מַלְקוֹחַ
mal.qo.ach
jaw
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
Supported# מַלְקוֹחַ (Malqoach): A Rare Hebrew Term for the Jaw Based on the lexical data provided, מַלְקוֹחַ is a Hebrew noun with a straightforward anatomical meaning: "jaw." The term appears only once in the biblical text, making it an exceedingly rare word in the Hebrew scriptures. This single occurrence limits our ability to observe how the term was used across different contexts or to identify any specialized theological or literary applications. The rarity of this word raises questions about why such a specific anatomical term appears so infrequently in the biblical corpus. It may represent a more formal or technical designation for the jaw compared to other Hebrew terms, or it may have been confined to a particular genre or period of biblical composition. Without additional occurrences to examine, we cannot determine whether the word carried figurative meaning, appeared in poetic or prose contexts preferentially, or held significance beyond its literal anatomical reference. The single attestation leaves the full range of its usage and cultural significance largely inaccessible through the biblical record alone.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence across the text