Mortar
Summary
Either a binding material for stones in construction or a vessel for pounding and grinding substances.
☩Construction Material
Mortar for building was typically made from clay mixed with straw, though better structures used lime-based mortar. The Tower of Babel builders used 'slime' (bitumen) for mortar (Genesis 11:3). Ezekiel condemned false prophets who 'daubed' with 'untempered mortar'—whitewash without proper binding agent—symbolizing superficial covering of serious problems (Ezekiel 13:10-15; 22:28).
☩Grinding Vessel
A mortar for grinding was a bowl-shaped stone or wooden vessel in which substances were crushed with a pestle. Numbers 11:8 describes grinding manna 'in mills, or beat it in a mortar.' Proverbs warns: 'Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him' (Proverbs 27:22).
☩Place Name
Zephaniah mentions 'the inhabitants of Maktesh' (Zephaniah 1:11), where Maktesh means 'mortar' or 'hollow.' This was likely a commercial district in Jerusalem, perhaps so named because it lay in a hollow or because merchants there ground or mixed goods. God declared judgment on its wealthy merchants.
