Lexical Summary maqqebeth: hammer, hammers Original Word: מַקָּבָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance hammer From naqab; properly, a perforatrix, i.e. A hammer (as piercing) -- hammer. see HEBREW naqab NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom naqab Definition a hammer NASB Translation hammer (2), hammers (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs I. מַקֶּ֑בֶת noun feminine hammer (by means of which one drives in nails and pegs); — absolute ׳מ Judges 4:21 (+ יָתֵד); elsewhere plural מַקָּבוֺת 1 Kings 6:7 (+ גַּרְזֶן); Isaiah 44:12; Jeremiah 10:4 (+ מַסְמְרוֺת). — On name Maccabee see SchüGeschichte. i. 158. Topical Lexicon Overviewמַקָּבָה designates a craftsman’s hammer, the striking tool of iron-working artisans. Though it appears only three times, each context offers a window into worship, craftsmanship, and the perennial struggle between true devotion and idolatry. Occurrences in Scripture 1 Kings 6:7; Isaiah 44:12; Jeremiah 10:4. Historical and Cultural Background In the Iron Age, the hammer was indispensable for shaping stone or metal. Israel’s craftsmen inherited techniques from Egypt and Canaan yet were called to place their skill in service to the Lord, not to idols. Archaeological finds from the tenth to seventh centuries B.C. display double-headed iron hammers comparable to those envisioned by מַקָּבָה. Temple Silence versus Marketplace Clamor • 1 Kings 6:7 sets the tool in deliberate absence: “the temple was constructed with finished stones cut at the quarry, so that no hammer, chisel, or any iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built”. The restrained use of the hammer underscores the holiness of the site; the noise of human effort was stilled so that worshippers might recognize the work as God’s. • In Isaiah 44:12 and Jeremiah 10:4 the hammer reappears, now clanging in workshops devoted to idols. Isaiah describes the exhausted blacksmith who “shapes it with a hammer” (44:12), while Jeremiah notes that idol-makers “fasten it with hammer and nails so that it will not totter” (10:4). The same object that could build for God is here marshaled against Him, exposing the folly of misplaced devotion. Theological Significance 1. Sanctified Skill. Scripture affirms human artistry yet insists it be surrendered to divine purpose (Exodus 31:2-5; 1 Kings 6:7). The hammer thus becomes a symbol of consecrated labor—skill employed without drawing attention to itself. 2. Condemnation of Idolatry. The prophets target the hammer’s clang as emblematic of self-made religion. Human effort cannot breathe life into wood or metal; the hammer only secures lifeless idols that must be “carried, because they cannot walk” (Jeremiah 10:5). 3. The Sovereignty of God over Human Craft. By contrasting temple silence with idolatrous racket, Scripture elevates the divine Word over human sound (cf. Habakkuk 2:18-20). Practical Ministry Application • Worship Leadership. Ministries involved in building or renovating worship space may glean from 1 Kings 6:7 the principle of minimizing distraction, ensuring that every project serves reverence rather than spectacle. • Discipleship and Work Ethic. Believers are called to use everyday tools—literal or metaphorical—for God’s glory (Colossians 3:23-24). The hammer invites reflection on how vocational skills can honor Christ. • Apologetics. Isaiah and Jeremiah expose the irrationality of idolatry. Contemporary ministry can apply the same logic to modern “gods” fashioned by technology, wealth, or ideology. Typological and Christological Considerations The silent stones of the temple foreshadow the “living stones” being built into a spiritual house (1 Peter 2:5). The absence of the hammer within the sacred precinct suggests that the decisive shaping of God’s people occurs before they are set in place—fulfilled in Christ, who prepares His disciples through the Spirit before presenting them blameless (Ephesians 5:26-27). Related Biblical Motifs • Hammer imagery elsewhere (Jeremiah 23:29; Judges 4:21) portrays divine judgment or deliverance. Though different Hebrew terms are employed, the motif underscores God’s sovereignty over both construction and destruction. • Tools sanctified for worship: censers (Leviticus 10:1-2), trumpets (Numbers 10:8-10), and plumb lines (Amos 7:7-8) all illustrate how ordinary objects gain sacred significance when set apart for God. Summary מַקָּבָה, the humble hammer, invites believers to examine the end to which their skills are directed. In the hands of Solomon’s craftsmen, its silence testifies to reverence; in the hands of idol-makers, its clang exposes futility. The word’s scant appearances carry weighty lessons: every tool, every talent, and every moment of labor finds its true meaning when devoted to the worship of the living God. Forms and Transliterations וּבְמַקָּב֛וֹת וּבַמַּקָּב֖וֹת וּמַקָּב֤וֹת ובמקבות ומקבות ū·ḇam·maq·qā·ḇō·wṯ ū·ḇə·maq·qā·ḇō·wṯ ū·maq·qā·ḇō·wṯ ūḇammaqqāḇōwṯ ūḇəmaqqāḇōwṯ umakkaVot ūmaqqāḇōwṯ uvammakkaVot uvemakkaVotLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 1 Kings 6:7 HEB: מַסָּ֖ע נִבְנָ֑ה וּמַקָּב֤וֹת וְהַגַּרְזֶן֙ כָּל־ NAS: and there was neither hammer nor KJV: before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe INT: the quarry was built hammer axe any Isaiah 44:12 Jeremiah 10:4 3 Occurrences |
    |