Hebrew word · H4457

מֶלְקָחַ֫יִם

umalkacheiha

tong

"Tongs, snuffers": a two-armed tool for picking up hot or delicate objects. The form means a pair. It comes from lāqaḥ, "to take," so literally "takers." Used for the gold tools of the tabernacle lampstand (Exod 25:38; 37:23; Num 4:9) and of Solomon's temple (1 Kgs 7:49; 2 Chr 4:21).

Appears 6 times in 6 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

1) snuffers, tongs

1a) tongs (for altar use)

1b) snuffers (for lamps in temple or tabernacle)

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 Isaiah 6:6

Range of meaning

"Tongs, snuffers": a two-armed tool for picking up hot or delicate objects. The form means a pair. It comes from lāqaḥ, "to take," so literally "takers." Used for the gold tools of the tabernacle lampstand (Exod 25:38; 37:23; Num 4:9) and of Solomon's temple (1 Kgs 7:49; 2 Chr 4:21).

Against the English

All the major versions say "tongs." They are accurate, but they lose the wordplay: melqāḥayim … lāqaḥ, "with the takers he took."

Used elsewhere in the period

Exod 25:38; 37:23; Num 4:9; 1 Kgs 7:49; 2 Chr 4:21. Always an item of sanctuary equipment.

Where it appears

Exodus · 2

  1. Exodus 25:38 וּמַלְקָחֶ֥יהָ and tongs its

    The wick trimmers and their trays must be of pure gold.

  2. Exodus 37:23 וּמַלְקָחֶ֥יהָ and tongs its

    He also made its seven lamps, its wick trimmers, and trays of pure gold.

Numbers · 1

  1. Numbers 4:9 מַלְקָחֶ֖יהָ tongs its

    They are to take a blue cloth and cover the lampstand used for light, together with its lamps, wick trimmers, and trays, as well as the jars of oil with which to supply it.

1 Kings · 1

  1. 1 Kings 7:49 וְהַמֶּלְקַחַ֖יִם and the tongs

    the lampstands of pure gold in front of the inner sanctuary, five on the right side and five on the left; the gold flowers, lamps, and tongs;

2 Chronicles · 1

  1. 2 Chronicles 4:21 וְהַמֶּלְקַחַ֖יִם and the tongs

    the flowers, lamps, and tongs of gold—of purest gold;

Isaiah · 1

  1. Isaiah 6:6 בְּמֶ֨לְקַחַ֔יִם [which] with tongs

    Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar.

    Here: "With tongs." The Hebrew form means a pair, the two arms of the tool. Tongs were listed among the sanctuary's equipment, so the scene follows real altar practice. And the fire is so hot, or so holy, that even a 'burning one' does not touch it bare-handed. The word comes first in its clause, which puts weight on it.

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