makh.tesh denotes a hollowed place, seen as a water-yielding hollow and as a mortar used for grinding.

The attested uses show a hollowed space: in one setting a place split open so that water comes out, and in another a mortar in which a fool is ground with a pestle.

1. Water-yielding hollow place · dominant

   In Judges 15:19, the masculine singular absolute form occurs in the place God splits open at Lehi, from which water comes out; the APB renders the clause "God split open the hollow place."

   Judges 15:19
2. Hollow vessel for grinding · occasional

   In Proverbs 27:22, the masculine singular absolute form occurs in the setting of grinding a fool with a pestle; the APB renders the vessel as "a mortar."

   Proverbs 27:22

In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB presents the term as "the hollow place" in Judges 15:19 and "a mortar" in Proverbs 27:22. These renderings confirm the verses' respective settings rather than establish a precise English equivalent.