מָחַץ
𐤌𐤇𐤑
mâchats
H4272 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To strike or smite with impact sufficient to break, split, crush, or shatter; to wound severely or mortally, often to the point of destruction. The verb denotes violent striking, typically resulting in the fragmentation or irreparable injury of the object or person, whether literal (crushing or shattering) or figurative (decisive defeat, subduing power).
Semantic Range
smash, shatter, crush, dash to pieces, wound (mortally or severely), strike down with great force, violently pierce, subdue or destroy (esp. in battle), overcome decisively
Root / Etymology
From the root מחץ (mem-chet-tsade), a verb root with the general meaning 'to strike, break, crush.' Its primary sense is of a powerful, often shattering, blow resulting in splitting or destruction. The root occurs in derived forms with semantic nuances of violence and destructive force. No compelling cognates are attested in other Semitic languages; thus its more distant etymology is uncertain.
Historical & Contextual Notes
מָחַץ appears in several poetic and narrative texts, often describing violent defeat in warfare (e.g., crushing enemies' heads or shattering shields), and is characteristically used for both literal physical breaking and figurative or hyperbolic expressions of overcoming or subduing adversaries. In Patriarchal and Monarchic periods, it frequently denotes physical destruction in battle contexts (e.g., Judges 5:26, Psalm 68:22). Later poetic usage often features מָחַץ in parallelism with verbs of striking or smiting (e.g., הִכָּה), but with an emphasis on the completeness or shattering result of the blow. Standard English translations such as 'wound,' 'smite,' or 'strike' may understate the utter destructiveness implied by the term. Unlike הִכָּה (to strike/hit) or שָׁבַר (to break), מָחַץ most often denotes a singular, powerful blow resulting in total destruction or defeat. Occasionally, it appears in metaphorical contexts for decisive victory or rout of enemies. The word is not used for ritual slaughter or everyday actions, reinforcing its association with overwhelming violence or conclusive defeat.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to dash asunder; by implication, to crush, smash or violently plunge; figuratively, to subdue or destroy; dip, pierce (through), smite (through), strike through, wound.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
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מחץ (m-ḥ-ṣ) — strike, shatter, crush, smash
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4273 | מַחַץ | and he crushed |
Word Forms
10 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4272-02 |
מָחַ֖ץ | machats | HVqp3ms |
he-smashed | he crushed | 3 |
H4272-10 |
יִמְחָֽץ | yimechats | HVqi3ms |
pierce them through | he will crush | 3 |
H4272-01 |
אֶ֭מְחָצֵ/ם | emechatsem | HVqi1cs/Sp3mp |
I have crushed them | I will crush them | 1 |
H4272-08 |
וּ/מָחֲצָ֥ה | umachatsah | HC/Vqp3fs |
and she shattered | and she shattered | 1 |
H4272-06 |
תִּֽמְחַ֥ץ | timechats | HVqi3fs |
your foot may crush | she will crush | 1 |
H4272-09 |
וָ/אֶמְחָצֵ֖/ם | vaemechatsem | HC/Vqw1cs/Sp3mp |
and I crushed them | and I crushed them | 1 |
H4272-04 |
מָחַ֨צְתִּי֙ | machatseti | HVqp1cs |
I wound | I crushed | 1 |
H4272-05 |
מְחַ֨ץ | mechats | HVqv2ms |
Smash | Crush! | 1 |
H4272-07 |
וּ/מָחַץ֙ | umachats | HC/Vqq3ms |
and will crush | and he shattered | 1 |
H4272-03 |
מָחַ֤צְתָּ | machatseta | HVqp2ms |
You struck | you crushed | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
14 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4272-10 |
Numbers 24:8 | יִמְחָֽץ | yimechats | HVqi3ms |
pierce them through | he will crush |
H4272-07 |
Numbers 24:17 | וּ/מָחַץ֙ | umachats | HC/Vqq3ms |
and will crush | and he shattered |
H4272-04 |
Deuteronomy 32:39 | מָחַ֨צְתִּי֙ | machatseti | HVqp1cs |
I wound | I crushed |
H4272-05 |
Deuteronomy 33:11 | מְחַ֨ץ | mechats | HVqv2ms |
Smash | Crush! |
H4272-08 |
Judges 5:26 | וּ/מָחֲצָ֥ה | umachatsah | HC/Vqp3fs |
and she shattered | and she shattered |
H4272-09 |
2 Samuel 22:39 | וָ/אֶמְחָצֵ֖/ם | vaemechatsem | HC/Vqw1cs/Sp3mp |
and I crushed them | and I crushed them |
H4272-03 |
Habakkuk 3:13 | מָחַ֤צְתָּ | machatseta | HVqp2ms |
You struck | you crushed |
H4272-01 |
Psalms 18:39 | אֶ֭מְחָצֵ/ם | emechatsem | HVqi1cs/Sp3mp |
I have crushed them | I will crush them |
H4272-10 |
Psalms 68:22 | יִמְחַץ֮ | yimechats | HVqi3ms |
will crush | he will crush |
H4272-06 |
Psalms 68:24 | תִּֽמְחַ֥ץ | timechats | HVqi3fs |
your foot may crush | she will crush |