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מֶרְקָחָה

𐤌𐤓𐤒𐤇𐤄

merqâchâh

H4841 noun

SILEX Entry

Root רקח to mix, to compound, to prepare (aromatic substances)

Definition

A vessel or implement used for preparing ointment, perfume, or spiced oil; more generally, a place or apparatus for mixing aromatic substances. In abstract contexts, it may also refer to the process of compounding or the mixture itself, but most frequently the term denotes the physical pot or container used for this purpose.

Semantic Range

vessel for compounding ointment or perfume, apparatus for mixing aromatic substances, place of preparation for unguents, the process of making spiced oil or incense, by extension the mixture itself (rarely)

Root / Etymology

From the root רָקַח (ר-ק-ח), which fundamentally means 'to mix, compound, or prepare (especially aromatic substances or ointments).' The word is a feminine noun formed with the mem-prefix (instrument or place marker) and the noun-forming ending, signifying a vessel or place for mixing.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In biblical usage, מֶרְקָחָה appears only a few times (e.g., 1 Chronicles 9:30; Nehemiah 3:8), always in contexts referring to the preparation of aromatic oils, ointments, or incense for cultic or ritual use, especially in the temple. Its use presumes a specialized skill in preparing such mixtures, associated with temple officials entrusted with compounding incense and anointing oils. The term is distinct from other vessels or tools used in ancient perfumery or medicine insofar as it specifically emphasizes the act of mixing or compounding, rather than storage or transport. English translations often render it as 'apothecary's vessel,' 'mortar,' or 'pot of ointment,' but such translations do not always reflect the technical, cultic context. There is no evidence that the term was used in everyday domestic settings; it is a specialized cultic or professional tool. The root and related nouns (e.g., רֵקַח, רָקַח) illustrate the broader semantic domain of mixing aromatic compounds, but מֶרְקָחָה is specifically the apparatus or place for such compounding, not the product itself. In later periods, analogous terms continued to denote mixing vessels in ritual and medicinal contexts.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

feminine of מֶרְקָח; abstractly, a seasoning (with spicery); concretely, an unguentkettle (for preparing spiced oil); pot of ointment, [idiom] well.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

רקח (r-q-ḥ) — to mix, to compound, to prepare aromatic substances

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4840 מֶרְקָח aromatic compounds
H4842 מִרְקַחַת in a compounded ointment of
H7543 רָקַח carefully compounded ones
H7544 רֶקַח the aromatic compound
H7545 רֹקַח blended aromatic compound of

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H4841-01 הַ/מֶּרְקָחָ֔ה hamereqachah HTd/Ncfsa the spices the ointment-mixing vessel 1
H4841-02 כַּ/מֶּרְקָחָֽה kamereqachah HRd/Ncfsa like ointment ointment-mixing vessel 1

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H4841-01 Ezekiel 24:10 הַ/מֶּרְקָחָ֔ה hamereqachah HTd/Ncfsa the spices the ointment-mixing vessel
H4841-02 Job 41:23 כַּ/מֶּרְקָחָֽה kamereqachah HRd/Ncfsa like ointment ointment-mixing vessel
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