Word Study for H4893 (מִשְׁחָת)

mishchâth /mish-khawth'/ Ask about this word

Rootor מׇשְׁחָת · from שָׁחַת

Meaningdisfigurement

KJV usagecorruption, marred.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of mishchâth — 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 Hebrew word mishchâth, represented by H4893, describes disfigurement or corruption. Derived from a root meaning to mar, it signifies a ruined or spoiled condition. It is a rare term, appearing only 2 times in 2 unique verses, yet it carries significant weight in both legal and prophetic contexts.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical appearances, H4893 denotes a state of being spoiled or unacceptable. In the law regarding offerings, a sacrifice from a stranger's hand is rejected because its corruption H4893 is in it, along with blemishes Leviticus 22:25. In prophecy, it is used to describe a figure whose visage was so marred H4893 more than any man that many were astonied at him Isaiah 52:14.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the contexts in which H4893 is used:

H3971 mʼûwm: Defined as a blemish, blot, or spot. This word is used alongside H4893 to describe what makes an offering unacceptable Leviticus 22:25. It is consistently used to denote the absence of flaws required for sacrifices Deuteronomy 17:1.
H7227 rab: Meaning abundant, great, or many. It is used in the prophecy of Isaiah to quantify the "many" who were astonished by the marred visage, emphasizing the widespread shock Isaiah 52:14.
H8074 shâmêm: Meaning to be astonied or desolate. This word describes the reaction of the many who saw the disfigurement of the prophetic figure, highlighting the severity of the state described by H4893 Isaiah 52:14.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H4893 is concentrated in two key areas:

Ritual Purity: In Leviticus, the term establishes a standard for what is acceptable to God. The presence of corruption H4893 or a blemish H3971 in an offering renders it unfit for presentation, underscoring a divine requirement for perfection and wholeness in worship Leviticus 22:25.
Prophetic Suffering: In Isaiah, the word is used to paint a picture of extreme suffering and humiliation. The figure's appearance is so marred that it provokes astonishment, a physical disfigurement beyond normal human experience Isaiah 52:14.

Summary

In summary, H4893 is a powerful and specific term for corruption and disfigurement. Though used only twice, it defines a critical boundary. In the law, it separates the acceptable from the unacceptable in offerings to God. In prophecy, it vividly portrays a state of being marred so completely that it causes astonishment, pointing to a profound degree of suffering.

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 noun across 2 occurrences, inflected in 2 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.

מִשְׁחַת
מָשְׁחָתָ

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 2 verses across 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Leviticus and Isaiah (1 verse each); never once in the other 37.

Leviticus

Isaiah

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.