Original Word: מַכְשֵׁלָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: makshelah
Pronunciation: mak-sheh-lah
Phonetic Spelling: (mak-shay-law')
KJV: ruin, stumbling-block
NASB: ruins
Word Origin: [feminine from H3782 (כָּשַׁל - stumble)]

1. a stumbling-block, but only figuratively (fall, enticement (idol))

ruin, stumbling-block

Feminine from kashal; a stumbling-block, but only figuratively (fall, enticement (idol)) -- ruin, stumbling-block.

see HEBREW kashal

Word Origin
from kashal
Definition
something overthrown, a stumbling block
NASB Translation
ruins (2).

מַכְשֵׁלָה noun feminine 1. overthrown mass.

2 stumbling-block; —

1 figurative of kingdom Isaiah 3:6.

2 plural הַמַּכְשֵׁלוֺת Zephaniah 1:3 stumbling-blocks = idols (compare מִכְשׁוֺל 2c), but rather dubious; We thinks a gloss. Schw^{ZAW x. (1890), 169} reads וְכִשַּׁלְתִּי and I will cause the wicked to stumble.

I. כשׁף (√ of following; compare Arabic cut off, cut up, Syriac to pray (literally probably to cut oneself, see 1 Kings 18:28): so Rs^{J Phil. xiv. 125, 126} Nö^{ZMG 1886, 723}; according to RS כֶּשֶׁף is properly herbs etc. shredded into a magic brew).

Meaning and Essence

The word denotes an object, condition, or influence that trips, ensnares, or ruins. It is not merely a physical impediment but encompasses moral or spiritual obstacles that lead individuals or societies into collapse.

Occurrences in Scripture

1. Isaiah 3:6 presents the word as a description of a nation reduced to “this heap of ruins”, highlighting Judah’s self-inflicted downfall.
2. Zephaniah 1:3 forecasts the sweeping away of “the idols along with the wicked”, identifying false worship as the stumbling block that brings divine judgment.

Contextual Notes in Isaiah

Isaiah portrays social chaos during God’s discipline. The “heap of ruins” is both literal devastation and metaphor for the people’s moral collapse. Their misplaced trust in human leadership becomes the stumbling block that prevents repentance.

Contextual Notes in Zephaniah

In Zephaniah the term is tied explicitly to idolatry. The prophet links spiritual stumbling to ecological and societal ruin, underscoring the comprehensive reach of sin’s consequences.

Theological and Redemptive Themes

• Sin is self-defeating: the same society that erects its stumbling block must live amid its rubble.
• Idolatry is the primary spiritual obstacle; removing it is prerequisite to restoration.
• Judgment is not arbitrary but a measured response to what humanity itself has placed in God’s way (compare Romans 1:24-25).
• The concept anticipates New Testament teaching on “stumbling blocks” (for example Matthew 18:7) and the contrast of Christ as the true cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20).

Historical and Cultural Background

Ancient Near Eastern cities were fortified yet vulnerable to internal decay. When prophets employed imagery of stumbling blocks and ruins, listeners envisioned toppled walls and shattered idols littering the streets—visible reminders that covenant infidelity invites national collapse.

Contemporary Ministry Insights

• Identify modern equivalents of stumbling blocks—cultural idols of self, materialism, or relativism—that hinder faith.
• Preaching and counseling should expose these hazards and call believers to remove them (Hebrews 12:1).
• Corporate worship ought to reinforce allegiance to the true God, preventing new stumbling blocks from forming.

Intercanonical Connections

The Hebrew concept resonates with the Greek skandalon (“offense” or “snare”). While sin erects barriers, God provides a “stone tested, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation” (Isaiah 28:16), fulfilled in Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:6-8). Thus Scripture maintains a consistent pattern: human stumbling blocks versus God’s saving rock.

Pastoral Implications

Leaders must guard against becoming a stumbling block themselves (1 Corinthians 8:9). Churches should practice self-examination, removing anything that obscures the gospel. Where ruins now stand, God offers rebuilding through repentance, faith, and obedience.

וְהַמַּכְשֵׁל֖וֹת וְהַמַּכְשֵׁלָ֥ה והמכשלה והמכשלות vehammachsheLah vehammachsheLot wə·ham·maḵ·šê·lāh wə·ham·maḵ·šê·lō·wṯ wəhammaḵšêlāh wəhammaḵšêlōwṯInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts