What does מָכַר (mākar) mean in the Bible?
מָכַר (mākar): Ranges from commercial transaction to coercive surrender; sold persons (daughters, slaves) emphasize vulnerability and loss of agency.
Hebrew · H4376
מָכַר
To sell , literally (as merchandise, a daughter in marriage, into slavery), or figuratively (to surrender )
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מָכַר H4376
Pronunciation mākar
What does מָכַר (mākar) mean in the Bible?
מָכַר (mākar): Ranges from commercial transaction to coercive surrender; sold persons (daughters, slaves) emphasize vulnerability and loss of agency.
Full entry for מָכַר (H4376) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H4376?
The BSB source-word alignment has 80 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include sell (4), you sold (4), and sold (3), sold (3), and He sold them (2).
Where does מָכַר (mākar) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 25:31. Its strongest book concentrations include Leviticus (16), Genesis (10), Deuteronomy (7), Nehemiah (7).
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 sell 4× Genesis 25:31, Genesis 47:22, 2 Kings 4:7, Ezekiel 48:14
you sold 4× Genesis 45:4, Genesis 45:5, Joel 3:6, Joel 3:7
and sold 3× Genesis 25:33, Genesis 37:28, Joel 3:3
sold 3× Genesis 37:36, Genesis 47:20, Psalms 105:17
and He sold them 2× Judges 3:8, Judges 10:7
and sells himself 2× Leviticus 25:39, Leviticus 25:47
be sold 2× Leviticus 25:23, Leviticus 25:34
is selling 2× Leviticus 25:16, Ruth 4:3
sells 2× Exodus 21:7, Leviticus 25:29
you were sold 2× Isaiah 50:1, Isaiah 52:3
. . . 1× Deuteronomy 21:14
against selling 1× Nehemiah 13:15
and He sold 1× 1 Samuel 12:9
and sell 1× Ezekiel 30:12
and seller 1× Isaiah 24:2
and selling them 1× Nehemiah 13:16
and sells 1× Leviticus 25:25
and sells [them] 1× Proverbs 31:24
and the seller 1× Ezekiel 7:12
and they will sell them 1× Joel 3:8
and those who sell 1× Nehemiah 13:20
are selling 1× Nehemiah 5:8
can be sold 1× Leviticus 27:28
did I sell you 1× Isaiah 50:1
had sold them 1× Deuteronomy 32:30
has he sold us 1× Genesis 31:15
has sold himself 1× Jeremiah 34:14
have been sold out 1× Esther 7:4
he has sold 1× Leviticus 27:20
he has sold himself 1× Leviticus 25:48
he himself shall be sold 1× Exodus 22:3
he is to sell 1× Leviticus 25:15
he sold 1× Leviticus 25:50
he sold it 1× Leviticus 25:27
He sold them 1× Judges 2:14
I will sell 1× Joel 3:8
is sold 1× Deuteronomy 15:12
let us sell him 1× Genesis 37:27
or sells him 1× Deuteronomy 24:7
sell her 1× Deuteronomy 21:14
sell it 1× Proverbs 23:23
sells it 1× Exodus 22:1
sold himself 1× 1 Kings 21:25
sold them 1× Judges 4:2
that they may be sold back 1× Nehemiah 5:8
The seller 1× Ezekiel 7:13
then it shall be sold 1× Leviticus 27:27
They devoted themselves 1× 2 Kings 17:17
they must sell 1× Exodus 21:35
they sell 1× Amos 2:6
Those who sell them 1× Zechariah 11:5
to be sold 1× Leviticus 25:42
to sell 1× Nehemiah 10:31
to sell her 1× Exodus 21:8
we had merely been sold 1× Esther 7:4
whether he sells him 1× Exodus 21:16
who betrays 1× Nahum 3:4
who were sold 1× Nehemiah 5:8
will be selling 1× Judges 4:9
you have sold yourself 1× 1 Kings 21:20
you make a sale 1× Leviticus 25:14
you may sell 1× Deuteronomy 14:21
You sell 1× Psalms 44:12
you will sell 1× Deuteronomy 28:68
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 25:31 מִכְרָ֥ה to sell Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular | third person feminine singular Genesis 25:33 וַיִּמְכֹּ֥ר to and sold Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Genesis 31:15 מְכָרָ֑נוּ to has he sold us Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular | first person common plural Genesis 37:27 וְנִמְכְּרֶ֣נּוּ to let us sell him Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual - first person common plural | third person masculine singular Genesis 37:28 וַיִּמְכְּר֧וּ to and sold Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural Genesis 37:36 מָכְר֥וּ to sold Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural Genesis 45:4 מְכַרְתֶּ֥ם to you sold Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine plural Genesis 45:5 מְכַרְתֶּ֥ם to you sold Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine plural Genesis 47:20 מָכְר֤וּ to sold Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural Genesis 47:22 מָכְר֖וּ to sell Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 25:31
Aligned rows 80
Books represented 20
Genesis 10 Exodus 6 Leviticus 16 Deuteronomy 7 Judges 5 Ruth 1 1 Samuel 1 1 Kings 2 2 Kings 2 Nehemiah 7 Esther 2 Psalms 2 Proverbs 2 Isaiah 4 Jeremiah 1 Ezekiel 4 Joel 5 Amos 1 Nahum 1 Zechariah 1
Source forms
מְכַרְתֶּ֥ם 3x mə·ḵar·tem Genesis 45:4, Genesis 45:5, Joel 3:7
יִמְכֹּ֥ר 2x yim·kōr Exodus 21:7, Judges 4:9
מָכְר֥וּ 2x mā·ḵə·rū Genesis 37:36, Joel 3:3
נִמְכַּ֙רְנוּ֙ 2x nim·kar·nū Esther 7:4
הַמּוֹכֵ֗ר 1x ham·mō·w·ḵêr Ezekiel 7:13
הִמָּ֣כְרוֹ 1x him·mā·ḵə·rōw Leviticus 25:50
הַמֹּכֶ֤רֶת 1x ham·mō·ḵe·reṯ Nahum 3:4
הַנִּמְכָּרִ֤ים 1x han·nim·kā·rîm Nehemiah 5:8
Parsing patterns
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular 4x Exodus 22:3, Leviticus 25:39, Leviticus 25:47, Leviticus 27:27
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine plural 4x Judges 2:14, Judges 3:8, Judges 4:2, Judges 10:7
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 4x Leviticus 25:34, Leviticus 27:28, Deuteronomy 15:12, Jeremiah 34:14
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 4x Exodus 21:7, Leviticus 25:15, Leviticus 25:29, Judges 4:9
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine plural 4x Genesis 45:4, Genesis 45:5, Joel 3:6, Joel 3:7
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural 4x Genesis 37:36, Genesis 47:20, Genesis 47:22, Joel 3:3
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular 2x Ezekiel 30:12, Joel 3:8
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular 2x Exodus 21:16, Deuteronomy 24:7
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Ranges from commercial transaction to coercive surrender; sold persons (daughters, slaves) emphasize vulnerability and loss of agency.
Strong's H4376
Lexical occurrences 80 verses Word forms 3 forms 37 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Genesis 37:12-36 Source Gloss
to sell , literally (as merchandise, a daughter in marriage, into slavery), or figuratively (to surrender )
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Ranges from commercial transaction to coercive surrender; sold persons (daughters, slaves) emphasize vulnerability and loss of agency.
to sell, literally (as merchandise, a daughter in marriage, into slavery), or figuratively (to surrender) BDB: sell Usage: × at all, sell (away, -er, self).
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 3 Aligned forms 37
Niphal passive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action 12×
Imperfect Deut 15:12 · Jer 34:14 · Lev 25:34 · Lev 27:28 · Lev 25:23 · Lev 25:42 6×
Perfect Esth 7:4 · Isa 50:1 · Isa 52:3 · Lev 25:48 · Ps 105:17 6×
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 24×
Perfect Gen 37:36 · Gen 47:20 · Gen 47:22 · Joel 4:3 · Gen 45:4 · Gen 45:5 · Joel 4:6 · Joel 4:7 · Lev 25:27 · Lev 27:20 · Isa 50:1 · Ruth 4:3 12×
Imperfect Exod 21:7 · Judg 4:9 · Lev 25:15 · Lev 25:29 · Lev 25:14 · Neh 5:8 · Ezek 48:14 · Ps 44:13 8×
Sequential imperfect 2Kgs 4:7 1×
Infinitive absolute Deut 14:21 1×
Participle active Lev 25:16 1×
Jussive Prov 23:23 1×
Hithpael reflexive or reciprocal — the subject acts on itself or mutually with others 1×
Perfect 1Kgs 21:25 1×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
literal sale of a person into slavery, Joseph sold by brothers
figurative surrender or abandonment, God's people sold for their iniquities
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 80 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
מָכַר is a primitive root - no further derivation.
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