What does מָחָה (māḥāh) mean in the Bible?
מָחָה (māḥāh): To erase or blot out; metaphorically extends to annihilation or complete removal, especially of sin or memory
Hebrew · H4229
מָחָה
Properly, to stroke or rub ; by implication, to erase ; also to smooth (as if with oil), i.e. grease or make fat ; also to touch , i.e. reach to
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מָחָה H4229
Pronunciation māḥāh
What does מָחָה (māḥāh) mean in the Bible?
מָחָה (māḥāh): To erase or blot out; metaphorically extends to annihilation or complete removal, especially of sin or memory
Full entry for מָחָה (H4229) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H4229?
The BSB source-word alignment has 36 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include be blotted out (4), blot out (3), . . . (2), and blot out (2), I will blot out (2).
Where does מָחָה (māḥāh) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 6:7. Its strongest book concentrations include Psalms (6), 2 Kings (4), Deuteronomy (4), Exodus (4).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It be blotted out 4× Deuteronomy 25:6, Nehemiah 4:5, Psalms 109:13, Psalms 109:14
blot out 3× Nehemiah 13:14, Psalms 51:1, Jeremiah 18:23
. . . 2× Exodus 17:14, Isaiah 25:6
and blot out 2× Deuteronomy 9:14, Psalms 51:9
I will blot out 2× Genesis 6:7, Exodus 32:33
- 1× Numbers 34:11
and I will wipe 1× Genesis 7:4
and I will wipe out 1× 2 Kings 21:13
and wash them off 1× Numbers 5:23
and wipes 1× Proverbs 30:20
be wiped away 1× Proverbs 6:33
be wiped out 1× Judges 21:17
blot me 1× Exodus 32:32
blotted out 1× Ezekiel 6:6
I have blotted out 1× Isaiah 44:22
I will utterly blot out 1× Exodus 17:14
May they be blotted out 1× Psalms 69:28
on those who ruin 1× Proverbs 31:3
one wipes out 1× 2 Kings 21:13
that He would not blot out 1× 2 Kings 14:27
they were blotted out 1× Genesis 7:23
was destroyed 1× Genesis 7:23
who blots out 1× Isaiah 43:25
will blot out 1× Deuteronomy 29:20
will wipe away 1× Isaiah 25:8
wiping [it] 1× 2 Kings 21:13
you are to blot out 1× Deuteronomy 25:19
You have erased 1× Psalms 9:5
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 6:7 אֶמְחֶ֨ה to I will blot out Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular Genesis 7:4 וּמָחִ֗יתִי to and I will wipe Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular Genesis 7:23 וַיִּ֜מַח to was destroyed Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Genesis 7:23 וַיִּמָּח֖וּ to they were blotted out Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Exodus 17:14 מָחֹ֤ה to I will utterly blot out Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute Exodus 17:14 אֶמְחֶה֙ to . . . Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular Exodus 32:32 מְחֵ֣נִי to blot me Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular | first person common singular Exodus 32:33 אֶמְחֶ֖נּוּ to I will blot out Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular | third person masculine singular Numbers 5:23 וּמָחָ֖ה to and wash them off Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular Numbers 34:11 וּמָחָ֛ה to - Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 6:7
Aligned rows 36
Books represented 12
Genesis 4 Exodus 4 Numbers 2 Deuteronomy 4 Judges 1 2 Kings 4 Nehemiah 2 Psalms 6 Proverbs 3 Isaiah 4 Jeremiah 1 Ezekiel 1
Source forms
יִמָּחֶ֥ה 2x yim·mā·ḥeh Deuteronomy 25:6, Judges 21:17
אֶמְחֶ֨ה 1x ’em·ḥeh Genesis 6:7
אֶמְחֶה֙ 1x ’em·ḥeh Exodus 17:14
אֶמְחֶ֖נּוּ 1x ’em·ḥen·nū Exodus 32:33
וְאֶמְחֶ֣ה 1x wə·’em·ḥeh Deuteronomy 9:14
וַיִּ֜מַח 1x way·yi·maḥ Genesis 7:23
וַיִּמָּח֖וּ 1x way·yim·mā·ḥū Genesis 7:23
וּמָחָ֖ה 1x ū·mā·ḥāh Numbers 5:23
Parsing patterns
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular 4x Numbers 5:23, Numbers 34:11, Deuteronomy 29:20, Isaiah 25:8
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular 2x Genesis 7:4, 2 Kings 21:13
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular 2x Nehemiah 4:5, Proverbs 6:33
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 2x Deuteronomy 25:6, Judges 21:17
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular 2x Psalms 51:1, Psalms 51:9
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular 2x Genesis 6:7, Exodus 17:14
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural 1x Ezekiel 6:6
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural 1x Genesis 7:23
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. To erase or blot out; metaphorically extends to annihilation or complete removal, especially of sin or memory
Strong's H4229
Lexical occurrences 36 verses Word forms 4 forms 21 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Isaiah 43:22-28 Source Gloss
properly, to stroke or rub ; by implication, to erase ; also to smooth (as if with oil), i.e. grease or make fat ; also to touch , i.e. reach to
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
To erase or blot out; metaphorically extends to annihilation or complete removal, especially of sin or memory
properly, to stroke or rub; by implication, to erase; also to smooth (as if with oil), i.e. grease or make fat; also to touch, i.e. reach to BDB: full of marrow Usage: abolish, blot out, destroy, full of marrow, put out, reach unto, × utterly, wipe (away, out).
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 4 Aligned forms 21
Niphal passive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action 7×
Imperfect Deut 25:6 · Judg 21:17 · Ps 109:13 · Prov 6:33 · Ps 69:29 5×
Jussive Neh 3:37 · Ps 109:14 2×
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 11×
Imperfect Exod 17:14 · Gen 6:7 · 2Kgs 21:13 · Deut 25:19 4×
Perfect 2Kgs 21:13 · Isa 44:22 · Ps 9:6 3×
Sequential imperfect Ps 51:3 · Ps 51:11 2×
Infinitive absolute Exod 17:14 1×
Participle active Isa 43:25 1×
Hiphil causative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action 2×
Jussive Jer 18:23 · Neh 13:14 2×
Pual intensive passive — intensive action received by the subject 1×
Participle passive Isa 25:6 1×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
To wipe away or erase.
To wipe away or erase.
To wipe out, erase, or blot out; often used for removing sin or removing a name from a record
Showing 3 selected witnesses from 36 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
מָחָה is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Why This Word Matters
Expresses the decisive removal of guilt by divine action. Isaiah 43:22-28
Conveys the complete removal of guilt by divine action. Isaiah 44:21-23
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain