---
title: מַקֵּל — rod · The Tanakh dictionary
description: מַקֵּל (4731), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 18 times: rod. BDB 1906: n.m. rod, staff. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# מַקֵּל

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«מַקֵּל» in the Tanakh dictionary: **rod** — 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:** 18 times · **Key:** 4731 · **BDB:** מקֵּל

### Glosses

staff (6); branches (5); stick (2)

### Meaning (OSHB)

rod [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4731/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

n.m. rod, staff [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4731/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** n.m. Zc 11:7 (appar. f. Gn 30:37, where בָּהֶן, but Sam. בָּהֶם) rod, staff (√ dub.; Thes assumes √ מקל sprout; Schwally ZAW xi. 1891, 170 f. from קלל=shake, with ref. to oracle of the lot (cf. קִלְקַל בַּחִצִּים Ez 21:26); Ba ZMG xii. 1887, 616 gives √ קל, and comp. قُلَةٌ stick driven by another, in sport; Frä ZA iii. 52, comp. Ethiopic በቀልት growth, stem, palm-tree (interchange of ב and מ));—מ׳ abs. Nu 22:27; cstr. Je 1:11 + 2 times; מַקַּל Gn 30:37; sf. מַקְלִי 32:11 + 2 times; מַקְלוֹ 1 S 17:40 Ho 4:12; מַקֶּלְכֶם Ex 12:11; pl. abs. מַקְלוֹת Gn 30:37 + 6 times;— branch of tree as rod, stick, used by Jacob in breeding his flocks, Gn 30:37 (מ׳ לִבְנֶה לַח), v 37, 38, 39, 41(×2); of symbolic rod (מ׳ שָׁקֵד almond-rod) in Jerem.’s vision Je 1:11; symbolic rods or staves, with names, used by proph. Zc 11:7, 10, 14; fig. of Moab מ׳ תִּפְאָרָת Je 48:17 (‖ מַטֵּה־עֹז). staff, used in journeying Gn 32:11 Ex 12:11, 1 S 17:40 cf. v 43; carried even when riding Nu 22:27; so also מַקֵּל יָד Ez 39:9 (=riding-stick) according to Hi Da Berthol; מָגֵן, צִנָּה, קֶשֶׁת, חִצִּים, רֹמַח). wand of diviner Ho 4:12.

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Why these entries: BDB: same consonants, part of speech agrees, 16 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (1 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 0 with the glosses (1 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «מַקֵּל» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4731/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Genesis 30:39](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/GEN.30.39/)

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וַיֶּחֱמ֥וּ הַצֹּ֖אן אֶל־הַמַּקְל֑וֹת וַתֵּלַ֣דְןָ הַצֹּ֔אן עֲקֻדִּ֥ים נְקֻדִּ֖ים וּטְלֻאִֽים׃

*Word for word:* and they.were.in.heat the flock to the branches and they.bore the flock striped.\[ones\] speckled.\[ones\] and spotted.\[ones\]

*JPS 1917:* And the flocks conceived at the sight of the rods, and the flocks brought forth streaked, speckled, and spotted.

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[Jeremiah 1:11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/JER.1.11/)

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וַיְהִ֤י דְבַר־יְהוָה֙ אֵלַ֣י לֵאמֹ֔ר מָה־אַתָּ֥ה רֹאֶ֖ה יִרְמְיָ֑הוּ וָאֹמַ֕ר מַקֵּ֥ל שָׁקֵ֖ד אֲנִ֥י רֹאֶֽה׃

*Word for word:* and it.came the.word of.Yahweh to me (cmp) what? \[are\].you seeing O.Jeremiah and I.said a.branch of.an.almond.tree I \[am\].seeing

*JPS 1917:* Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying: 'Jeremiah, what seest thou?' And I said: 'I see a rod of an almond-tree.'

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