Original Word: מְקֵרָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: mqerah
Pronunciation: meh-keh-RAW
Phonetic Spelling: (mek-ay-raw')
KJV: X summer
NASB: cool
Word Origin: [from the same as H7119 (קַר - cold)]

1. a cooling off

summer

From the same as qar; a cooling off -- X summer.

see HEBREW qar

Word Origin
from qarar
Definition
coolness
NASB Translation
cool (2).

מְקֵרָה noun feminine coolness; — absolute ׳מ of chamber: ׳לֲיַּת הַמּ Judges 3:20 = ׳חֲדַר הַמּ Judges 3:24.

Definition and Occurrences

מְקֵרָה (meqêrâh) denotes a specially constructed “cool roof chamber” or “upper cooling room.” The term appears only twice, and both instances occur within the same narrative describing Ehud’s assassination of Eglon, King of Moab (Judges 3:20; Judges 3:24).

Historical and Cultural Background

In Iron Age Palestine substantial residences and palaces commonly included an elevated chamber above the main living quarters. Thick mud-brick walls, high elevation, latticed windows, and open parapets made these spaces significantly cooler than the lower rooms, especially during the oppressive summer heat. Such chambers served multiple purposes: private audience halls, sleeping quarters, or lavatories. Royal patrons prized them as places of retreat, reflection, and bodily relief—privileged spaces shielded from the bustle below.

Architectural Features of a Meqerah

1. Elevation: Located on the flat roof, accessed by external stairs or an internal ladder.
2. Ventilation: Latticework windows or screened openings allowed cross-breezes to lower the temperature.
3. Privacy: Double doors with a locking bar (cf. Judges 3:23) provided security for intimate meetings.
4. Multipurpose Design: Furnishings could be rearranged for audience, rest, or even latrine use (note the servants’ assumption in Judges 3:24).

This combination of height, airflow, and restricted access explains why Eglon believed he was secure while “sitting alone in the cool roof chamber” (Judges 3:20).

Narrative Function in Judges 3

The meqerah frames the entire episode of deliverance:
• Invitation—Ehud requests a private audience, exploiting the exclusivity of the room.
• Assassination—The king’s physical ease contrasts with the sudden sword-thrust that ends his life.
• Escape—The double doors of the meqerah, locked from within, delay discovery, buying Ehud time to flee.
• Misinterpretation—Servants conclude, “He must be relieving himself in the cool room” (Judges 3:24), a plausible assumption precisely because such chambers doubled as secluded washrooms.

Thus the architectural detail is not incidental; it is a critical narrative device that highlights divine deliverance wrought through human ingenuity. The Israelite judge exploits the very comforts and defenses of the pagan king to fulfill God’s judgment.

Theological and Ministry Reflections

1. Divine Sovereignty over Human Spaces

God’s purposes are accomplished even in places designed for human pride and comfort. The meqerah—built to protect a foreign king—becomes the stage for his downfall and Israel’s liberation.

2. The Subversive Nature of Deliverance

God frequently employs unexpected means and obscure settings to overturn tyranny. The cool chamber underscores how deliverance can arise in hidden corners rather than public battlefields (compare Gideon’s winepress in Judges 6 or David’s shepherd field in 1 Samuel 16).

3. Secrecy, Integrity, and Accountability

Eglon’s isolation exposes the dangers of unaccountable power. In ministry settings, private spaces should be stewarded wisely; what is hidden can serve righteousness (Matthew 6:6) or facilitate sin (2 Samuel 11). The meqerah warns against assuming that privacy equals impunity.

4. Spiritual Application: The Inner Room

Believers may draw a contrast between Eglon’s complacent seclusion and the believer’s “secret place of the Most High” (Psalm 91:1). The sanctified inner chamber of prayer fosters humility and dependence, the antithesis of the Moabite king’s self-secure detachment.

Related Biblical Themes

• Upper Rooms as Sites of Revelation and Resurrection

While meqerah is unique to Judges 3, other “upper rooms” play pivotal roles: Elijah revives a widow’s son in an upper chamber (1 Kings 17:19), Elisha performs a similar miracle (2 Kings 4:32), and the early church gathers in an upper room for prayer (Acts 1:13) and teaching (Acts 20:8). These parallels show how elevated spaces often become settings for divine intervention.

• Irony in Biblical Narrative

Scripture repeatedly highlights ironic reversals: Haman is hanged on his own gallows (Esther 7:10); Daniel’s accusers are thrown into the lions’ den they prepared for him (Daniel 6:24). Eglon’s cool retreat becomes his tomb, reinforcing the biblical theme that “the LORD opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).

Summary

מְקֵרָה denotes much more than a piece of architectural trivia. Its two occurrences anchor a critical moment in redemptive history, illustrating how God manipulates structures, customs, and even climate-controlled rooms to liberate His people. The meqerah stands as a quiet testament to divine sovereignty, a physical space where complacent power met uncompromising justice, and where the ingenuity of a left-handed deliverer advanced the greater narrative of covenant faithfulness.

הַמְּקֵרָ֤ה הַמְּקֵרָֽה׃ המקרה המקרה׃ ham·mə·qê·rāh hammekeRah hamməqêrāhInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts