Word Study for H4223 (מְחָא) | Strong's Concordance

mᵉchâʼ /mekh-aw'/ Ask about this word

Root(Aramaic) corresponding to מָחָא

Meaningto strike in pieces; also to arrest; specifically to impale

KJV usagehang, smite, stay.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of mᵉchâʼ — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Aramaic word mᵉchâʼ, represented by H4223, conveys actions of violent force and authoritative restriction. It appears 4 times across 4 unique verses in the Bible, with a base definition of to strike in pieces, arrest, impale, hang, smite, or stay. Its meanings range from a physical blow to a decreed punishment or a divine halt.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical usage, H4223 appears in two distinct contexts: prophecy and law. In the book of Daniel, it describes the catastrophic impact of the stone, representing God's kingdom, as it smote the great image in Nebuchadnezzar's dream (Daniel 2:34, Daniel 2:35). The word is also used to express God's absolute sovereignty, declaring that no one can stay His hand or question His actions Daniel 4:35. In Ezra, the term takes on a legal and punitive sense, where a royal decree warns that anyone who alters it will be hanged on timber from their own house Ezra 6:11.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related Aramaic words provide context for the actions and consequences associated with H4223:

H1855 dᵉqaq (to break to pieces): This word is used in direct conjunction with H4223 to describe the result of the stone's impact, which smote the image and brake it to pieces Daniel 2:34.
H5256 nᵉçach (pull down): In the decree from Ezra, this action precedes the punishment. Timber is to be pulled down from a house before the offender is hanged (H4223) on it Ezra 6:11.
H5648 ʻăbad (to do, make): This word highlights God's unstoppable will, as He doeth what He pleases, and no one can stay (H4223) His hand Daniel 4:35.
H8133 shᵉnâʼ (to alter): The act of altering or changing a decree is the specific crime that results in the punishment of being hanged (H4223) Ezra 6:11.
H5376 nᵉsâʼ (to lift, carry away): After the image was smote (H4223) and broken, the wind carried the pieces away Daniel 2:35.
H4391 mᵉlâʼ (to fill): The stone that smote (H4223) the image eventually became a mountain and filled the whole earth Daniel 2:35.

Theological Significance

The theological and authoritative weight of H4223 is significant despite its rare appearance.

Divine Judgment: The "smiting" of the image in Daniel's prophecy symbolizes God's ultimate and destructive judgment against all earthly kingdoms that stand in opposition to His own eternal kingdom (Daniel 2:34, Daniel 2:35).
Unquestionable Sovereignty: Its use in Daniel 4:35 powerfully affirms God's omnipotence. The inability of any being to "stay" His hand establishes His absolute authority over all of creation.
Enforcement of Authority: In a human context, the word signifies the severe consequences of defying law. Being "hanged" is the ultimate penalty for altering a king's command, reinforcing the inviolability of the decree Ezra 6:11.

Summary

In summary, H4223 is a potent Aramaic term that encapsulates concepts of impact, judgment, and control. Whether used to describe the divine act of "smiting" worldly empires, the final punishment of being "hanged," or the inability of creation to "stay" the Creator's hand, it consistently points to an expression of absolute and decisive power.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a verb across 4 occurrences, inflected in 4 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

יִתְמְחֵא
יְמַחֵא
מְחָת
מְחָת

Related Words

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 4 verses across 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Daniel (3 verses); never once in the other 37.

Ezra

Daniel

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.