### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **malqôwach**, represented by `{{H4455}}`, describes that which is taken, whether as **prey** and **booty** from conflict, or the **jaws** which take food. It is derived from the root `{{H3947}}`, meaning "to take." Appearing 8 times in 8 unique verses, its meaning shifts between the spoils of war and a vivid anatomical metaphor for suffering.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In its primary context, `{{H4455}}` refers to the spoils of military campaigns. The book of Numbers, for instance, details the gathering and administration of war plunder. The Israelites are commanded to take "all the spoil, and all the **prey**" [[Numbers 31:11]] and later to "divide the **prey** into two parts" between the soldiers and the congregation [[Numbers 31:27]]. In a prophetic sense, Isaiah uses the term to question whether **prey** can be taken from a mighty warrior [[Isaiah 49:24]], a metaphor for the captive state of God's people. A distinct physical meaning appears in Psalms, where the psalmist in his anguish cries, "my tongue cleaveth to my **jaws**" [[Psalms 22:15]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help clarify the contexts in which `{{H4455}}` is found:
* `{{H3947}}` **lâqach** (to take): As the root of `{{H4455}}`, this verb is foundational to its meaning. In Isaiah's prophecy, the LORD promises that captives of the mighty shall be **taken away** [[Isaiah 49:25]].
* `{{H7628}}` **shᵉbîy** (captives): This word for captives or prisoners is often used in conjunction with `{{H4455}}`, highlighting that the "prey" included human beings [[Numbers 31:12]].
* `{{H7998}}` **shâlâl** (booty): This term frequently appears alongside `{{H4455}}` as a near synonym for the material plunder acquired in battle [[Numbers 31:11]].
* `{{H1368}}` **gibbôwr** (mighty): This word for a powerful warrior is the one from whom the **prey** `{{H4455}}` is taken, setting up a contrast between human strength and divine power to deliver [[Isaiah 49:24]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H4455}}` is demonstrated through its application in contexts of judgment and salvation.
* **Spoils of Divine Judgment:** In Numbers 31, the acquisition of **prey** is not simply an outcome of human victory but part of a divinely sanctioned action. The subsequent command to divide the **prey** [[Numbers 31:27]] places the spoils under God's ordinance.
* **Metaphor of Divine Deliverance:** Isaiah employs the imagery of **prey** to illustrate God's power to rescue. The rhetorical question of whether **prey** can be liberated from the mighty [[Isaiah 49:24]] is answered with a resounding yes, as God promises, "I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children" [[Isaiah 49:25]].
* **Image of Intense Suffering:** The use of `{{H4455}}` for **jaws** in [[Psalms 22:15]] provides a visceral image of personal agony and nearness to death. It connects the physical body to a state of being seized and overcome.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H4455}}` carries a dual significance that moves from the literal to the theological. It denotes the tangible results of conflict—the **prey**, booty, and captives taken in war—while also functioning as a powerful metaphor. Whether describing the spoils of a battle under God's command, the jaws of one suffering near death, or the seemingly hopeless state from which God promises deliverance, **malqôwach** consistently points to that which is seized or taken.
TRV