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מוֹט

𐤌𐤅𐤈

môwṭ

H4131 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To totter, shake, slip, or be unstable—refers literally to physical instability as when something shakes, sways, or slips from its position, and metaphorically to wavering, faltering, or being unsettled (emotionally, morally, spiritually). Expresses the loss of fixedness or security, both concrete (a building, foot) and abstract (status, resolve).

Semantic Range

to slip, to totter, to shake, to fall, to stagger, to be unstable, to waver, to be removed from place, to falter (in resolve or position), to be unsettled

Root / Etymology

From the root מו״ט, which expresses the idea of movement away from a stable position or fixed point; fundamentally 'to shake' or 'to be moved/totter.' The lexical form מוֹט is the verb, conveying the actions of swaying, tottering, or slipping. It is not etymologically related to the more familiar root for 'death' (מות).

Historical & Contextual Notes

In ancient Hebrew texts, מוֹט frequently appears in both literal physical contexts, such as moving mountains or tottering feet (e.g., Psalms 38:17, 'my feet slip'), and in metaphorical contexts for insecurity or instability (e.g., Psalms 16:8, 'I shall not be moved'). The term is often contraposed to concepts of firmness and security (e.g., עָמַד 'to stand,' כוּן 'to be established'). Its figurative uses make it prominent in wisdom and poetic literature to express existential or emotional instability (e.g. Proverbs 24:16, 'though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong'). In later biblical texts, the semantic range remained largely consistent, though translation traditions sometimes render it with intensified idioms (e.g., 'greatly shaken'). The sense of a foundation or nation being 'moved' may be rendered as 'shaken,' 'overthrown,' or 'unsettled,' but is not typically used for total destruction—rather, it denotes the process or state of being unstable or at risk of collapse.

Translation Consistency

primary "shake" 8 occurrences

"Shake" naturally covers the primary literal sense (physical trembling, shaking, slipping from place) and the common metaphorical uses (being shaken, unsettled, wavering, faltering). It is a simple, familiar verb that renders both active and passive senses found in the SILEX range more smoothly than rarer options like "totter."

Alternatives (31 occurrences):
"shaken" (16x) "totter" (4x) "shook" (2x) "falters" (1x) "shaken violently" (1x) "slipped" (1x) "slipping" (1x) "when totters" (1x) "tottered" (1x) "them cause to totter" (1x) "those who are tottering" (1x) "tottering one" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to waver; by implication, to slip, shake, fall; be carried, cast, be out of course, be fallen in decay, [idiom] exceedingly, fall(-ing down), be (re-) moved, be ready, shake, slide, slip.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

מוט (m-w-ṭ) — to shake, to totter, to slip, to be unstable

Root מוט to shake, to totter, to slip, to be unstable
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4132 מוֹט the yoke-bar
H4133 מוֹטָה with the yoke-bars

Word Forms

18 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H4131-16 יִמּֽוֹט yimot HVNi3ms be shaken he will be shaken he will be shaken 9
H4131-02 אֶמּ֑וֹט emot HVNi1cs I will be shaken I will totter I will be shaken 6
H4131-11 תִּמּ֑וֹט timot HVNi3fs be moved she will be made to totter it will be made to shake 5
H4131-07 מ֥וֹט mot HVqa shaken violently to die to shake 2
H4131-05 מָֽטָה matah HVqp3fs it totters she tottered she shook 2
H4131-09 תָּמ֣וּט tamut HVqi3fs be shaken you will totter will totter 2
H4131-17 יִ֝מּ֗וֹטוּ yimotu HVNi3mp be cast down they will be shaken they will be shaken 2
H4131-13 וּ/מָטִ֥ים umatim HC/Vqrmpa and those who are staggering and the ones who are tottering and those who are tottering 1
H4131-14 וּ/בְ/מ֥וֹט uvemot HC/R/Vqc and when mountains are moved and in tottering and when totters 1
H4131-15 יָמִ֥יטוּ yamitu HVhi3mp they cause they cause to totter they cause to totter 1

Occurrences in Scripture

39 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H4131-12 Leviticus 25:35 וּ/מָ֥טָה umatah HC/Vqq3fs and fails and she tottered and he falters
H4131-09 Deuteronomy 32:35 תָּמ֣וּט tamut HVqi3fs shall slip you will totter you will shake
H4131-07 Isaiah 24:19 מ֥וֹט mot HVqa shaken violently to die to shake
H4131-03 Isaiah 24:19 הִֽתְמוֹטְטָ֖ה hitemotetah HVrp3fs is shaken she tottered is shaken violently
H4131-16 Isaiah 40:20 יִמּֽוֹט yimot HVNi3ms it will totter he will be shaken it will be shaken
H4131-16 Isaiah 41:7 יִמּֽוֹט yimot HVNi3ms it will move he will be shaken it will totter
H4131-10 Isaiah 54:10 תְּמוּטֶ֑נָה temutenah HVqi3fp may be shaken they will totter may totter
H4131-09 Isaiah 54:10 תָמ֔וּט tamut HVqi3fs be shaken you will totter will totter
H4131-02 Psalms 10:6 אֶמּ֑וֹט emot HVNi1cs I will be shaken I will totter I will be shaken
H4131-02 Psalms 13:5 אֶמּֽוֹט emot HVNi1cs I am moved I will totter I will be shaken
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