H4272 H4272
To smite through, shatter, crush, or wound severely; a poetic term for devastating military or divine blows
A verb reserved almost entirely for poetry and prophecy, describing the most violent kind of striking — not a slap but a shattering blow. Jael 'struck through' Sisera's temple (Judg 5:26), God's arrows 'pierce' enemy nations (Num 24:8), and the messianic king 'shatters kings on the day of his wrath' (Ps 110:5-6). Spanish consistently renders it with 'herir/herir' (to wound/smite), while German reaches for 'zerschmettern' (to shatter). The Assyrian cognate mahasu (to smite, wound) confirms that this root carried military force across the ancient Near East.
4. wound, injure — To wound or injure, with the focus shifting from the act of striking to the bodily harm inflicted. In the Song of Moses (Deut 32:39), God declares 'I wound and I heal,' pairing machats with healing to highlight the wound as the central result. Spanish 'hiero' (I wound) and the theological context of divine sovereignty over life and death place the emphasis squarely on the injury rather than the weapon or manner of attack. 1×
AR["سَحَقْتُ"]·ben["আহত-করেছি"]·DE["ich-Wunde"]·EN["I-wound"]·FR["je-blessure"]·heb["מחצתי"]·HI["घायल-किया-मैंने"]·ID["Aku-meremukkan"]·IT["io-wound"]·jav["Kawula-nglarani"]·KO["내가-치맨다"]·PT["feri"]·RU["поражаю"]·ES["hiero"]·SW["nimejeruhi"]·TR["yaralarım"]·urd["زخمی-کرتا-ہوں-میں"]
▼ 3 more senses below
Senses
1. shatter, crush — To shatter or crush with overwhelming force, reducing the target to ruin. This sense emphasizes total destruction rather than a single blow. God shatters heads (Ps 68:21), crushes the loins of adversaries (Deut 33:11), and the Davidic king shatters kings in the day of wrath (Ps 110:5). German 'zerschmettert' (smashed to pieces) and Spanish 'herirá/aplastaste' capture the finality. The Balaam oracle (Num 24:17) prophesies a ruler who will 'shatter the corners of Moab.' 7×
AR["اِضْرِبْ","سَحَقْتَ","وَ-سَحَقَ","وَأَسْحَقُهُمْ","يَسحَق","يَسْحَقُ"]·ben["এবং-আঘাত-করবে","এবং-আমি-গুঁড়িয়ে-দেব-তাদের","চূর্ণ-কর","চূর্ণ-করবেন","তিনি-চূর্ণ-করেছেন","তুমি-ধ্বংস-করলে"]·DE["[מחצת]","er-hat-zerschmettert","hat-zerschmettert","shatter","und-crushes","und-ich-shatter-ihnen","wird-shatter"]·EN["He-has-shattered","and-I-shatter-them","and-crushes","has-shattered","shatter","will-shatter","you-shattered"]·FR["de-écraser","et-crushes","et-je-shatter-eux","shatter","écraser"]·heb["ו-אמחצ-ם","ו-מחץ","ימחץ","מחץ","מחצת"]·HI["और-कुचलूंगा-उन्हें","और-कुचलेगा","चूर-कर-देगा","चोट-पहुँचा","तूने-कुचला"]·ID["Engkau-menghancurkan","Ia-menghancurkan","dan-aku-meremukkan-mereka","dan-meremukkan","hancurkanlah","menghancurkan","meremukkan"]·IT["[מחצת]","da-freccia","e-crushes","e-io-shatter-loro","feri'","shatter"]·jav["Panjenengan-ngremuk","badhé-meremuk","gebugana","lan-badhe-nembus","lan-kula-ngremuk","sampun-ngremuk"]·KO["그리고-칠-것이다","그리고-타격했다-그들을","부수셨도다","부수시리이다","치셨도다","치소서"]·PT["e-esmago-os","e-ferirá","esmagará","fere","feriste"]·RU["и-сокрушит","и-сокрушу-их","поразил-Ты","сокруши","сокрушит"]·ES["aplastaste","herirá","hiere","quebrantará","y-herirá","y-los-heriré"]·SW["amempiga","amewapiga","atavunja","na-atavunja","na-nikawapiga","umemponda","vunja"]·TR["ez","ezdi","ezdin","ezecek","ve-ezecek","ve-vurdum-onları"]·urd["اور-کچلتا-ہوں-اُنہیں","اور-کچلے-گا","توڑ","تُو-نے-کچلا","کچل-دے-گا","کچلے-گا"]
2. strike, smite — To strike or smite with a powerful blow, focusing on the act of hitting rather than the degree of destruction. Jael 'struck' Sisera's head with a tent peg (Judg 5:26), and Job acknowledges that God 'strikes but his hands also heal' (Job 5:18). French 'frappa' (struck) and Spanish 'hirió' reflect the narrative emphasis on the moment of impact. In Job 26:12 God strikes the sea monster Rahab, combining military imagery with cosmic combat. 4×
AR["أَسْحَقُهُمْ","ضَرَبَ","وَ-حَطَمَتْ","يَسْحَقُ"]·ben["আমি-তাদের-আঘাত-করব","এবং-ছেদন-করল","তিনি-আঘাত-করেন"]·DE["[ימחץ]","[מחץ]","ich-schlug-ihnen","und-sie-schlug"]·EN["He-shattered","I-struck-them","and-she-struck","he-strikes"]·FR["et-elle-frappa","écraser","ימחץ","מחץ"]·heb["אמחצם","ו-מחצה","ימחץ","מחץ"]·HI["और-फोड़ा-उसने","घायल-करता-है","मारूँगा-उन्हें","वह-कुचलता-है"]·ID["Aku-menghancurkan-mereka","Dia-menghancurkan","Ia-menghancurkan","dan-menembus"]·IT["He-shattered","e-ella-colpì","egli-strikes","feri'"]·jav["Kula-naboki","lan-ngremuk","nabrak","ngremuk"]·KO["구타하나이다","그리고-부수었다","쳤다","치신다-그가"]·PT["Eu-os-esmagarei","e-perfurou","esmaga","feriu"]·RU["Он-ранит","и-раздробила","разил-их","сразил"]·ES["hiere","hirió","los-heriré","y-traspasó"]·SW["Nitawaponda","alimpiga","anapiga","na-akatoboa"]·TR["ezdi","ve-deldi","vurdum-onları","vuruyor"]·urd["اور-چیرا","مارتا-ہے","میں-کچل-دوں-گا-اُنہیں","کچلا"]
3. pierce, penetrate — To pierce or penetrate through a target, emphasizing that the blow goes deep or passes through. Balaam's oracle declares that Israel's arrows 'pierce' enemy nations (Num 24:8), and Psalm 68:23 envisions feet dipped in blood from pierced foes. The imagery moves from surface impact to penetration, and Spanish 'quebrará' (will break through) reflects the breakthrough quality of the strike. 2×
AR["تَغْمُسَ","يَطْعَنُ"]·ben["তুমি-চূর্ণ-করতে-পার","সে-বিদ্ধ-করবে"]·DE["er-shatters","möge-schlagen"]·EN["he-shatters","may-strike"]·FR["il-shatters","écraser"]·heb["ימחץ","תמחץ"]·HI["मारेगा"]·ID["dia-menembus","meremukkan"]·IT["egli-shatters","feri'"]·jav["Panjenengan-meremuk","piyambakipun-badhe-nembus"]·KO["관통하리라","밟으리이다"]·PT["despedaçará","esmagues"]·RU["омочилась","поразит"]·ES["golpees","quebrará"]·SW["ataichoma","uvunje"]·TR["batırasın","delecek"]·urd["تُو-کچلے","چھیدیں-گے"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† מָחַץ vb. smite through, wound severely, shatter (poet.) (Assyrian maḫâṣu, smite, wound, DlHWB 398; Arabic مَخَضَ churn; beat or agitate the milk, etc.; Sab. מחֿץֿ DHMZMG xxx. 1876, 684; xxxvii. 1883, 338; Burgen u. Schlösser (SB. xcvii. 1881), 965 (of stone-cutter’s work), HomChrestom. 127; Ethiopic መሐጸ: );— Qal Pf. 3 ms. מ׳ Jb 26:12 + 3 times וּמָֽחֲצָה Ju 5:26 etc.; Impf. יִמְחַץ Jb 5:18 ψ…