Biblica Analytica

מְחִלָּה

me.chil.lah (H4247)

hole

1 verses 1 books OT 1 / NT 0
AI Word Study

# מְחִלָּה (Mechillah): A Rare Hebrew Term for "Hole" The Hebrew word *mechillah* appears only once in the biblical text, making it one of the rarest terms in the Hebrew Bible. According to the lexical data, it denotes a *hole*—a simple, concrete opening or cavity. This single occurrence severely limits our ability to determine nuance, context-specific meaning, or metaphorical applications the term might have carried. The extreme rarity of this word—appearing just once in the entire biblical corpus—raises interesting questions about Hebrew vocabulary. It may indicate either specialized usage in a particular context, regional dialect, or simply a term that fell out of favor in favor of more common synonyms. Without multiple attestations, we cannot confidently establish whether *mechillah* carried any distinctive connotation compared to other Hebrew words for openings or cavities, nor can we determine whether it was limited to describing holes of a particular kind, size, or material. For a modern reader, this word serves as a reminder of the fragmentary nature of ancient texts. Even in a carefully preserved religious document like the Hebrew Bible, some vocabulary remains tantalizingly obscure, appearing too rarely to yield comprehensive linguistic analysis.

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

Isaiah 2:19

Men shall go into the caves of the rocks, and into the holes of the earth, from before the terror of Yahweh, and from the glory of his majesty, when he arises to shake the earth mightily.