### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **maq**, represented by `{{H4716}}`, denotes **rottenness** and **stink**. Derived from a root meaning "a melting," it conveys a sense of putridity and decay. It appears **2 times** across **2 unique verses** in the Bible, both within the book of Isaiah, where it is used to describe the consequences of judgment.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In its biblical usage, `{{H4716}}` illustrates divine judgment through powerful sensory imagery. In Isaiah's prophecy against the daughters of Zion, it signifies a complete reversal of their pampered state, where "instead of sweet smell{H1314} there shall be **stink**{H4716}" [[Isaiah 3:24]]. Later, it is used in a simile to describe the fate of those who reject God's law: just as fire devours stubble, "so their root{H8328} shall be as **rottenness**{H4716}" [[Isaiah 5:24]], indicating a foundational decay.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words provide context for the concept of decay and judgment associated with `{{H4716}}`:
* `{{H1314}}` **besem** (smell, spice, sweet odour): This word is used in direct contrast to `{{H4716}}`, where the pleasant "sweet smell" of fragrances is replaced by the foulness of "stink" as a sign of judgment [[Isaiah 3:24]].
* `{{H8328}}` **sheresh** (root): This word signifies a foundation or source. Its connection to `{{H4716}}` is profoundly negative, as the "root" of the disobedient is prophesied to become "as rottenness" [[Isaiah 5:24]].
* `{{H7179}}` **qash** (stubble): This word for dry straw is used in a simile of swift destruction, where it is devoured by fire, just as the root of the wicked becomes rottenness [[Isaiah 5:24]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H4716}}` is concentrated in its role as a symbol of divine retribution.
* **Judgment as Reversal:** The word highlights a key aspect of judgment where blessings and luxuries are stripped away and replaced by their opposite. The exchange of a "sweet smell" for a "stink" illustrates a dramatic fall from a state of honor to one of shame and disgust [[Isaiah 3:24]].
* **Consequence of Rejecting God's Law:** Its use in [[Isaiah 5:24]] directly links internal corruption to disobedience. Because the people "have cast away the law of the LORD," their very foundation, their "root," becomes infected with rottenness.
* **Symbol of Inevitable Decay:** Paired with imagery of fire consuming chaff and stubble, `{{H4716}}` portrays the result of sin not as an arbitrary punishment, but as an organic and inevitable process of decay that destroys from within.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H4716}}` is a potent but rare word that vividly communicates concepts of decay, putridity, and judgment. Though used only twice, it powerfully illustrates the consequences of turning away from God. It paints a picture of divine judgment as both a humiliating reversal of fortune and an internal, foundational corruption that leads to utter ruin.
TRV