Hebrew word · H4593

מָעֹט

me'utah

sharp

Uncertain. 9–11 (MT 14–16).

Appears once in the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

1) wrapped, grasped

1a) meaning uncertain

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 Ezekiel 21:15

Range of meaning

Uncertain. Proposed meanings: (1) "wrapped, covered" (from עטה, to wrap), perhaps meaning wrapped in readiness, or a wrapped grip; (2) "grasped, drawn" (held in the hand), on comparison with Arabic; (3) "sharpened/thin-edged" (Strong's "sharp"); (4) a copying error for מְרֻטָּה, "polished", which this sword is called in vv. 9–11 (MT 14–16).

Against the English

KJV and YLT "wrapped up", BSB "drawn", others "grasped," "taken up," "polished," or "sharpened". The translations disagree because the word is unclear.

How it drifted

KJV's "wrapped up for the slaughter" leads modern readers to picture a sheathed or packaged sword, the opposite of the drawn, flashing blade the poem describes.

Used elsewhere in the period

The poem repeatedly pairs "sharpened" and "polished" (חוּדַּה / מְרוּטָה, vv. 9–11) and links polish with lightning (v. 10). That parallel is why many scholars favour "polished." The Septuagint and Vulgate render it in different ways.

Where it appears

Ezekiel · 1

  1. Ezekiel 21:15 מְעֻטָּ֥ה wrapped

    So that their hearts may melt and many may stumble, I have appointed at all their gates a sword for slaughter. Yes, it is ready to flash like lightning; it is drawn for slaughter.

    Here: An obscure word. It has been read as "wrapped" (KJV, from a root meaning "to cover"), "grasped/drawn" (held ready in the hand), "sharpened", or as a slip for "polished" (the word of vv. 9–11). Whichever is right, the sword is ready for use.

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