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מוּת

𐤌𐤅𐤕

mûwth

H4191 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To die, to cease living; to come to the end of life through natural, violent, or judicial means. Functions both as an intransitive verb (to die, to perish) and, in derived stems, as a causative (to put to death, to kill). The semantic range extends metaphorically to describe the loss of vitality, the end of lineage, or spiritual death, and is used idiomatically for expressing certainty ('to surely die').

Semantic Range

to die, to perish, to be destroyed, to be executed, to put to death, to kill, to slay, to be brought to an end, to come to an end (of line, hope, vitality), to experience spiritual or metaphorical death

Root / Etymology

The root מות (m-w-t) is the standard West Semitic root for 'to die', with direct cognates in other Northwest Semitic languages (e.g., Ugaritic mt, Akkadian mūtu). The core verbal form is a simple root indicating the cessation of life. In derived (causative) stems (e.g., hiphil), the meaning is 'to cause to die, to put to death'.

Historical & Contextual Notes

מות is the primary Hebrew verb for the concept of dying, used comprehensively from the earliest narratives (patriarchal period) through prophetic and poetic texts. In the intransitive (qal) stem, its reference is straightforwardly biological or existential death—human, animal, or even metaphorical entities (e.g., communities, hopes). The causative stem (hiphil) regularly expresses official or judicial killing, such as executions ordered by royal or legal authority, as well as broader acts of violence or divine judgment. The verb also appears frequently in legal texts to set penalties ('shall surely be put to death'), often using the infinitive absolute form for emphasis ('mot tamut'). In wisdom and poetry, מות can be used metaphorically (e.g., the deathlike decline, spiritual or moral perishing), and in some contexts, the word anticipates later theological developments concerning afterlife or spiritual death, though such meanings remain potential and not explicit in most biblical passages. The use of מות should be distinguished from גָּוַע (gāva‘, 'to expire, breathe one's last'), which emphasizes the act of expiring rather than the ongoing state of death. Modern English renderings like 'kill' or 'slay' cover only the causative nuances and may not fully capture the breadth of the root's usage in Hebrew. Later translations (e.g., LXX, Vulgate) often preserve these distinctions with their own semantic correspondences.

Translation Consistency

primary "die" 40 occurrences

'Die' is the most frequent and natural English rendering across the full semantic range of מוּת (intransitive death, metaphorical/spiritual death, and related forms). It fits the typical usage better than the more agentive 'kill.' Causative and judicial senses can be expressed periphrastically (e.g. 'cause to die,' 'put to death') while keeping a single, consistent base verb. Choosing 'die' maximizes naturalness and consistency across all forms.

Alternatives (10 occurrences):
"dead one" (6x) "dying one" (2x) "dead" (1x) "dying (feminine singular)" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill; [idiom] at all, [idiom] crying, (be) dead (body, man, one), (put to, worthy of) death, destroy(-er), (cause to, be like to, must) die, kill, necro(-mancer), [idiom] must needs, slay, [idiom] surely, [idiom] very suddenly, [idiom] in (no) wise.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

מות (Mut) — to die, perish, kill, cause to die

Root מות to die, perish, kill, cause to die
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4192 מוּת death-of
H4193 מוֹת to death
H4194 מָוֶת in death
H4463 מָמוֹת the death-doomed ones
H8546 תְּמוּתָה state of death

Word Forms

138 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H4191-103 וַ/יָּ֖מָת vayamat HC/Vqw3ms and died and he died and he died 84
H4191-46 מֵ֣ת met HVqp3ms dead the dying one died 70
H4191-129 יָמ֑וּת yamut HVqi3ms he shall die he will die he will die 66
H4191-56 מ֣וֹת mot HVqa death to die to die 49
H4191-135 יוּמַ֖ת yumat HVHi3ms he shall be put to death he will be put to death he will be caused to die 49
H4191-106 וַ/יָּמֹֽת vayamot HC/Vqw3ms and he died and he died and he died 43
H4191-69 תָּמ֑וּת tamut HVqi2ms you shall die you will die you will die 33
H4191-130 יָמ֥וּתוּ yamutu HVqi3mp they shall die they will die they will die 28
H4191-11 הַ/מֵּ֖ת hamet HTd/Vqrmsa the dead the dead one the dead one 24
H4191-38 לָ/מ֑וּת lamut HR/Vqc to die to die to die 23

Occurrences in Scripture

839 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H4191-56 Genesis 2:17 מ֥וֹת mot HVqa dying to die to die
H4191-69 Genesis 2:17 תָּמֽוּת tamut HVqi2ms you shall die you will die you will die
H4191-78 Genesis 3:3 תְּמֻתֽוּ/ן temutun HVqi2mp/Sn you die you all will die you all will die
H4191-56 Genesis 3:4 מ֖וֹת mot HVqa die to die to die
H4191-78 Genesis 3:4 תְּמֻתֽוּ/ן temutun HVqi2mp/Sn you will die you all will die you all will die
H4191-106 Genesis 5:5 וַ/יָּמֹֽת vayamot HC/Vqw3ms and he died and he died and he died
H4191-106 Genesis 5:8 וַ/יָּמֹֽת vayamot HC/Vqw3ms and he died and he died and he died
H4191-106 Genesis 5:11 וַ/יָּמֹֽת vayamot HC/Vqw3ms and he died and he died and he died
H4191-106 Genesis 5:14 וַ/יָּמֹֽת vayamot HC/Vqw3ms and he died and he died and he died
H4191-106 Genesis 5:17 וַ/יָּמֹֽת vayamot HC/Vqw3ms and he died and he died and he died
H4191-106 Genesis 5:20 וַ/יָּמֹֽת vayamot HC/Vqw3ms and he died and he died and he died
H4191-106 Genesis 5:27 וַ/יָּמֹֽת vayamot HC/Vqw3ms and he died and he died and he died
H4191-106 Genesis 5:31 וַ/יָּמֹֽת vayamot HC/Vqw3ms and he died and he died and he died
H4191-54 Genesis 7:22 מֵֽתוּ metu HVqp3cp died they died they died
H4191-106 Genesis 9:29 וַ/יָּמֹֽת vayamot HC/Vqw3ms and he died and he died and he died
H4191-103 Genesis 11:28 וַ/יָּ֣מָת vayamat HC/Vqw3ms died and he died and he died
H4191-103 Genesis 11:32 וַ/יָּ֥מָת vayamat HC/Vqw3ms and died and he died and he died
H4191-39 Genesis 18:25 לְ/הָמִ֤ית lehamit HR/Vhc to kill to cause to die to cause to die
H4191-95 Genesis 19:19 וָ/מַֽתִּי vamati HC/Vqp1cs and I die and I died and I die
H4191-46 Genesis 20:3 מֵת֙ met HVqrmsa are a dead man the dying one the dying one
H4191-56 Genesis 20:7 מ֣וֹת mot HVqa death to die to die
H4191-69 Genesis 20:7 תָּמ֔וּת tamut HVqi2ms you shall surely die you will die you will die
H4191-100 Genesis 23:2 וַ/תָּ֣מָת vatamat HC/Vqw3fs and she died and she died and she died
H4191-53 Genesis 23:3 מֵת֑/וֹ meto HVqrmsc/Sp3ms his dead his dead one his dead one
H4191-51 Genesis 23:4 מֵתִ֖/י meti HVqrmsc/Sp1cs my dead my dead one my dead one
H4191-48 Genesis 23:6 מֵתֶ֑/ךָ metekha HVqrmsc/Sp2ms your dead your dying one your dead one
H4191-48 Genesis 23:6 מֵתֶֽ/ךָ metekha-2 HVqrmsc/Sp2ms your dead your dying one your dead one
H4191-51 Genesis 23:8 מֵתִ/י֙ meti HVqrmsc/Sp1cs my dead my dead one my dead one
H4191-48 Genesis 23:11 מֵתֶֽ/ךָ metekha HVqrmsc/Sp2ms your dead your dying one your dead
H4191-51 Genesis 23:13 מֵתִ֖/י meti HVqrmsc/Sp1cs my dead my dead one my dead one
H4191-48 Genesis 23:15 מֵתְ/ךָ֖ metekha HVqrmsc/Sp2ms dead your dying one your dying one
H4191-103 Genesis 25:8 וַ/יָּ֧מָת vayamat HC/Vqw3ms and died and he died and he died
H4191-103 Genesis 25:17 וַ/יָּ֔מָת vayamat HC/Vqw3ms and died and he died and he died
H4191-38 Genesis 25:32 לָ/מ֑וּת lamut HR/Vqc to die to die to die
H4191-04 Genesis 26:9 אָמ֖וּת amut HVqi1cs I die I will die I will die
H4191-56 Genesis 26:11 מ֥וֹת mot HVqa death to die to die
H4191-135 Genesis 26:11 יוּמָֽת yumat HVHi3ms shall be put to death he will be put to death he will be caused to die
H4191-04 Genesis 27:4 אָמֽוּת amut HVqi1cs I die I will die I will die
H4191-47 Genesis 30:1 מֵתָ֥ה metah HVqrfsa I die dying (feminine singular) I die
H4191-98 Genesis 33:13 וָ/מֵ֖תוּ vametu HC/Vqq3cp will die and they died they will die
H4191-100 Genesis 35:8 וַ/תָּ֤מָת vatamat HC/Vqw3fs and died and she died and she died
H4191-47 Genesis 35:18 מֵ֔תָה metah HVqp3fs she died dying (feminine singular) dying (feminine singular)
H4191-100 Genesis 35:19 וַ/תָּ֖מָת vatamat HC/Vqw3fs and she died and she died and she died
H4191-103 Genesis 35:29 וַ/יָּ֨מָת֙ vayamat HC/Vqw3ms and died and he died and he died
H4191-103 Genesis 36:33 וַ/יָּ֖מָת vayamat HC/Vqw3ms and died and he died and he died
H4191-103 Genesis 36:34 וַ/יָּ֖מָת vayamat HC/Vqw3ms died and he died and he died
H4191-103 Genesis 36:35 וַ/יָּ֖מָת vayamat HC/Vqw3ms died and he died and he died
H4191-103 Genesis 36:36 וַ/יָּ֖מָת vayamat HC/Vqw3ms died and he died and he died
H4191-103 Genesis 36:37 וַ/יָּ֖מָת vayamat HC/Vqw3ms died and he died and he died
H4191-103 Genesis 36:38 וַ/יָּ֖מָת vayamat HC/Vqw3ms and died and he died and he died
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