H4289 H4289
Fire-holder, censer, or snuff-dish; a ritual vessel for carrying coals, incense, or trimming lamp wicks.
A cultic utensil with a surprisingly wide range of uses in tabernacle and temple service. The maḥtah could be a gold snuff-dish for trimming the lampstand wicks (Ex 25:38; 37:23), a bronze firepan for handling ashes from the altar of burnt offerings (Ex 27:3; 38:3), or a censer carried by priests for burning incense — most memorably by Aaron to stop a plague (Num 17:11) and by the 250 men of Korah's rebellion (Num 16:6–18). Spanish consistently renders it 'incensario' (censer), while English toggles between 'firepan' and 'censer' depending on context.
Senses
1. firepan, snuff dish, tray — A firepan, snuff-dish, or tray used in routine tabernacle maintenance — either as a gold snuff-holder for trimming lampstand wicks (Ex 25:38; 37:23; Num 4:9) or a bronze pan associated with the altar of burnt offerings (Ex 27:3; 38:3; Num 4:14). Also appears as gold vessels in Solomon's temple (1 Kgs 7:50; 2 Chr 4:22) and among items carried into Babylonian exile (2 Kgs 25:15; Jer 52:19). The Spanish 'braseros' (braziers) for the altar contexts versus 'incensarios' elsewhere reflects the functional ambiguity translators have long navigated. 15×
AR["الْمَجَامِرَ", "مَجَامِرَ", "مَجَامِرَهَا", "مِجْمَرَةٍ", "وَ-الـ-مَجَامِرُ", "وَ-الْمَجَامِرُ", "وَ-مَجامِرَها", "وَ-مَجامِرَهُ", "وَ-مَنافِضُها"]·ben["অগ্নিপাত্রগুলি", "আগুনপাত্রগুলো", "আগুনি-পাত্রগুলি", "আর-অঙ্গারের-পাত্র", "এবং-আগুনীগুলি", "এবং-তার-আগুনি-পাত্রগুলি", "এবং-তার-স্নাফ-ডিশগুলি", "এবং-ধূপাধানিগুলি-তার", "তার-স্নাফার", "ধূপদানী", "ধূপদানীগুলি", "স্নাফার"]·DE["Feuer-pans", "Feuer-pans-von", "[המחתות]", "[והמחתות]", "der-Feuer-pans", "der-Feuerpfannen", "der-firepans", "sein-trays", "und-der-firepans", "und-sein-Feuerpfannen", "und-sein-trays"]·EN["and-its-firepans", "and-its-trays", "and-the-firepans", "fire-pans", "fire-pans-of", "its-trays", "the-fire-pans", "the-firepans"]·FR["[המחתות]", "[והמחתות]", "et-le-firepans", "et-son-firepans", "et-son-trays", "feu-pans", "feu-pans-de", "le-feu-pans", "le-firepans", "son-trays"]·heb["ה-מחתות", "ה-מחתת", "ו-ה-מחתות", "ו-מחתותיה", "ו-מחתותיו", "מחתות", "מחתת", "מחתתיה"]·HI["अगनि-पात्रों", "अग्निपात्र", "उसके-धूपदान", "और-अंगीठियाँ", "और-अग्निपात्र", "और-उसकी-गुलदानियाँ", "और-उसकी-गुलदानी", "धूपदान", "धूपदानियाँ", "धूपदानियों", "ह-करछियों"]·ID["dan-pelawanya", "dan-penadah-penadahnya", "dan-penyodok-penyodok", "dan-penyodoknya", "dan-sendok-sendok", "penadah-penadah-api", "piring-piring-api", "puntung-api", "puntung-puntung-api", "tempat-apinya", "tempat-tempat-api", "tempat-tempat-bara-api"]·IT["[המחתות]", "[והמחתות]", "e-il-firepans", "e-suo-firepans", "e-suo-trays", "fuoco-pans", "fuoco-pans-di", "il-firepans", "il-fuoco-pans", "suo-trays"]·jav["lan-panci", "lan-pèdupan", "lan-tampah-tampah-ipun", "lan-tampah-tampah-ipun;", "lan-wadhah-wadhah-awonipun", "padupan", "padupan-nipun", "padupan-punika", "pang-pangipun", "panyepenan-latu", "penadahan-awu-ipun", "penadahan-latu"]·KO["그-불-받침들", "그-불똥-그릇들을", "그-불판들을", "그것의-불-받침들", "그리고-그-불-접시들을", "그리고-그-불-접시들이", "그리고-그-불팔들", "그리고-그것의-불똥-그릇들을", "그리고-불-팔들은", "불-받침들을", "향로들", "향로들-의", "향로들을", "향로를"]·PT["cinzeiros-dele", "e-brasãos-dele", "e-cinzeiros-dela", "e-os-incensários", "e-seus-apagadores", "incensários", "incensários-de", "os-braseiros", "os-incensários"]·RU["и-кадильницы", "и-лотки", "и-лотки-его", "и-лотки-её", "и-совки-его", "кадильниц", "кадильницы", "лотки", "лотки-для-углей", "лотки-его", "совки"]·ES["incensarios", "incensarios-de", "los-braseros", "los-incensarios", "platillos-de-él", "y-los-incensarios", "y-sus-braseros", "y-sus-platillos"]·SW["Vyetezo", "na-vyetezo", "na-vyetezo-vyake", "vyetezo", "vyetezo-vyake"]·TR["-külleri", "ates-kaplarini", "ateş-kaplarını-", "buhurdan", "buhurdanlar", "buhurdanları", "buhurdanlarını", "kömür-kaplarını", "külleri-için-kaplarını", "ve-alevlikler", "ve-ates-kapları", "ve-bühurdanları", "ve-kül-tablaları", "ve-küllerini"]·urd["آتش-دانوں", "آگ-دانیوں", "اس-کے-گلدانوں", "اور-اُس-کی-گلدانیاں", "اور-اُس-کے-بجھاؤڑوں", "اور-اُس-کے-طشتریاں", "اور-بخوردان", "اور-بخوردان-", "بجھاؤڑوں", "بخوردان", "بخوردانوں", "گلدانوں"]
Exod 25:38, Exod 27:3, Exod 37:23, Exod 38:3, Num 4:9, Num 4:14, Num 16:6, Num 16:17, Num 16:37, Num 16:38, Num 16:39, 1 Kgs 7:50 (+3 more)
2. censer for incense — A portable censer specifically for carrying burning coals and incense in priestly ritual. This sense dominates the Leviticus and Numbers narratives: Nadab and Abihu each took 'his censer' to offer unauthorized fire (Lev 10:1), the high priest brings a censer into the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement (Lev 16:12), and the 250 rebels each carry one in the Korah episode (Num 16:6, 17–18). Aaron's intercession with his censer to halt the plague (Num 17:11) epitomizes the life-and-death stakes this object carried in Israelite worship. 7×
AR["الْ-مِجْمَرَةِ", "الْمِجْمَرَةَ", "مِجْمَرَتَهُ"]·ben["তার-ধূপদানি", "তার-ধূপদানী", "ধূপদানী", "সেই-ধূপদানি"]·DE["der-Feuer-pan", "sein-Feuer-pan", "sein-censer"]·EN["his-censer", "his-fire-pan", "the-fire-pan"]·FR["le-feu-pan", "son-censer", "son-feu-pan"]·heb["ה-מחתה", "מחתתו"]·HI["अंगीठी", "अपनी-धूपदानी", "अपनी-धूपदानी-को", "धूपदानी"]·ID["perapian", "perapiannya", "puntung-api-itu", "puntung-apinya"]·IT["il-fuoco-pan", "suo-censer", "suo-fuoco-pan"]·jav["padupan-ipun", "padupan-punika", "padupanipun", "piriringan"]·KO["그-의-향로를", "그-화로", "그의-향로", "그의-향로를", "향로를"]·PT["incensário-dele", "o-incensário", "seu-incensário"]·RU["кадильницу", "кадильницу-свою", "совок-свой"]·ES["el-incensario", "su-incensario"]·SW["chetezo", "chetezo-chake"]·TR["buhurdana", "buhurdanı", "buhurdanını"]·urd["اپنا-بخوردان", "اگنیٹھا", "بخوردان", "بخوردان-اپنا"]
Related Senses
H2719 1. sword, weapon of war (410×)H4196 1. altar (place of sacrifice) (403×)H7393 1. chariot, chariotry (117×)H7198 1. bow (weapon) (72×)H7979 1. table (71×)H7782 1. ram's horn trumpet (69×)H4294 2. staff, rod, scepter (63×)H4043 1. shield, defensive weapon (60×)H0646 1. ephod (priestly garment) (49×)H8504 1. blue (violet-blue yarn/fabric) (49×)H2595 1. spear, lance (48×)H2671 1. arrow, projectile weapon (46×)H4818 1. chariot, war-chariot (44×)H3658 1. lyre, harp (stringed instrument) (42×)H1537 1. Gilgal (place name) (41×)H0713 1. purple (fabric/dye) (38×)H0905 3. poles, staves (37×)H7392 1. Qal participle: rider, charioteer (37×)H4501 1. cultic lampstand (menorah) (36×)H0212 1. wheel (35×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† מַחְתָּה n.f. fire-holder, censer, snuff-dish;—abs. מ׳ Lv 16:12; Nu 17:11; sf. מַחְתָּתוֹ Lv 10:1 + 4 times; pl. abs. מַחְתּוֹת Nu 16:6 + 4 times; מַחְתֹּת Nu 16:17 + 3 times; cstr. מַחְתּוֹת Nu 17:3, 4; sf. מַחְתֹּתָיו Ex 27:3; מַחְתֹּתֶיהָ Ex 25:38 + 2 times;— 1. snuff-holder, snuff-dish (NowArchäol. ii, 63. 65) of gold Ex 25:38; 37:23 Nu 4:9 (all P). 2. bronze utensils, fire-pans, belonging…