Scholars explain that 'Maktesh' literally means 'mortar' and likely referred to a low-lying commercial valley in Jerusalem. The name carries a grim double meaning: the inhabitants who felt secure in this hollow place would be crushed by God's judgment, just as grain is pounded in a mortar. One commentator notes the tragic wordplay: they thought they were a 'Mikdash' (sanctuary) but became a 'Maktesh' (mortar).