---
title: מְחִתָּה — terror · The Tanakh dictionary
description: מְחִתָּה (4288), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 11 times: terror. BDB 1906: n.f. terror, destruction, ruin. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# מְחִתָּה

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«מְחִתָּה» in the Tanakh dictionary: **terror** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 11 times · **Key:** 4288 · **BDB:** מְחִתָּה

### Glosses

terror (4); \[is\].ruin (2); ruin (2)

### Meaning (OSHB)

terror [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4288/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

n.f. terror, destruction, ruin [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4288/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** n.f. terror, destruction, ruin, poet. (especially Pr)—abs. מ׳ Pr 10:14 + 8 times; cstr. מְחִתַּת Pr 10:15; 14:28;— terror, Is 54:14 (‖ עֹשֶׁק), Je 17:17; = obj. of terror, 48:39 (‖ שְׂחֹק). dismay, Pr 21:15 (opp. שִׂמְחָה). ruin, of strongholds ψ 89:41; בְּאֶפֶם לְאֹם מ׳ רָזוֹן Pr 14:28 without people is ruin to a prince (opp. הַדְרַת־מֶלֶךְ); מ׳ דַּלִּים רֵישָׁם 10:15 the ruin of the poor (is) their poverty; as consequence of evil-doing מ׳ לְפֹעֲלֵי אָוֶן Pr 10:29 (opp. מָעוֹז); of fools פִּי כְסִיל מ׳־לוֹ 18:7, cf. 13:3 (opp. שֹׁמֵר נַפְשׁוֹ); פִּי אֱוִיל מ׳ קְרֹבָה 10:14 the mouth of a fool is imminent ruin.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 11 of its verses cited, 2 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (3 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (2 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «מְחִתָּה» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4288/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Psalms 89:41](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PSA.89.41/)

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פָּרַ֥צְתָּ כָל־גְּדֵרֹתָ֑יו שַׂ֖מְתָּ מִבְצָרָ֣יו מְחִתָּה׃

*Word for word:* you.have.broken.through all walls his you.have.made strongholds his a.ruin

*JPS 1917:* Thou hast broken down all his fences; Thou hast brought his strongholds to ruin.

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[Proverbs 10:14](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PRO.10.14/)

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חֲכָמִ֥ים יִצְפְּנוּ־דָ֑עַת וּפִֽי־אֱ֝וִיל מְחִתָּ֥ה קְרֹבָֽה׃

*Word for word:* wise.\[people\] they.store.up knowledge and.\[the\] mouth of.a.fool \[is\].ruin near

*JPS 1917:* Wise men lay up knowledge; but the mouth of the foolish is an imminent ruin.

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