What does מָרָה (mārāh) mean in the Bible?
מָרָה (mārāh): Rebellion conceived as bitterness or sourness; inner resistance that makes relationship unpalatable to God
Hebrew · H4784
מָרָה
To be (causatively, make ) bitter (or unpleasant); (figuratively) to rebel (or resist; causatively, to provoke )
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מָרָה H4784
Pronunciation mārāh
What does מָרָה (mārāh) mean in the Bible?
מָרָה (mārāh): Rebellion conceived as bitterness or sourness; inner resistance that makes relationship unpalatable to God
Full entry for מָרָה (H4784) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H4784?
The BSB source-word alignment has 45 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include and rebellious (4), rebelling (4), rebelled (3), and rebel (2), both of you rebelled (2).
Where does מָרָה (mārāh) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Numbers 20:10. Its strongest book concentrations include Psalms (10), Deuteronomy (8), Ezekiel (4), Isaiah (4).
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 and rebellious 4× Deuteronomy 21:18, Deuteronomy 21:20, Psalms 78:8, Jeremiah 5:23
rebelling 4× Deuteronomy 9:7, Deuteronomy 9:24, Deuteronomy 31:27, Psalms 78:17
rebelled 3× Isaiah 63:10, Ezekiel 20:13, Ezekiel 20:21
and rebel 2× 1 Samuel 12:15, Isaiah 1:20
both of you rebelled 2× Numbers 20:24, Numbers 27:14
but they rebelled 2× Psalms 106:7, Ezekiel 20:8
. . . 1× Lamentations 1:20
and disobeyed 1× Psalms 78:56
and rebelled 1× Lamentations 3:42
at their rebellion 1× Job 17:2
bitter 1× 2 Kings 14:26
But she has rebelled 1× Ezekiel 5:6
But they were disobedient 1× Nehemiah 9:26
But you rebelled 1× Deuteronomy 9:23
defied 1× Psalms 105:28
defying 1× Isaiah 3:8
disobeyed 1× 1 Kings 13:26
grieved 1× 1 Samuel 30:6
I have been most rebellious 1× Lamentations 1:20
I rebelled 1× Lamentations 1:18
rebel 1× 1 Samuel 12:14
rebellious 1× Isaiah 50:5
rebels 1× Joshua 1:18
she has rebelled 1× Hosea 13:16
she has rebelled against Me 1× Jeremiah 4:17
they disobeyed Him 1× Psalms 78:40
they have rebelled 1× Psalms 5:10
they rebelled 1× Psalms 107:11
they rebelled against 1× Psalms 106:33
were bent 1× Psalms 106:43
you have defied 1× 1 Kings 13:21
you rebelled 1× Deuteronomy 1:26
You rebelled against 1× Deuteronomy 1:43
you rebels 1× Numbers 20:10
Show sample aligned rows
Numbers 20:10 הַמֹּרִ֔ים to you rebels Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural Numbers 20:24 מְרִיתֶ֥ם to both of you rebelled Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine plural Numbers 27:14 מְרִיתֶ֨ם to both of you rebelled Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine plural Deuteronomy 1:26 וַתַּמְר֕וּ to you rebelled Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - second person masculine plural Deuteronomy 1:43 וַתַּמְרוּ֙ to You rebelled against Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - second person masculine plural Deuteronomy 9:7 מַמְרִ֥ים to rebelling Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine plural Deuteronomy 9:23 וַתַּמְר֗וּ to But you rebelled Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - second person masculine plural Deuteronomy 9:24 מַמְרִ֥ים to rebelling Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine plural Deuteronomy 21:18 וּמוֹרֶ֔ה to and rebellious Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular Deuteronomy 21:20 וּמֹרֶ֔ה to and rebellious Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Numbers 20:10
Aligned rows 45
Books represented 14
Numbers 3 Deuteronomy 8 Joshua 1 1 Samuel 3 1 Kings 2 2 Kings 1 Nehemiah 1 Job 1 Psalms 10 Isaiah 4 Jeremiah 2 Lamentations 4 Ezekiel 4 Hosea 1
Source forms
וַיַּמְרוּ־ 3x way·yam·rū- Ezekiel 20:8, Ezekiel 20:13, Ezekiel 20:21
מָרִ֑יתִי 3x mā·rî·ṯî Isaiah 50:5, Lamentations 1:18, Lamentations 1:20
הִמְר֥וּ 2x him·rū Psalms 106:33, Psalms 107:11
מַמְרִ֥ים 2x mam·rîm Deuteronomy 9:7, Deuteronomy 9:24
הַמֹּרִ֔ים 1x ham·mō·rîm Numbers 20:10
וּ֝בְהַמְּרוֹתָ֗ם 1x ū·ḇə·ham·mə·rō·w·ṯām Job 17:2
וַיַּמְר֨וּ 1x way·yam·rū Nehemiah 9:26
וַ֭יַּמְרוּ 1x way·yam·rū Psalms 78:56
Parsing patterns
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural 6x Nehemiah 9:26, Psalms 78:56, Psalms 106:7, Ezekiel 20:8
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular 4x Deuteronomy 21:18, Deuteronomy 21:20, Psalms 78:8, Jeremiah 5:23
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - second person masculine plural 3x Deuteronomy 1:26, Deuteronomy 1:43, Deuteronomy 9:23
Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine plural 3x Deuteronomy 9:7, Deuteronomy 9:24, Deuteronomy 31:27
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular 3x Isaiah 50:5, Lamentations 1:18, Lamentations 1:20
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural 3x Psalms 5:10, Psalms 105:28, Isaiah 63:10
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular 3x 1 Samuel 30:6, Jeremiah 4:17, Hosea 13:16
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural 2x 1 Samuel 12:15, Isaiah 1:20
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Rebellion conceived as bitterness or sourness; inner resistance that makes relationship unpalatable to God
Strong's H4784
Lexical occurrences 45 verses Word forms 2 forms 23 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Genesis 26:26-35 Source Gloss
to be (causatively, make ) bitter (or unpleasant); (figuratively) to rebel (or resist; causatively, to provoke )
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Rebellion conceived as bitterness or sourness; inner resistance that makes relationship unpalatable to God
to be (causatively, make) bitter (or unpleasant); (figuratively) to rebel (or resist; causatively, to provoke) BDB: be contentious Usage: bitter, change, be disobedient, disobey, grievously, provocation, provoke(-ing), (be) rebel (against, -lious).
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 2 Aligned forms 23
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 15×
Perfect 1Sam 30:6 · Hos 14:1 · Jer 4:17 · Isa 50:5 · Lam 1:18 · Lam 1:20 · Isa 63:10 · Ps 5:11 · Ps 105:28 · Num 20:24 · Num 27:14 · 1Kgs 13:21 · 1Kgs 13:26 13×
Participle active 2Kgs 14:26 1×
Infinitive absolute Lam 1:20 1×
Hiphil causative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action 8×
Participle active Deut 9:7 · Deut 9:24 · Deut 31:27 3×
Imperfect 1Sam 12:14 · Josh 1:18 · Ps 106:43 3×
Perfect Ps 106:33 · Ps 107:11 2×
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Esau's wives causing bitterness or displeasure to Isaac and Rebekah
Showing 1 selected witness from 45 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
מָרָה 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