מֶחְקָר

From the study of Psalm 95:4

Range of meaning

This word occurs only here in the Hebrew Bible, so its meaning comes from its root. Nouns that begin with mem- often name a place, and ḥāqar means 'to search, examine, explore' (Judg 18:2 of spies scouting land; Job 28:3, 27; Prov 25:2). So meḥqār is 'a place for searching', a place that has to be searched out because it is hidden, deep or unexplored. Most lexicons gloss it 'recesses, inner depths' (BDB 'what is searched out, inmost depths'; HALOT 'depths').

Against the English

'Depths' (BSB, ESV, NIV, NASB) and 'deep places' (KJV, WEB, YLT) get the location right but lose the idea of what cannot be explored. The Hebrew is not just 'low places' but 'places you would have to dig and search to find', places beyond human reach.

Used elsewhere in the period

The related noun ḥēqer is used for the unreachable depths of creation and of God: 'Have you walked in the recesses (ḥēqer) of the deep?' (Job 38:16); 'Can you find out the deep things (ḥēqer) of God?' (Job 11:7); 'his greatness is unsearchable' (ʾên ḥēqer, Ps 145:3; Isa 40:28). Job 28 describes miners tunneling into the earth to search out hidden ore, the human effort this word assumes. The Septuagint renders the line 'the ends (perata) of the earth', which keeps the idea of the furthest, most remote reaches.