bore, perforate
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4718 | מַקֶּבֶת | the piercing-hammer |
| H5344 | נָקַב | in his piercing |
| H5345 | נֶקֶב | and your pierced-sockets |
| H5346 | נֶקֶב | the Pierced-Pass |
| H5347 | נְקֵבָה | to the female |
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4717-01 |
וּ/מַקָּב֤וֹת | umaqavot | HC/Ncfpa |
and-hammers | and piercing-hammers | 1 |
H4717-02 |
וּ/בַ/מַּקָּב֖וֹת | uvamaqavot | HC/Rd/Ncfpa |
and-with-hammers | and with the hammers | 1 |
H4717-03 |
וּ/בְ/מַקָּב֛וֹת | uvemaqavot | HC/R/Ncfpa |
and with hammers | and with piercing-hammers | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4717-01 |
1 Kings 6:7 | וּ/מַקָּב֤וֹת | umaqavot | HC/Ncfpa |
and-hammers | and piercing-hammers |
H4717-02 |
Isaiah 44:12 | וּ/בַ/מַּקָּב֖וֹת | uvamaqavot | HC/Rd/Ncfpa |
and-with-hammers | and with the hammers |
H4717-03 |
Jeremiah 10:4 | וּ/בְ/מַקָּב֛וֹת | uvemaqavot | HC/R/Ncfpa |
and with hammers | and with piercing-hammers |