Mattock

(1.) Heb. ma’eder, an instrument for dressing or pruning a vineyard (Isa. 7:25); a weeding-hoe.

(2.) Heb. mahareshah (1 Sam. 13:1), perhaps the ploughshare or coulter.

(3.) Heb. herebh, marg. of text (2 Chr. 34:6). Authorized Version, “with their mattocks,” marg. “mauls.” The Revised Version renders “in their ruins,” marg. “with their axes.” The Hebrew text is probably corrupt.

(Isaiah 7:25) The tool used in Arabia for loosening the ground, described by Neibuhr, answers generally to our mattock or grubbing-axe, i.e. a single-headed pickaxe. The ancient Egyptian hoe was of wood, and answered for hoe, spade and pick.

mat'-ok: The translation of 3 Hebrew words:

(1) machereshah, probably "a pick-axe" (1Sa 13:20,21; compare 1Sa 13:21 margin);

(2) cherebh, "sword," "ax," "tool" (2Ch 34:6 the King James Version, "with their mattocks," the King James Version margin "mauls," the Revised Version (British and American) "in their ruins," the Revised Version margin "with their axes");

(3) ma`-der, "a hoe," "rake," "chopping instrument" (Isa 7:25). Vines were usually grown on terraces on the hills of Palestine, and then the mattock was in constant use. The usual mattock is a pick with one end broad, the other pointed.