מוֹרַג
𐤌𐤅𐤓𐤂
môwrag
H4173 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A heavy, often wooden agricultural implement embedded with sharp stones or metal pieces, used for threshing grain by dragging or riding it over harvested stalks to separate kernels from chaff; more generally, any device for threshing grain by crushing or pulverizing.
Semantic Range
threshing sledge, threshing instrument, implement for threshing, figurative instrument of judgment or destruction
Root / Etymology
Root is uncertain; possibly related to an unused root meaning 'to crush, beat, or triturate,' though this is not directly attested in biblical Hebrew. The noun is a specialized agricultural term without closely related verbal or nominal forms in the Hebrew Bible.
Historical & Contextual Notes
מוֹרַג (môwrag) appears in biblical texts as a technical term for a threshing instrument rather than a general tool. In passages such as Isaiah 41:15 and 2 Samuel 24:22 (= 1 Chronicles 21:23), it denotes a specialized implement for threshing grain, used by ancient Israelites during harvest. The threshing-sledge referenced here likely consisted of a thick wooden board or frame, often embedded underneath with sharp stones, flints, or metal teeth, drawn by draught animals or occasionally by human power. This instrument was passed repeatedly over sheaves spread on a threshing floor to break up stalks and husks, facilitating the separation of grain. English translation traditionally renders מוֹרַג as 'threshing instrument' or 'threshing sledge'; however, the precise construction and mechanics differed from later Middle Eastern or European threshing devices, so modern readers should avoid projecting later technological developments onto the biblical implement. The related term חָרֻץ (ḥārutz, H2742) refers to the cutting or sharp elements affixed to the threshing-sledge; the two terms are sometimes found together for poetic emphasis (cf. Isaiah 41:15). Use of מוֹרַג is largely confined to the monarchic and early post-exilic periods; it is not widely attested outside agricultural or judgment-related imagery. Later translations occasionally rendered the word in ways influenced by their contexts; occasionally, 'cart' (e.g., LXX in Isa 41:15) or 'saw' may appear in non-standard translations, but these do not accurately reflect the original implement.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or מֹרַג; from an unused root meaning to triturate; a threshing sledge; threshing instrument.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
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מרג (uncertain) (m-r-g (uncertain)) — crushing, threshing, pulverizing
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4173-02 |
וְ/הַ/מֹּרִגִּ֛ים | vehamorigim | HC/Td/Ncmpa |
and the threshing sledges | the threshing sledges | 2 |
H4173-01 |
לְ/מוֹרַג֙ | lemorag | HR/Ncmsc |
a threshing sledge | threshing-sledge of | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4173-02 |
2 Samuel 24:22 | וְ/הַ/מֹּרִגִּ֛ים | vehamorigim | HC/Td/Ncmpa |
and the threshing sledges | the threshing sledges |
H4173-01 |
Isaiah 41:15 | לְ/מוֹרַג֙ | lemorag | HR/Ncmsc |
a threshing sledge | threshing-sledge of |
H4173-02 |
1 Chronicles 21:23 | וְ/הַ/מּוֹרִגִּ֧ים | vehamorigim | HC/Td/Ncmpa |
and the threshing sledges | the threshing sledges |