The Hebrew word mahpeketh, represented by H4115, refers to a form of confinement, defined as prison or stocks. It appears 4 times across 4 unique verses in the Bible. The word is derived from הָפַךְ and denotes a wrench or the stocks, instruments used for punishment and restraint.
In the biblical narrative, H4115 is used exclusively in contexts of punishment against prophets or seers. The prophet Jeremiah was placed in the stocks H4115 by Pashur in the high gate of Benjamin Jeremiah 20:2. The next day, Pashur brought Jeremiah out of the stocks H4115, only to be met with a prophecy of judgment Jeremiah 20:3. Similarly, King Asa, in a rage, put a seer in a prison H4115 house 2 Chronicles 16:10. The word is also used in a directive to an officer in the house of the LORD to put any man who "maketh himself a prophet" into prison H4115 and stocks Jeremiah 29:26.
Several related words clarify the context of punishment and authority surrounding H4115:
- H6729 tsîynôq (the pillory; stocks): This word is used in conjunction with H4115 to describe the means of confinement, specifying a combination of prison and stocks for those deemed mad or false prophets Jeremiah 29:26.
- H5414 nâthan (to give, put, make): This common verb is used to describe the action of placing someone into confinement. Pashur did put Jeremiah in the stocks Jeremiah 20:2, and Asa did put the seer in a prison house 2 Chronicles 16:10.
- H7533 râtsats (to... crush, discourage, oppress): This word describes the actions of King Asa at the same time he imprisoned the seer, showing he oppressed some of the people 2 Chronicles 16:10.
- H4036 Mâgôwr miç-Çâbîyb (affright from around): This symbolic name is given to Pashur by Jeremiah immediately after his release from the stocks H4115, linking the act of imprisonment to a divine pronouncement of terror Jeremiah 20:3.
The use of H4115 carries significant thematic weight concerning authority and divine communication.
- Instrument of Persecution: In every instance, H4115 is used by a figure of authority to punish or silence a prophetic voice. This is seen when Pashur smote Jeremiah and put him in the stocks Jeremiah 20:2 and when Asa imprisoned the seer 2 Chronicles 16:10.
- Sign of Corrupt Authority: The use of the prison or stocks is associated with the unrighteous anger of those in power. King Asa was "wroth" and "in a rage" 2 Chronicles 16:10, and the directive in Jeremiah was for officers to imprison any who claimed to be a prophet Jeremiah 29:26.
- Trigger for Divine Judgment: The confinement of Jeremiah in the stocks H4115 directly leads to a declaration of judgment against his persecutor, Pashur, who is renamed Magormissabib H4036, or "affright from around" Jeremiah 20:3.
In summary, H4115 is more than a term for a holding cell. It functions as a potent symbol of the conflict between earthly power and divine prophecy. While appearing infrequently, its use in the accounts of Jeremiah and the seer under King Asa illustrates a recurring theme of persecution against God's messengers. The term underscores how acts of unjust oppression by human authorities often precede divine judgment.
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