מֻטֶּה
𐤌𐤈𐤄
muṭṭeh
H4297 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A state or condition of being bent, turned aside, or deviated from a standard; extant usages refer specifically to moral or ethical deviation—perverseness, distortion, or crookedness. The term metaphorically describes actions or behavior that stray from what is considered upright or just, commonly in a legal, moral, or communal sense.
Semantic Range
bending, being bent, distortion, turning aside, deviation, crookedness, moral perverseness, iniquity
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root נָטָה (natah), which fundamentally means 'to stretch out, spread, extend, bend, incline, turn aside.' מֻטֶּה is the passive participle form, meaning 'stretched' or 'bent,' figuratively extended to refer to something not straight—morally or ethically perverted.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In biblical usage, מֻטֶּה appears primarily in poetic or wisdom literature (e.g. Proverbs), describing an active moral category—a person or behavior that 'walks crookedly' or acts perversely. The word functions as a nominalized participle, emphasizing the result or condition of moral deviation. While English translations often render this as 'perverseness' or 'iniquity,' these are interpretive; the original image is concrete: something bent or out of alignment. This differs from more frequent Hebrew words for sin or wickedness (e.g. עָוֹן, רֶשַׁע), offering a distinct picture of deviation rather than inherent evil. No direct anachronistic theological or ethnic connotations are present; the focus is on conduct rather than identity. In later periods, the usage does not seem to persist in either religious or communal identities.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from נָטָה; a stretching, i.e. distortion (figuratively, iniquity); perverseness.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
נטה (n-ṭ-h) — stretch out, extend, bend, turn aside
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3194 | יֻטָּה | and Extended-Place |
| H4294 | מַטֶּה | in the staff |
| H4295 | מַטָּה | downward |
| H4296 | מִטָּה | the stretched-out bed |
| H4298 | מֻטָּה | stretches of |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4297-01 |
מֻטֶּ֑ה | muteh | HNcmsa |
of perversion | bent distortion | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4297-01 |
Ezekiel 9:9 | מֻטֶּ֑ה | muteh | HNcmsa |
of perversion | bent distortion |