מוֹרָשׁ
𐤌𐤅𐤓𐤔
môwrâsh
H4180 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
An inheritance, possession, or something handed down or received as property; typically denotes a permanent or significant holding, whether materially in land or property, or metaphorically as a legacy or cherished possession. The term may also connote something taken into possession, emphasizing lasting ownership and continuity.
Semantic Range
inheritance, possession, landed property, inherited territory, permanent holding, legacy
Root / Etymology
From the root יָרַשׁ (yarash), meaning 'to possess, inherit, dispossess.' The noun form מוֹרָשׁ is a derivative denoting 'that which is possessed/inherited.' The formation reflects a passive substantive: what has become possession or inheritance as a result of the verbal idea of taking or inheriting.
Historical & Contextual Notes
מוֹרָשׁ appears sparingly in the Hebrew Bible (notably in Exodus 6:8, Ezekiel 25:4, and Ezekiel 33:24), typically referencing land given as a permanent inheritance to the Israelite ancestors and their descendants, with strong emphasis on the lasting or covenantal nature of the claim. The term often appears in solemn contexts relating to divine promise or transfer of territory. While the root יָרַשׁ is common and its derivatives can describe both dispossession and inheritance, מוֹרָשׁ specifically catalogs the result (the inheritance or property itself) rather than the process. Later English translations sometimes render the term as 'heritage' or 'possession,' but such terms may understate the weight of enduring covenantal promise implicit in הַמּוֹרָשׁ in Israelite ideology. In rabbinic and post-biblical usage, related terms sometimes acquired additional metaphorical senses (e.g., Torah as a spiritual inheritance), but the biblical usage remains primarily about land and tangible possession. The use never specifically denoted ethnicity, religious practice, or the later English sense of 'Jewishness,' though later English Bibles sometimes translate it with phrases like 'heritage of the Jews'—an anachronism in biblical context.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from יָרַשׁ; a possession; figuratively, delight; possession, thought.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
ירשׁ (y-r-sh) — possess, inherit, dispossess
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3388 | יְרוּשָׁא | Possessed-one |
| H3423 | יָרַשׁ | to dispossess us |
| H3424 | יְרֵשָׁה | inherited possession |
| H4183 | מוֹרַשְׁתִּי | the Moreshethite |
| H7568 | רֶשֶׁת | in a net |
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4180-01 |
לְ/מוֹרַ֥שׁ | lemorash | HR/Ncmsc |
a possession for | for inherited-possession-of | 1 |
H4180-03 |
מוֹרָֽשֵׁי/הֶם | morasheyhem | HNcmpc/Sp3mp |
their possessions | their inherited holdings | 1 |
H4180-02 |
מ֖וֹרָשֵׁ֣י | morashey | HNcmpc |
possessions | inherited possessions of | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4180-01 |
Isaiah 14:23 | לְ/מוֹרַ֥שׁ | lemorash | HR/Ncmsc |
a possession for | for inherited-possession-of |
H4180-03 |
Obadiah 1:17 | מוֹרָֽשֵׁי/הֶם | morasheyhem | HNcmpc/Sp3mp |
their possessions | their inherited holdings |
H4180-02 |
Job 17:11 | מ֖וֹרָשֵׁ֣י | morashey | HNcmpc |
possessions | inherited possessions of |