Hebrew word · H4112

מַהֲלֻמֿוֹת

umahalumot

blow

Blows, beatings. The word is a noun from halam, 'to hammer, strike down' (Judg 5:22, 26, Jael hammering the tent peg; Isa 41:7). The plural suggests repeated blows.

Appears 2 times in 2 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

strokes, blows

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Proverbs 18:6

Range of meaning

Blows, beatings. The word is a noun from halam, 'to hammer, strike down' (Judg 5:22, 26, Jael hammering the tent peg; Isa 41:7). The plural suggests repeated blows.

Against the English

KJV "strokes" and YLT "stripes" meant blows and lash-marks in 1611 and 1862. Today "strokes" sounds like gentle stroking or a medical stroke. BSB's "a beating" and WEB's "beatings" carry the force clearly.

How it drifted

"Strokes" in the sense of 'blows' has faded from everyday English.

Used elsewhere in the period

The word appears only here and in Prov 19:29: "Judgments are prepared for mockers, and blows for the backs of fools." Compare 10:13 and 26:3 ("a rod for the back of fools"). Deuteronomy 25:1–3 sets out judicial flogging after a riv comes to court.

From the study of Proverbs 19:29

Range of meaning

'Blows, strokes.' From halam, 'to strike, hammer, beat' (Judg 5:22, 26 of hooves pounding and Jael's hammer; Ps 141:5 'let a righteous man strike me').

Against the English

KJV/YLT 'stripes' points to lashing marks. BSB/WEB/NIV have 'beatings', ESV 'beating'. All are reasonable. 'Stripes' is narrower than the Hebrew, which means any heavy blow.

Used elsewhere in the period

In the Bible it appears only in Prov 18:6 and 19:29. The Latin Vulgate's 'hammers striking' (mallei percutientes) reflects the root meaning.

Where it appears

Proverbs · 2

  1. Proverbs 18:6 לְֽמַהֲלֻמ֥וֹת for blows

    A fool’s lips bring him strife, and his mouth invites a beating.

    Here: "For blows". The word comes from the root halam, "to hammer, strike", and is plural. It means a beating: hard physical blows, whether from an angry opponent or a judicial flogging. It occurs only here and in 19:29.

  2. Proverbs 19:29 וּ֝מַהֲלֻמ֗וֹת and blows

    Judgments are prepared for mockers, and beatings for the backs of fools.

    Here: 'And blows.' The word comes from a root meaning to strike or hammer, and it pictures hard physical beating. The only other place it appears is Proverbs 18:6, where a fool's mouth 'calls for blows'.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.