4434. malkodeth
Lexical Summary
malkodeth: Snare, trap

Original Word: מַלְכֹּדֶת
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: malkodeth
Pronunciation: mal-ko'-deth
Phonetic Spelling: (mal-ko'-deth)
KJV: trap
NASB: trap
Word Origin: [from H3920 (לָכַד - captured)]

1. a snare

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
trap

From lakad; a snare -- trap.

see HEBREW lakad

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from lakad
Definition
a catching instrument, a snare, trap
NASB Translation
trap (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
[מַלְכֹּ֑דֶת] noun feminine a catching instrument, i.e. a snare, trap, only figurative; suffix מַלְכֻּדְתּוֺ עֲלֵי נָתִיב Job 18:10 of the wicked ("" טָמוּן בָּאָרֶץ חַבְלוֺ).

Topical Lexicon
Root Imagery and Symbolism

מַלְכֹּדֶת depicts an ingeniously concealed hunting device—a trigger-spring trap designed to seize prey by sudden entanglement. The word evokes the tension between apparent safety and imminent peril, conveying how danger often operates unseen until the decisive moment of capture. Scripture repeatedly employs the broader snare motif to warn of spiritual entrapment (Psalm 124:7; Proverbs 29:25), and מַלְכֹּדֶת contributes a vivid, tactile illustration of that truth.

Context within Job 18

The sole biblical occurrence appears in Bildad’s second discourse against Job: “A noose is hidden in the ground; a trap lies in his path” (Job 18:10). Bildad constructs a catalogue of calamities befalling the wicked, stressing the inevitability and thoroughness of divine retribution. מַלְכֹּדֶת anchors his argument by portraying judgment as a pre-set mechanism. Though Bildad misapplies the principle to Job’s circumstance, the image itself remains theologically sound—sin inevitably positions a person over concealed snares.

Historical and Cultural Setting

In the ancient Near East hunters fashioned pit-falls, spring-poles, and foot-snares from rope, sinew, and wooden toggles. Such devices were typically baited or disguised with soil and foliage, ensuring that the quarry perceived no threat until movement triggered the clamp or tightening loop. The agricultural economy of Uz and surrounding regions relied on these methods for procuring meat and protecting crops, making Bildad’s illustration immediately intelligible to his audience.

Theological Threads

1. Retribution and Moral Order: The trap symbolizes an ordered universe where wrongdoing eventually tightens upon the perpetrator (Ecclesiastes 10:8).
2. Divine Sovereignty: While humans may set snares, Scripture attributes ultimate control to God, who can either permit capture (Jeremiah 50:24) or deliver from it (Psalm 91:3).
3. Spiritual Warfare: New Testament writers extend the motif to demonic strategy, cautioning believers against “the snare of the devil” (2 Timothy 2:26), thereby linking מַלְכֹּדֶת to ongoing cosmic conflict.

Ministry and Discipleship Implications

Pastoral counsel often addresses hidden compromises that, like a buried trap, ensnare the unsuspecting soul. Job 18:10 encourages vigilance, confession, and community accountability. Expositors may illustrate how unresolved bitterness, secret addictions, or pride operate as modern מַלְכֹּדָת traps. The passage also warns against Bildad’s error—using the imagery of snares to judge others without full knowledge, thus adding a call to compassion.

Related Biblical Passages

Psalm 141:9-10; Proverbs 22:5; Isaiah 24:17-18; Luke 21:34-35. Each reference reinforces the dual theme of concealed peril and divine rescue. Together they frame מַלְכֹּדֶת within the broader canonical warning to remain awake, discerning, and dependent upon the Lord’s guidance.

Christological and Eschatological Echoes

The crucifixion momentarily appeared as Satan’s ultimate trap for the Son of God, yet the Resurrection shattered the snare and “led captivity captive” (Ephesians 4:8). In eschatology the final judgment reverses every hidden scheme, exposing and nullifying evil devices (Revelation 20:10). Thus מַלְכֹּדֶת points beyond temporal dangers to the ultimate security found in Christ, who alone delivers believers from every snare into everlasting freedom.

Forms and Transliterations
וּ֝מַלְכֻּדְתּ֗וֹ ומלכדתו ū·mal·kuḏ·tōw umalkudTo ūmalkuḏtōw
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Englishman's Concordance
Job 18:10
HEB: בָּאָ֣רֶץ חַבְל֑וֹ וּ֝מַלְכֻּדְתּ֗וֹ עֲלֵ֣י נָתִֽיב׃
NAS: in the ground, And a trap for him on the path.
KJV: for him in the ground, and a trap for him in the way.
INT: the ground A noose trap on the path

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 4434
1 Occurrence


ū·mal·kuḏ·tōw — 1 Occ.

4433
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