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מַצֶּבֶת

𐤌𐤑𐤁𐤕

matstsebeth

H4678 noun

SILEX Entry

Root נצב to stand, to set upright, to be established

Definition

A standing stone, monument, or pillar erected for commemorative, cultic, or boundary-marking purposes. In various contexts, מַצֶּבֶת refers to a stone or structure set upright, often as a marker or symbol. Although sometimes used to denote a tree stump or base, its primary usage is for constructed ritual or memorial stones.

Semantic Range

standing stone, commemorative pillar, cultic monument, memorial stone, stone marker, boundary stone, tree stump (rare), stationary base

Root / Etymology

From the root נצב (to stand, set, station oneself firmly). The noun derives from the root idea of standing upright, indicating something set up or standing in place. The form מַצֶּבֶת follows the pattern for object or result nouns, denoting an erected object.

Historical & Contextual Notes

During the patriarchal and monarchic periods, מַצֶּבֶת often appears as a cultic or commemorative monument. Examples include the stones Jacob sets up at Bethel (Genesis 28:18) and Rachel's tomb (Genesis 35:20). These monuments typically marked significant events, burial sites, or places where a divine encounter occurred. In the context of Israelite religious reforms (e.g., in Deuteronomy and 2 Kings), erection of matstseboth came to be prohibited, reflecting a shift away from older practices associated with Canaanite or non-centralized worship. The term is distinct from מִצְבָּה (mizbah, 'altar') and עַמּוּד (ʿammud, 'column'), both of which have overlapping but distinct uses. The translation "pillar" can underrepresent its role as a cultic monument, and "stone" may be too generic; "standing stone" or "stela" can more accurately capture its ancient function. In some rare instances (Isaiah 6:13), the word may refer to a tree stump or stationary base, though this is not the dominant sense.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from נָצַב; something stationary, i.e. a monumental stone; also the stock of atree; pillar, substance.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

נצב (n-ts-b) — to stand, to set upright, to be established

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4673 מַצָּב the standing-post
H4674 מֻצָּב one stationed
H4675 מַצָּבָה the standing-post
H4676 מַצֵּבָה the standing-pillar
H5324 נָצַב the stationed one

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H4678-03 מַצֶּ֣בֶת matsevet HNcfsc a pillar standing-stone of 4
H4678-02 מַצַּבְתָּֽ/הּ matsavetah HNcfsc/Sp3fs thereof her standing-stone 1
H4678-01 לַ/מַּצֶּ֨בֶת֙ lamatsevet HRd/Ncfsa the pillar to the standing stone 1

Occurrences in Scripture

6 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H4678-03 Genesis 35:14 מַצֶּ֣בֶת matsevet HNcfsc pillar standing-stone of
H4678-03 Genesis 35:20 מַצֶּ֥בֶת matsevet HNcfsc the pillar standing-stone of
H4678-03 2 Samuel 18:18 מַצֶּ֨בֶת֙ matsevet HNcfsa a pillar standing-stone of
H4678-01 2 Samuel 18:18 לַ/מַּצֶּ֨בֶת֙ lamatsevet HRd/Ncfsa the pillar to the standing stone
H4678-03 Isaiah 6:13 מַצֶּ֣בֶת matsevet HNcfsa stump standing-stone of
H4678-02 Isaiah 6:13 מַצַּבְתָּֽ/הּ matsavetah HNcfsc/Sp3fs thereof her standing-stone
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