### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **machălâph**, represented by `{{H4252}}`, is the term for a **knife**. It appears only **1 time** across **1 unique verse** in the Bible. The word's base definition suggests a specialized use as a (sacrificial) **knife**, one that glides through flesh.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The single biblical occurrence of `{{H4252}}` is found in the book of Ezra. It is part of a detailed inventory of sacred temple articles that were returned to Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile. The verse provides a specific count, noting the presence of "nine and twenty **knives**" [[Ezra 1:9]] among the gold and silver vessels.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words provide context for its singular appearance:
* `{{H105}}` **ʼăgarṭâl** (a basin; charger): This word appears in the same list as `{{H4252}}`, identifying other items being returned for temple service, such as "thirty **chargers** of gold" and "a thousand **chargers** of silver" [[Ezra 1:9]].
* `{{H4557}}` **miçpâr** (a number): This term introduces the entire inventory in which the knives are mentioned, beginning with the phrase "And this is the **number** of them" [[Ezra 1:9]]. It is used elsewhere to denote both a definite count, as when Job offered sacrifices "according to the **number** of them all" [[Job 1:5]], and an indefinite quantity, like the "wonders without **number**" [[Job 9:10]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H4252}}` is derived entirely from its definition and context.
* **Sacred Instruments:** The definition points to a "sacrificial knife," and its inclusion in a list of holy vessels being returned to the temple confirms its role as an instrument for sacred worship.
* **Restoration of Worship:** The meticulous accounting of every item, including the twenty-nine **knives** in [[Ezra 1:9]], underscores the importance of re-establishing the temple services exactly as they were meant to be. The return of these specific tools was essential for the restoration of proper sacrificial rites.
### Summary
In summary, while `{{H4252}}` is a rare word, its singular appearance is significant. As a term for a sacrificial **knife**, its presence in the inventory of returned temple treasures [[Ezra 1:9]] is a concrete symbol of God's faithfulness. It represents the restoration of not just a people to their land, but of the specific, holy practices of their covenant relationship with God.
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