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מֵרוֹז

𐤌𐤓𐤅𐤆

Meroz

H4789 noun

SILEX Entry

Root uncertain uncertain

Definition

Meroz, a place name mentioned only in Judges 5:23, identified as the locality whose inhabitants were cursed by the prophetess Deborah for not assisting Israelite forces during the conflict with Sisera. The precise location remains uncertain and the name does not appear elsewhere in biblical literature. The primary reference is to the residents of the place, as a collective who failed to act when called upon during a pivotal historical event.

Semantic Range

a locality (possibly a town or village), the people of Meroz (as a collective community), figurative in later interpretive traditions as those who abstain from vital communal action

Root / Etymology

Etymology uncertain; the name מֵרוֹז cannot be derived with confidence from any known Hebrew root. Various speculative etymologies have been proposed, including possible connection to a Semitic root meaning 'refuge' or 'fortress,' or adoption from a non-Hebrew toponym, but none are linguistically compelling or widely accepted.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In Judges 5:23, Meroz is invoked during Deborah's victory song as the object of a curse due to the non-participation of its inhabitants in Israelite military efforts. The historical context is early in the period of the Judges, likely during the formative centuries of Israelite settlement in Canaan. Later Jewish tradition (seen in rabbinic literature) at times allegorizes Meroz, but in the original context, it straightforwardly designates a geographical place and its community. The designation as a 'place in Palestine' in older English translations reflects a generic use of the name for the region, rather than a precise location as understood in later geography. English translations are unanimous in transliterating the name, avoiding attempts at interpretation due to its obscurity.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of uncertain derivation; Meroz, a place in Palestine; Meroz.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

uncertain (uncertain) — uncertain

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1085 בִּלְדַּד Bildad
H1095 בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר Belteshatsar
H1114 בִּלְשָׁן Bilshan
H1150 בִּנְעָא Bin'a
H116 אֱדַיִן and then

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H4789-01 מֵר֗וֹז meroz HNp Meroz Meroz 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H4789-01 Judges 5:23 מֵר֗וֹז meroz HNp Meroz Meroz
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