Hebrew word · H4773

מַרְגֵּמָה

bemargemah

sling

Appears only here in the Hebrew Bible. Formed from the verb ragam, 'to stone, pelt with stones' (the verb for execution by stoning in Lev 24:16 and elsewhere), with a prefix that often marks an instrument or a place. If it is the instrument, it means 'stone-thrower', i.e. the sling.

Appears once in the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

1) sling

2) (CLBL) a heap of stones

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 26:8

Range of meaning

Appears only here in the Hebrew Bible. Formed from the verb ragam, 'to stone, pelt with stones' (the verb for execution by stoning in Lev 24:16 and elsewhere), with a prefix that often marks an instrument or a place. If it is the instrument, it means 'stone-thrower', i.e. the sling. If it is the place, it means 'stoning-place' or 'stone heap'.

Against the English

All the major English versions say 'sling'. That is the most natural reading, but because the word appears only once it is not certain.

Used elsewhere in the period

The LXX translates it sphendonē, 'sling'. The Vulgate has acervus Mercurii, 'heap of Mercury', meaning the roadside cairns where travellers tossed a stone in honor of the god Hermes/Mercury. This follows a rabbinic reading: b. Hullin 133a applies the verse to teaching an unworthy student and calls it like 'throwing a stone to Markolis' (Mercury). The usual word for sling in Hebrew is qela' (1 Sam 17:40).

Where it appears

Proverbs · 1

  1. Proverbs 26:8 בְּמַרְגֵּמָ֑ה in a sling

    Like binding a stone into a sling is the giving of honor to a fool.

    Here: 'In a sling.' The word appears only here in the Bible and comes from the verb 'to stone, pelt with stones', so it means 'stone-thrower', most likely the sling. The stone is meant to sit loose in the sling's pouch and fly out.

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