SNUFFERS (מֶלְקָחַ֫יִם, H4920, lit. takers, מְזַמֶּ֫רֶת, H4662, from to prune?). Instruments made of gold (Exod 37:23) or bronze (2 Kings 25:14) used in tending fires and lamps in the Tabernacle and the Temple. There is little agreement among scholars concerning the exact function of these tools. The LXX does not offer much clarification, tr. מֶלְקָחַ֫יִם, H4920, (Exod 37:23; Num 4:9; 2 Chron 4:22; Isa 6:6 [RSV “tongs”]) with λαβίδας, “a seizing tool,” but twice (Exod 25:38; 1 Kings 7:49 [LXX 7:35, RSV “tongs”]) with ἐπαρυστρἰδες, “ladle.” מְזַמֶּ֫רֶת, H4662, is twice (1 Kings 7:50; 2 Kings 12:13) tr. ἧλοι, “ornamental nails” or “studs,” and three times (2 Kings 25:14; 2 Chron 4:22; Jer 52:18) φιάλας, “flat shallow bowl.”

In Exodus (25:38; 37:23) מֶלְקָחַ֫יִם, H4920, along with מַחְתָּה, H4746, “tray,” “pan,” “receptacle” (KJV “snuffdish”) is closely related to the golden lampstand. In view of Isaiah 6:6 where this tool (RSV “tongs”) is used to take a coal off the altar, “tongs” seems the most likely tr. מְזַמֶּ֫רֶת, H4662, if from זָמַר֮, H2377, “to prune,” might be a tool for the trimming of wicks. The contexts give no indication of this, however. In addition, as noted above, the LXX tr. does not relate remotely to cutting or trimming.