Genesis 49:5 contains Jacob's denunciation of Simeon and Levi: 'Weapons of violence are their מְכֵרֹתֵיהֶם.' The term is notoriously difficult; even ancient translators struggled. The context demands some kind of weapon or implement of violence, and most moderns translate 'swords' or 'weapons,' but uncertainty remains. Jacob condemns his sons for the Shechem massacre, and whatever מְכֵרֹתֵיהֶם means, it's something they used for violent, treacherous acts. The obscurity of the word mirrors the dark, cryptic nature of Jacob's deathbed pronouncements—words heavy with judgment.