מַכָּה (H4347) — Hebrew Lexicon

מַכָּה

𐤌𐤊𐤄

makkâh

H4347 noun

SILEX Entry

Root נכה to strike, to smite, to injure

Definition

A physical strike or impact causing injury; an inflicted wound. In broader use, refers to any form of injury, calamity, or afflictive event, whether literal or figurative, such as pestilence or military defeat. The term may describe a physical injury, the result of judicial punishment, communal disaster, or a divinely sent plague or affliction.

Semantic Range

blow, strike, wound, injury, beating, stripe, affliction, plague (divine or natural), pestilence, slaughter, calamity

Root / Etymology

From the root נכה (to strike, smite). מַכָּה is a feminine noun derived directly from the root, indicating the act or result of striking. The root נכה primarily conveys the idea 'to hit' or 'to smite,' and the noun expresses the result, i.e., a blow or wound.

Historical & Contextual Notes

מַכָּה is used throughout all periods of biblical Hebrew, both for individual physical strikes (as in personal injury or punishment) and for large-scale disasters (such as plagues or military defeat). In the Torah and Prophets, מַכָּה frequently describes injuries resulting from violence between individuals (e.g., Exodus 21:25) or judicial punishment. It is also used in descriptions of national calamities, especially those interpreted as acts of divine judgment (e.g., the Egyptian plagues in Exodus). The term is broader than צָרָה (distress, trouble), which usually refers to states of hardship without the sense of an inflicted blow. English translations occasionally render מַכָּה as 'plague' or 'pestilence' when the context is national or divine affliction, but the word's core sense remains tied to impact or injury. In later periods, מַכָּה can also reference metaphorical or moral blows (e.g., calamity). Some translation traditions, particularly in older English Bibles, may use terms like 'sore' or 'stroke,' which do not always capture the breadth of the term's application in the Hebrew text.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or (masculine) מַכֶּה; (plural only) from נָכָה; a blow (in 2 Chronicles 2:10, of the flail); by implication,; a wound; figuratively, carnage, also pestilence; beaten, blow, plague, slaughter, smote, [idiom] sore, stripe, stroke, wound(-ed).

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Root Family

נכה (n-k-h) — to strike, to smite, to injure

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
H5218	נָכֵא	struck ones
H5219	נְכֹאת	fragrant struck resin
H5221	נָכָה	I will strike
H5222	נֵכֶה	stricken men
H5223	נָכֶה	stricken one

Word Forms

20 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	Occurrences
`H4347-06`	מַכָּ֔ה	makah	`HNcfsa`	a slaughter	a striking-blow	17
`H4347-12`	מַכּ֣וֹת	makot	`HNcfpc`	plagues	strikes of	4
`H4347-03`	הַ/מַּכִּים֙	hamakim	`HTd/Ncfpa`	the wounds	the smiters	3
`H4347-07`	מַכַּ֖ת	makat	`HNcfsc`	stroke	blow of	3
`H4347-02`	הַ/מַּכָּ֖ה	hamakah	`HTd/Ncfsa`	of the wound	the inflicted blow	3
`H4347-14`	מַכֹּתֶֽ/הָ	makoteha	`HNcfpc/Sp3fs`	her wounds	her blows	2
`H4347-16`	מַכּוֹתֶֽי/הָ	makoteyha	`HNcfpc/Sp3fs`	her wound	her blows	2
`H4347-17`	וּ/מַכָּ֣ה	umakah	`HC/Ncfsa`	and stripe	and a blow	2
`H4347-10`	מַכָּתִ֑/י	makati	`HNcfsc/Sp1cs`	my wound	my wound	1
`H4347-04`	הַ/מַּכּ֛וֹת	hamakot	`HTd/Ncfpa`	the wounds	the blows	1
`H4347-18`	וּ/מַכָּתִ֖/י	umakati	`HC/Ncfsc/Sp1cs`	and my wound	my wound	1
`H4347-01`	הַ/כְּ/מַכַּ֥ת	hakemakat	`HTi/R/Ncfsc`	like the stroke	like the strike-of	1
`H4347-15`	מַכֹּ֣תְ/ךָ֔	makotekha	`HNcfpc/Sp2ms`	your plagues	your blows	1
`H4347-09`	מַכָּתֵֽ/ךְ	makatekhe	`HNcfsc/Sp2fs`	your wound	your wound	1
`H4347-11`	מַכָּת֖/וֹ	makato	`HNcfsc/Sp3ms`	of it	his blow	1
`H4347-13`	מַכּוֹתָֽ/ם	makotam	`HNcfpc/Sp3mp`	their-wounds	their blows	1
`H4347-19`	וּ֝/מַכּ֗וֹת	umakot	`HC/Ncfpc`	and-beatings	and striking-blows of	1
`H4347-05`	כְּ/מַכַּ֥ת	kemakat	`HR/Ncfsc`	like-the-slaughter	like a strike-of	1
`H4347-20`	וּ/מִ/מַּכּוֹתַ֥יִ/ךְ	umimakotayikhe	`HC/R/Ncfpc/Sp2fs`	and from your wounds	and from your blows	1
`H4347-08`	מַכָּתֶ֑/ךָ	makatekha	`HNcfsc/Sp2ms`	your wound	your strike-wound	1

Occurrences in Scripture

48 total occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1
`H4347-06`	Leviticus 26:21	מַכָּ֔ה	makah	`HNcfsa`	plague	a striking-blow
`H4347-06`	Numbers 11:33	מַכָּ֖ה	makah	`HNcfsa`	a plague	a striking-blow
`H4347-06`	Deuteronomy 25:3	מַכָּ֣ה	makah	`HNcfsa`	stripes	a striking-blow
`H4347-15`	Deuteronomy 28:59	מַכֹּ֣תְ/ךָ֔	makotekha	`HNcfpc/Sp2ms`	your plagues	your blows
`H4347-12`	Deuteronomy 28:59	מַכּ֣וֹת	makot	`HNcfpc`	plagues	strikes of
`H4347-12`	Deuteronomy 28:59	מַכּ֤וֹת	makot-2	`HNcfpa`	plagues	strikes of
`H4347-06`	Deuteronomy 28:61	מַכָּ֔ה	makah	`HNcfsa`	plague	a striking-blow
`H4347-12`	Deuteronomy 29:21	מַכּ֞וֹת	makot	`HNcfpc`	the plagues	strikes of
`H4347-06`	Joshua 10:10	מַכָּֽה	makah	`HNcfsa`	a slaughter	a striking-blow
`H4347-06`	Joshua 10:20	מַכָּ֥ה	makah	`HNcfsa`	a slaughter	a striking-blow
`H4347-06`	Judges 11:33	מַכָּ֖ה	makah	`HNcfsa`	slaughter	a striking-blow
`H4347-06`	Judges 15:8	מַכָּ֣ה	makah	`HNcfsa`	slaughter	a striking-blow
`H4347-06`	1 Samuel 4:8	מַכָּ֖ה	makah	`HNcfsa`	plague	a striking-blow
`H4347-02`	1 Samuel 4:10	הַ/מַּכָּ֖ה	hamakah	`HTd/Ncfsa`	the slaughter	the inflicted blow
`H4347-06`	1 Samuel 6:19	מַכָּ֥ה	makah	`HNcfsa`	with a blow	a striking-blow
`H4347-02`	1 Samuel 14:14	הַ/מַּכָּ֣ה	hamakah	`HTd/Ncfsa`	the striking	the inflicted blow
`H4347-06`	1 Samuel 14:30	מַכָּ֖ה	makah	`HNcfsa`	the slaughter	a striking-blow
`H4347-06`	1 Samuel 19:8	מַכָּ֣ה	makah	`HNcfsa`	a slaughter	a striking-blow
`H4347-06`	1 Samuel 23:5	מַכָּ֣ה	makah	`HNcfsa`	slaughter	a striking-blow
`H4347-06`	1 Kings 20:21	מַכָּ֥ה	makah	`HNcfsa`	a slaughter	a striking-blow
`H4347-02`	1 Kings 22:35	הַ/מַּכָּ֖ה	hamakah	`HTd/Ncfsa`	of the wound	the inflicted blow
`H4347-03`	2 Kings 8:29	הַ/מַּכִּים֙	hamakim	`HTd/Ncfpa`	the wounds	the smiters
`H4347-03`	2 Kings 9:15	הַ/מַּכִּים֙	hamakim	`HTd/Ncfpa`	the wounds	the smiters
`H4347-17`	Isaiah 1:6	וּ/מַכָּ֣ה	umakah	`HC/Ncfsa`	and stripe	and a blow
`H4347-05`	Isaiah 10:26	כְּ/מַכַּ֥ת	kemakat	`HR/Ncfsc`	like-the-slaughter	like a strike-of
`H4347-07`	Isaiah 14:6	מַכַּ֖ת	makat	`HNcfsc`	stroke	blow of
`H4347-01`	Isaiah 27:7	הַ/כְּ/מַכַּ֥ת	hakemakat	`HTi/R/Ncfsc`	like the stroke	like the strike-of
`H4347-11`	Isaiah 30:26	מַכָּת֖/וֹ	makato	`HNcfsc/Sp3ms`	of it	his blow
`H4347-17`	Jeremiah 6:7	וּ/מַכָּֽה	umakah	`HC/Ncfsa`	and-wound	and a blow
`H4347-10`	Jeremiah 10:19	מַכָּתִ֑/י	makati	`HNcfsc/Sp1cs`	my wound	my wound
`H4347-06`	Jeremiah 14:17	מַכָּ֖ה	makah	`HNcfsa`	blow	a striking-blow
`H4347-18`	Jeremiah 15:18	וּ/מַכָּתִ֖/י	umakati	`HC/Ncfsc/Sp1cs`	and my wound	my wound
`H4347-14`	Jeremiah 19:8	מַכֹּתֶֽ/הָ	makoteha	`HNcfpc/Sp3fs`	its wounds	her blows
`H4347-09`	Jeremiah 30:12	מַכָּתֵֽ/ךְ	makatekhe	`HNcfsc/Sp2fs`	your wound	your wound
`H4347-07`	Jeremiah 30:14	מַכַּ֨ת	makat	`HNcfsc`	wound	blow of
`H4347-20`	Jeremiah 30:17	וּ/מִ/מַּכּוֹתַ֥יִ/ךְ	umimakotayikhe	`HC/R/Ncfpc/Sp2fs`	and from your wounds	and from your blows
`H4347-14`	Jeremiah 49:17	מַכּוֹתֶֽ/הָ	makoteha	`HNcfpc/Sp3fs`	her wounds	her blows
`H4347-16`	Jeremiah 50:13	מַכּוֹתֶֽי/הָ	makoteyha	`HNcfpc/Sp3fs`	her wounds	her blows
`H4347-16`	Micah 1:9	מַכּוֹתֶ֑י/הָ	makoteyha	`HNcfpc/Sp3fs`	her wound	her blows
`H4347-08`	Nahum 3:19	מַכָּתֶ֑/ךָ	makatekha	`HNcfsc/Sp2ms`	your wound	your strike-wound
`H4347-04`	Zechariah 13:6	הַ/מַּכּ֛וֹת	hamakot	`HTd/Ncfpa`	the wounds	the blows
`H4347-13`	Psalms 64:8	מַכּוֹתָֽ/ם	makotam	`HNcfpc/Sp3mp`	their-wounds	their blows
`H4347-19`	Proverbs 20:30	וּ֝/מַכּ֗וֹת	umakot	`HC/Ncfpc`	and-beatings	and striking-blows of
`H4347-07`	Esther 9:5	מַכַּת	makat	`HNcfsc`	stroke	blow of
`H4347-12`	2 Chronicles 2:9	מַכּ֜וֹת	makot	`HNcfpa`	beaten	strikes of
`H4347-06`	2 Chronicles 13:17	מַכָּ֣ה	makah	`HNcfsa`	a blow	a striking-blow
`H4347-03`	2 Chronicles 22:6	הַ/מַּכִּים֙	hamakim	`HTd/Ncfpa`	the wounds	the smiters
`H4347-06`	2 Chronicles 28:5	מַכָּ֥ה	makah	`HNcfsa`	slaughter	a striking-blow

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