### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **mashchêth**, represented by `{{H4892}}`, denotes **destruction** or **destroying**. Derived from מַשְׁחִית, this term is highly specific, appearing just **1 time** in **1 unique verse** in the entire Bible.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The sole appearance of `{{H4892}}` is in Ezekiel's vision of divine judgment. A voice cries out for those who have **charge** `{{H6486}}` over the **city** `{{H5892}}` to come forward, with each **man** `{{H376}}` holding his **destroying** weapon `{{H3627}}` in his **hand** `{{H3027}}` [[Ezekiel 9:1]]. Here, the word directly modifies 'weapon', emphasizing its purpose as an instrument of ruin and divine retribution.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words from its context clarify the scene of judgment:
* `{{H3627}}` **kᵉlîy** (weapon): Defined as "something prepared, i.e. any apparatus (as an implement, utensil, dress, vessel or weapon)," this word is paired directly with `{{H4892}}` to describe the "destroying weapon" [[Ezekiel 9:1]]. It is also used for the vessels of the LORD [[Isaiah 52:11]] and instruments of music [[2 Chronicles 5:13]].
* `{{H6486}}` **pᵉquddâh** (charge): This term means "visitation... chiefly official," or "charge." In the context of [[Ezekiel 9:1]], it identifies the figures who are given the official responsibility to carry out the destruction. It is also used to refer to a day of visitation or reckoning [[Isaiah 10:3]].
* `{{H5892}}` **ʻîyr** (city): Meaning "a city (a place guarded by waking or a watch)," this is the target of the destroying weapons. The Lord is described as both the builder and keeper of the **city** [[Psalms 127:1]] and the one who can make it a defenced city [[Jeremiah 1:18]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H4892}}` is concentrated in its single use, highlighting specific aspects of divine judgment.
* **Instrument of Divine Judgment:** `{{H4892}}` is used exclusively in the context of divine retribution. The "destroying weapon" is not a random tool of violence but an instrument wielded by those who have "charge" from a higher authority to execute judgment upon the city [[Ezekiel 9:1]].
* **Purposeful Ruin:** The term underscores that the weapon's very nature and purpose is for destruction. It is an implement specifically designated for carrying out a sentence of ruin, as commanded by the loud voice in Ezekiel's vision [[Ezekiel 9:1]].
* **Agency in Destruction:** The phrase connects the act of destroying directly to the agents carrying it out. It is "every man with his **destroying** weapon in his **hand** `{{H3027}}`," highlighting the deliberate and personal execution of the commanded destruction.
### Summary
In summary, **mashchêth** `{{H4892}}` is a potent and narrowly focused term for **destroying**. Its single biblical appearance in [[Ezekiel 9:1]] fixes its meaning as an adjective describing a weapon of divine judgment. It signifies a destruction that is not chaotic or accidental, but a deliberate and authorized act carried out by designated agents against a specific target. The word serves as a stark reminder of purposeful, divine retribution.
TRV