Original Word: מַגְזֵרָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: magzerah
Pronunciation: mag-zeh-RAH
Phonetic Spelling: (mag-zay-raw')
KJV: axe
NASB: axes
Word Origin: [from H1504 (גָּזַר - cut off)]

1. a cutting implement, i.e. a blade

blade, axe

From gazar; a cutting implement, i.e. A blade -- axe.

see HEBREW gazar

Word Origin
from gazar
Definition
a cutting instrument, axe
NASB Translation
axes (1).

[מַגְזֵרָה] noun feminine cutting instrument, axe — 2 Samuel 12:31 of David's treatment of captives, וַיָּשֶׂם בַּמְּגֵרָה ֗֗֗ וּבְמַגְזְרוֺת הַבַּרְזֶל.

גֵחֲזִי see below גַּיְא

גֹּ֫חִי see [ גִּיחַ, גּוֺחַ].

גחל (probably = kindle, burn).

Meaning and Occurrence

Magzerah denotes a cutting saw, most likely iron-toothed, used one time in Scripture—2 Samuel 12:31—in connection with David’s conquest of Rabbah of Ammon.

Historical and Cultural Background

Iron saws were valuable in the Late Bronze and early Iron Ages when ironworking spread unevenly through Canaan. Such tools signified advanced technology and were promptly pressed into royal labor forces for timber, stone, and kiln production. Their military capture enhanced a king’s construction capacity and symbolized dominion over defeated peoples.

Context within 2 Samuel 12:31

“Then he brought out the people who were there and put them to work with saws, iron picks, and axes, and he made them pass through the brick kilns” (2 Samuel 12:31). The verse occurs immediately after Nathan’s rebuke and David’s repentance. While English versions differ over whether the Ammonites were executed or conscripted, the point is total subjugation after their insults (2 Samuel 10:1-5) and mercenary war (2 Samuel 10:6-19). Magzerah thus appears in a narrative that marries divine discipline on David with judgment on Israel’s enemies.

Ethical and Theological Considerations

1. Instruments in divine hands: Just as the saw cannot boast over the carpenter (Isaiah 10:15), so nations and leaders remain tools of God’s sovereign purposes.
2. War and mercy: David, though forgiven, administers stern justice. The text reminds readers that sin has communal fallout; yet the subsequent restoration of David’s rule shows God’s mercy alongside discipline.
3. Human dignity: Scripture records the harsh realities of ancient warfare without approving cruelty; readers are left to weigh justice in light of the Law’s call for measured retribution (Deuteronomy 20:10-18).

Relation to Divine Justice and Warfare

Magzerah stands as a tangible emblem of divine retribution. The Ammonites’ earlier humiliation of Israel’s envoys (2 Samuel 10:4) invited covenantal consequences. David’s use of the saw declares that those who mock God’s people ultimately face His judgment, even through human agencies.

Typological and Prophetic Hints

Hebrews 11:37 notes faithful saints “sawn in two,” showing the saw re-emerging under persecution. The transition from David’s military saw to martyrdom’s saw traces the redemptive arc from conquest to suffering witness, culminating in Christ, who absorbed violence rather than wielding it. Isaiah 2:4 foretells a day when weapons become farming tools, hinting that even magzerah will be redeemed into a peaceful implement.

Practical Ministry Applications

• Leadership: God entrusts authority to discipline, not to indulge brutality (Romans 13:4; James 2:13).
• Spiritual formation: Like a saw separating waste from usable wood, the Word discerns thoughts and intents (Hebrews 4:12); believers submit to its cutting work.
• Stewardship of technology: Tools can serve oppression or service; Christians redeem technology for godly ends (Ephesians 4:28).

Key Cross-References

2 Samuel 10:1-19; 2 Samuel 12:7-14, 29-31

1 Chronicles 20:3 (parallel event with related term)

Isaiah 10:15; Isaiah 2:4

Hebrews 4:12; Hebrews 11:37

James 2:13

Romans 13:4

Ephesians 4:28

וּֽבְמַגְזְרֹ֣ת ובמגזרת ū·ḇə·maḡ·zə·rōṯ ūḇəmaḡzərōṯ uvemagzeRotInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts