What does מוֹקֵשׁ (mwōqēš) mean in the Bible?
מוֹקֵשׁ (mwōqēš): A trap that ensnares; figuratively, anything that lures one into destructive bondage or moral compromise.
Hebrew · H4170
מוֹקֵשׁ
A noose (for catching animals) (literally or figuratively); by implication, a hook (for the nose)
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מוֹקֵשׁ H4170
Pronunciation mwōqēš
What does מוֹקֵשׁ (mwōqēš) mean in the Bible?
מוֹקֵשׁ (mwōqēš): A trap that ensnares; figuratively, anything that lures one into destructive bondage or moral compromise.
Full entry for מוֹקֵשׁ (H4170) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H4170?
The BSB source-word alignment has 27 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include a snare (7), and a trap (2), from the snares (2), the snares (2), [are] a snare (1).
Where does מוֹקֵשׁ (mwōqēš) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Exodus 10:7. Its strongest book concentrations include Proverbs (8), Psalms (6), Exodus (3), Job (2).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It a snare 7× Exodus 10:7, Exodus 23:33, Exodus 34:12, Judges 2:3
and a trap 2× Joshua 23:13, Psalms 69:22
from the snares 2× Proverbs 13:14, Proverbs 14:27
the snares 2× 2 Samuel 22:6, Psalms 18:5
[are] a snare 1× Proverbs 18:7
a snare to them 1× Psalms 106:36
and a snare 1× Isaiah 8:14
and from the lures 1× Psalms 141:9
and lures 1× Psalms 140:5
bait 1× Amos 3:5
in a snare 1× Proverbs 22:25
is caught 1× Proverbs 29:6
It is a trap 1× Proverbs 20:25
man is trapped 1× Proverbs 12:13
or lay snares 1× Job 34:30
their snares 1× Psalms 64:5
will be a snare 1× Deuteronomy 7:16
with a snare 1× Job 40:24
Show sample aligned rows
Exodus 10:7 לְמוֹקֵ֔שׁ to a snare Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular Exodus 23:33 לְמוֹקֵֽשׁ׃פ to a snare Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular Exodus 34:12 לְמוֹקֵ֖שׁ to a snare Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular Deuteronomy 7:16 מוֹקֵ֥שׁ to will be a snare Noun - masculine singular Joshua 23:13 וּלְמוֹקֵ֗שׁ to and a trap Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular Judges 2:3 לְמוֹקֵֽשׁ׃ to a snare Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular Judges 8:27 לְמוֹקֵֽשׁ׃ to a snare Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular 1 Samuel 18:21 לְמוֹקֵ֔שׁ to a snare Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular 2 Samuel 22:6 מֹֽקְשֵׁי־ to the snares Noun - masculine plural construct Job 34:30 מִמֹּ֥קְשֵׁי to or lay snares Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Exodus 10:7
Aligned rows 27
Books represented 11
Exodus 3 Deuteronomy 1 Joshua 1 Judges 2 1 Samuel 1 2 Samuel 1 Job 2 Psalms 6 Proverbs 8 Isaiah 1 Amos 1
Source forms
לְמוֹקֵֽשׁ׃ 4x lə·mō·w·qêš Judges 2:3, Judges 8:27, Psalms 69:22, Psalms 106:36
מוֹקֵ֣שׁ 3x mō·w·qêš Proverbs 12:13, Proverbs 20:25, Proverbs 22:25
מִמֹּ֥קְשֵׁי 3x mim·mō·qə·šê Job 34:30, Proverbs 13:14, Proverbs 14:27
לְמוֹקֵ֔שׁ 2x lə·mō·w·qêš Exodus 10:7, 1 Samuel 18:21
מוֹקֵ֥שׁ 2x mō·w·qêš Deuteronomy 7:16, Proverbs 18:7
מוֹקֵ֑שׁ 2x mō·w·qêš Proverbs 29:6, Proverbs 29:25
בְּ֝מֽוֹקְשִׁ֗ים 1x bə·mō·wq·šîm Job 40:24
וּלְמוֹקֵ֗שׁ 1x ū·lə·mō·w·qêš Joshua 23:13
Parsing patterns
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular 8x Exodus 10:7, Exodus 23:33, Exodus 34:12, Judges 2:3
Noun - masculine singular 5x Deuteronomy 7:16, Proverbs 12:13, Proverbs 22:25, Proverbs 29:6
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct 3x Job 34:30, Proverbs 13:14, Proverbs 14:27
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular 2x Joshua 23:13, Isaiah 8:14
Noun - masculine plural 2x Psalms 64:5, Psalms 140:5
Noun - masculine plural construct 2x 2 Samuel 22:6, Psalms 18:5
Noun - masculine singular construct 2x Proverbs 18:7, Proverbs 20:25
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct 1x Psalms 141:9
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. A trap that ensnares; figuratively, anything that lures one into destructive bondage or moral compromise.
Source Gloss
a noose (for catching animals) (literally or figuratively); by implication, a hook (for the nose)
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
A trap that ensnares; figuratively, anything that lures one into destructive bondage or moral compromise.
a noose (for catching animals) (literally or figuratively); by implication, a hook (for the nose) BDB: a bait Usage: be ensnared, gin, (is) snare(-d), trap.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
A fool's own mouth becomes a trap that ensnares him through reckless speech
Fear of others functions as a trap, while trust in God provides escape from danger
Terror, pit, and snare used as judgment metaphors for comprehensive divine judgment on Moab
Evil speech creates a trap that catches the speaker, while the righteous escape trouble
Association with angry people creates a relational trap, leading one into destructive behavior
Showing 5 selected witnesses from 27 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
מוֹקֵשׁ is built from this root:
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain