מָחָא H4222
to clap hands in joy or triumph
A verb meaning to clap or strike the hands together, typically expressing joy or exultation. The psalmist calls on rivers to clap their hands before the Lord (98:8). Isaiah prophesies that even the trees of the field will clap their hands in joy at the coming restoration (55:12). Ezekiel uses it negatively for malicious clapping over Israel's downfall (25:6). The primary sense is joyful celebration, with inanimate creation personified as joining in worship and rejoicing.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Cross-linguistic evidence consistently points to hand-clapping: Spanish 'aplaudir, batir-palmas' (applaud, clap), English 'clap.' Psalm 98:8 personifies rivers clapping at God's coming to judge the earth. Isaiah 55:12 envisions all field trees clapping hands as creation celebrates redemption. Ezekiel 25:6 condemns Ammon for maliciously clapping hands over Judah's destruction. The gesture expresses exultant joy, whether in worship or (negatively) in schadenfreude. 3×
AR["تُصَفِّقُ-", "صَفْقِكَ"]·ben["করতালি-দেবে", "তালি-দিক", "তালি-দিয়েছ-তুমি"]·DE["[ימחאו]", "[מחאך]", "lass-ihnen-clap"]·EN["let-them-clap", "will-clap-", "you-clapped"]·FR["[ימחאו]", "frapper"]·heb["ימחאו", "ימחאו-", "מחאתך"]·HI["तालियाँ-बजाएँ-", "ताली-बजाएंगे"]·ID["akan-bertepuk", "bertepuk", "engkau-bertepuk-"]·IT["[ימחאו]", "[מחאך]"]·jav["badhé-keplok-", "mugi-keplok", "panjenengan-ngeplok"]·KO["손믐을-치리라-", "손벽-치리라", "치기를-너의"]·PT["batam-palmas", "baterão-", "teu-bater"]·RU["да-рукоплещут-", "рукой", "рукоплещут-"]·ES["aplaudan", "aplaudirán-", "batiste-palmas"]·SW["ipige-makofi", "ulipiga-makofi", "yatapiga-"]·TR["alkislayacaklar-", "alkışladın", "el-çırpsınlar"]·urd["تالی-بجایا-تُو-نے", "تالیاں-بجائیں", "تالیاں-بجائیں-گے"]
Related Senses
G0846 1. third-person pronoun reference (5552×)H???? 1. (4670×)H6213a 1. do, perform, act (2383×)G4160 1. do, act, perform (473×)H5221 1. Hifil: to strike in battle, smite enemies (362×)H0899b 1. garment, article of clothing (216×)H6213a 2. make, construct, fabricate (148×)H3772 1. cut a covenant / make a pact (97×)H5060 1. touch physically (Qal) (96×)H3615 1. complete a task (Piel) (85×)H3772 2. cut off / destroy (Hifil causative) (81×)H3920 1. capture, seize (Qal) (76×)H???? 12. (76×)H3772 3. be cut off / be eliminated (Niphal) (74×)H6213a 3. be done, be made (Niphal) (73×)G4160 2. make, construct, create (62×)H3847 1. Qal: put on, wear (60×)H8210 1. pour out (liquid/libation) (59×)G2440 1. garment or clothing (general) (54×)H4191 4. kill / put to death (Hifil causative) (50×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
[מָחָא] vb. strike, only = clap (the hand) (Aramaic form of II. מָחָה q.v.);— Qal Impf. 3 mpl. only fig., of joy of inanimate things before י׳: נְהָרוֹת יִמְחֲאוּ־כָ֑ף ψ 98:8; וְכָל־עֲצֵי הַשָּׂדֶה יִמְחֲאוּ־כָֽף ׃ Is 55:12.— Pi. Inf. cstr. sf. id., of exultation over foe יַעַן מַחְאֲךָ יָד Ez 25:6 (‖ וְרַקְעֲךָ בְּרָ֑גֶל).