מַחְסוֹם

# Machsom: The Hebrew Word for Muzzle The Hebrew word *machsom* (מַחְסוֹם) denotes a muzzle—a device placed over an animal's mouth to prevent it from eating or biting. Based on the lexical data, this is a concrete, functional term with a straightforward physical referent. The word appears only once in the biblical text, which suggests it was not a common term in biblical Hebrew, even though the practice of muzzling animals would have been known in ancient Near Eastern contexts. The single occurrence of *machsom* in Scripture indicates that while the concept of muzzling existed in ancient Israel, biblical writers rarely needed or chose to use this specific term. This sparsity contrasts with the frequency of other animal-management vocabulary, suggesting that either the practice was uncommon enough not to warrant frequent mention, or alternative expressions were preferred. The word's presence in the biblical lexicon, despite minimal usage, confirms that muzzling was recognized as a legitimate practice in the world of the biblical authors.

AI synthesis uses only provided lexicon data -- never training knowledge.