Lexical Summary
machaira: Sword
Original Word: μάχαιρα
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: machaira
Pronunciation: MAH-khai-rah
Phonetic Spelling: (makh'-ahee-rah)
KJV: sword
NASB: sword, swords
Word Origin: [probably feminine of a presumed derivative of G3163 (μάχη - conflicts)]
1. a knife, i.e. dirk
2. (figuratively) war, judicial punishment
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
sword.
Probably feminine of a presumed derivative of mache; a knife, i.e. Dirk; figuratively, war, judicial punishment -- sword.
see GREEK mache
HELPS Word-studies
3162 máaira – properly, a slaughter-knife; a short sword or dagger mainly used for stabbing; (figuratively) an instrument for exacting retribution.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originperhaps from
machomaiDefinitiona short sword or dagger
NASB Translationsword (23), swords (6).
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 3162: μάχαιραμάχαιρα, genitive
μαχαίρας (so (with
R G) Lachmann in
Luke 21:24) and
μαχαίρης, dative
μάχαιρα. (so (with
R G) Lachmann in
Luke 22:49;
Acts 12:2) and
μαχαίρῃ (between which forms the manuscripts vary, cf. (
Scrivener, Collation, etc., p. lvi.;
Tdf. Proleg., p. 117;
WHs Appendix, p. 156a);
Winers Grammar, 62 (61);
Buttmann, 11; Delitzsch on
Hebrews 11:34, p. 584 note),
ἡ, (akin to
μάχη and Latin
mactare);
1. a large knife, used for killing animals and cutting up flesh: Homer, Pindar, Herodotus, at.; hence, Genesis 22:6, 10; Judges 19:29 Alex., for מַאֲכֶלֶת.
2. a small sword, distinguished from the large sword, the ῤομφαία (Josephus, Antiquities 6, 9, 5 ἀποτεμνει τήν κεφαλήν τῇ ῤομφαία τῇ ἐκείνου (Goliath's), μάχαιραν, οὐκ ἔχων αὐτός), and curred, for a cutting stroke; distinct also from ξίφος, a straight sword, for thrusting, Xenophon, r. eq. 12, 11, cf. Hell. 3, 3, 7; but the words are frequently used interchangeably. In the N. T. universally, a sword (the Sept. often for חֶרֶב): as a weapon for making or repelling an attack, Matthew 26:47, 51, 52,(55); Mark 14:43, 47; Luke 22:36, 38, 49, 52; John 18:10; Acts 16:27; Hebrews 11:37; Revelation 6:4; Revelation 13:10,(14); by a Hebraism, στόμα μαχαίρας, the edge of the sword (חֶרֶב פִּי, Genesis 34:26; Joshua 8:24; 1 Samuel 13:22; Judges 3:16, etc. (but in the Sept. the rendering στόμα ξίφους or στόμα ῤομφαίας is more common)): Luke 21:24; Hebrews 11:34; μάχαιρα δίστομος (see δίστομος), Hebrews 4:12. of the sword as the instrument of a magistrate or judge: death by the sword, Romans 8:35; ἀναιρεῖν τινα μάχαιρα, Acts 12:2; τήν μαχαίρας φόρειν, to bear the sword, is used of him to whom the sword has been committed, viz. to use when a malefactor is to he punished; hence, equivalent to to have the power of life and death, Romans 13:4 (so ξίφος, ξιφη ἔχειν, Philostr. vit. Apoll. 7, 16; vit. sophist. 1, 25, 2 (3), cf. Dion Cass. 42, 27; and in the Talmud the king who bears the sword, of the Hebrew king). Metaphorically, μάχαιρα, a weapon of war, is used for war, or for quarrels and dissensions that destroy peace; so in the phrase βαλεῖν μάχαιραν ἐπί τήν τήν, to send war on earth, Matthew 10:34 (for which Luke 12:51 says διαμερισμόν); ἡ μάχαιρα τοῦ πνεύματος, the sword with which the Spirit subdues the impulses to sin and proves its own power and efficacy (which sword is said to be ῤῆμα Θεοῦ (cf. Buttmann, 128 (112))), Ephesians 6:17 (on the genitive in this passage cf. Ellicott or Meyer).
Topical Lexicon
Overview Strong’s Greek 3162 designates the common side-arm of the first-century world, a short sword or large knife routinely carried by soldiers, authorities, brigands, and private citizens. Across the New Testament its imagery ranges from literal steel drawn in the garden of Gethsemane to the incisive power of God’s word and the righteous judgment of Christ. These twenty-nine occurrences cluster around five major themes.
Literal weaponry in the Gospel narratives
1. Arrest at Gethsemane—Matthew 26:47, Mark 14:43, Luke 22:52 record a crowd arriving “with swords and clubs.” Peter’s impulsive strike (Matthew 26:51; John 18:10) draws a stern rebuke: “Put your sword back in its place, for all who take up the sword will perish by the sword.” Matthew 26:52.
2. Preparation for imminent danger—Before that night Jesus had told His disciples, “Let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one” (Luke 22:36). Their reply, “Here are two swords” (Luke 22:38), underscores both the literal object and the Lord’s deeper intention: to alert them to hardship rather than authorize violent revolt.
3. Civil and military use—The Philippian jailer would have ended his life “with his sword” (Acts 16:27) before Paul intervened, while Herod “had James the brother of John put to death with the sword” (Acts 12:2).
The sword and the civil authority
Romans 13:4 anchors governmental right to punish: “He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.” The sword here represents delegated, limited authority, reminding believers that human rulers ultimately answer to God for how that authority is exercised (Revelation 13:10).
Discipleship, division, and persecution
Christ warns that allegiance to Him provokes hostility: “I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” Matthew 10:34. Luke 21:24 foretells that Jerusalem’s people “will fall by the edge of the sword,” a prophecy fulfilled in A.D. 70. Hebrews 11:34, 11:37 remembers saints who “escaped the edge of the sword” and others who “were put to death by the sword,” reinforcing that faithfulness may cost earthly life yet secures eternal reward.
Symbolic and metaphorical applications
1. Word of judgment—In the Apocalypse the red horseman “was given a large sword” to remove peace from the earth (Revelation 6:4). The beast arrogates lethal power (Revelation 13:10, 13:14), counterfeiting divine prerogative.
2. Word of division—The sword images sharp separation between those who embrace Christ and those who reject Him, as families, cultures, and empires realign around the gospel.
Spiritual warfare: the believer’s sword
Ephesians 6:17 urges believers to “take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Unlike every other item in the armor, this weapon is expressly offensive, enabling proclamation, correction, and defense against satanic deceit. Hebrews 4:12 expounds its potency: “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” As Scripture is wielded in dependence on the Spirit, it cuts through error, convicts sin, and brings life.
Eschatological judgment
Revelation anticipates final reckoning: “From His mouth comes a sharp sword, that with it He may strike down the nations” (19:15). The same Christ who once restrained Peter’s blade will ultimately wield unstoppable, righteous judgment, vindicating His saints and establishing everlasting peace.
Historical and cultural background
The short sword common to Roman infantry (gladius or machaira) measured roughly 18-24 inches, suited for close combat. Jewish zealots preferred shorter daggers; Roman magistrates bore it as a symbol of capital jurisdiction. Its ubiquitous presence makes it an apt emblem for both worldly power and spiritual conflict.
Pastoral and ministry implications
• Proclamation—Preachers and teachers must rely on the Spirit-empowered word rather than rhetorical flourish; only the divine sword reaches the heart.
• Perseverance—Believers facing persecution remember that unjust swords may kill the body, but cannot sever them from “the love of Christ” (Romans 8:35).
• Discernment—Christians navigate submission to governing authorities while recognizing higher allegiance to God when earthly laws oppose divine command.
• Hope—The final victory of the Rider on the white horse assures the church that every oppressive sword will be sheathed, and the Prince of Peace will reign.
Thus Strong’s 3162 traces a trajectory from the garden’s misguided zeal to the consummate triumph of Christ, calling every generation to trust the God who wields—and transforms—the sword.
Forms and Transliterations
μαχαιρα μαχαίρα μάχαιρα μάχαιρά μαχαιραι μάχαιραι μαχαίραις μαχαιραν μάχαιραν μάχαιράν μαχαίρας μαχαιρη μαχαίρῃ μαχαιρης μαχαίρης μαχαιρων μαχαιρών μαχαιρῶν μαχβάρ machaira máchaira machairai máchairai machairan máchairan máchairán machaire machairē machaírei machaírēi machaires machairēs machaíres machaírēs machairon machairôn machairōn machairō̂n
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