MADMENAH (măd-mē'na, Heb. madhmēnâh, dunghill). A town in the tribe of Benjamin, evidently a little north of Jerusalem, but its location is uncertain (Isa.10.31).

MADMENAH măd mē’ na (מַדְמֵנָֽה, a compost heap, town). A city of Judah near Ziklag, fifteen m. from Gaza; a city of Benjamin near Jerusalem; a city on the borders of Moab, whose destruction was foretold by Jeremiah; prob. cities where vast quantities of compost were made.

Madmēnâ is evidently wrongly tr. “dunghill,” and is the Heb. name for the modern compost heap, where all the vegetable waste is rotted down to produce the perfect organic matter to add to the soil. It is this that builds up the humus in the earth—that bridge between life and death.

The vegetable waste, the refuse from the towns, the old straw, were all gathered together in a heap, and the composting was done with the liquid manure and the chariot wheel working it over to make sure that the tougher material was broken down and the waste soaked (Isa 25:10).

Our Lord, when referring to the use of salt in Luke 14:35 said: “It is fit neither for the land nor for the dunghill.” Salt, when new, could be used as an activator, and with its deliquescent properties would be useful on the dry matter in a hot country, but quite useless when it had “lost its savour.”

Indeed, dry salt had a value for the compost heap, but once it became sodden, i.e. had lost its savour (or value), it was quite useless.

MADMENAH măd mē’ nə (מַדְמֵנָ֑ה). An unidentified place, apparently N of Jerusalem, mentioned in Isaiah’s description of the Assyrian advance upon Jerusalem (Isa 10:31).

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915)

A place mentioned only in Isaiah’s description of the Assyrian advance upon Jerusalem (Isa 10:31). It is not identified.