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מְרֹדָךְ

𐤌𐤓𐤃𐤊

Merodakhe

H4781 noun

SILEX Entry

Root uncertain uncertain (loanword, proper name)

Definition

Proper noun referring to Merodak (also known as Marduk), the principal deity of the Babylonian pantheon. In the Hebrew Bible, the term is used exclusively as a foreign personal deity, never as a common noun or generic term for 'god.' The usage refers to the Babylonian god in a context of foreign religion and often functions as a metonym for Babylonian power or kingship.

Semantic Range

Merodak/Marduk, chief Babylonian deity; used as a proper noun for the Babylonian god; appears in compound personal names such as Merodak-Baladan

Root / Etymology

Of uncertain etymology; the name is borrowed from Akkadian 'Marduk', the chief god of the city of Babylon. The Hebrew spelling מְרֹדָךְ reflects phonetic adaptation of the Akkadian original. The root in Hebrew is uncertain, as the word is a loanword.

Historical & Contextual Notes

מְרֹדָךְ appears rarely in the Hebrew Bible and always as a reference to a specific Babylonian deity. The most notable occurrence is in Jeremiah 50:2, where Merodak is paired with Bel, another title for Marduk, in the context of prophecies against Babylon. This name also forms part of the compound proper name מְרֹדַךְ בַּלְאֲדָן (Merodak-Baladan), a historical king of Babylon. English translations often render the name as 'Merodach,' a form reflecting the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate tradition. The biblical text does not provide further description or mythological details; the term is always used in the context of Babylonian royal or religious power, never as a generic idol or deity in Israelite practice. In later periods, the name Merodak/Marduk retained its association with Babylonian rule and was not used for other deities. The term does not overlap with other Hebrew terms for deity (such as אֱלֹהִים or בַּעַל), which always refer to either the Israelite God or non-specific gods of neighboring peoples. The English term 'idol' is sometimes used in translation, but this narrows the meaning from the original, which names a particular foreign god.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of foreign derivation; Merodak, a Babylonian idol; Merodach. Compare מְרֹאדַךְ בַּלְאָדָן.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

uncertain (loanword) (unknown (Akkadian Marduk)) — proper name; chief Babylonian deity

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4782 מׇרְדְּכַי and to Mordecai
H5019 נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר Nebuchadnezzar
H5020 נְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר Nebu-kadnetstsar
H783 אַרְתַּחְשַׁשְׁתָּא to Artaxerxes
H8369 שֵׁתָר Shethar

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H4781-01 מְרֹדָ֔ךְ merodakhe HNp Merodach Merodak 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H4781-01 Jeremiah 50:2 מְרֹדָ֔ךְ merodakhe HNp Merodach Merodak
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