מִרְמָה (H4820) — Hebrew Lexicon

מִרְמָה

𐤌𐤓𐤌𐤄

mirmâh

H4820 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Deliberate deception or treachery, involving the intent to mislead or defraud another, often through cunning, trickery, or falsehood. The term encompasses both the abstract concept of deceit and the practical actions or strategies used to accomplish deception. Depending on context, it may denote the general quality of craftiness, a specific act of treachery or duplicity, or the use of guile for personal gain.

Semantic Range

deceit, deception, treachery, fraud, guile, craftiness, trickery, cunning, duplicitous conduct, feigned action

Root / Etymology

From the Hebrew root רמה (ramah), which carries the core meaning 'to deceive, mislead, act treacherously.' The noun form מִרְמָה derives from the root and denotes the abstract and concrete manifestations of deception, emphasizing a willful intent to lead astray. The relationship between the root meaning ('to deceive') and the noun ('deceit; treachery') is direct, with the noun encapsulating both the act and the quality of deliberate deception.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Throughout the Hebrew Bible, מִרְמָה is associated with intentional acts of dishonesty or betrayal, often in opposition to truth, righteousness, or faithfulness. In legal, prophetic, and wisdom contexts, it is condemned as a vice or sin—contrasted with uprightness (יֹשֶׁר, אֱמֶת). Its usage spans personal, social, and commercial relationships, including fraudulent business practices, interpersonal betrayals, and general untrustworthiness. The term is frequently used in wisdom literature (e.g., Psalms, Proverbs), where it is linked to the conduct of the wicked or the devious. The meaning remains generally stable from early to late biblical periods; however, in exilic and post-exilic texts, there is increased emphasis on social and religious integrity. English translations often render the term as 'deceit,' 'craft,' 'guile,' or 'treachery,' but these can fail to capture its range from subtle cunning to flagrant betrayal. מִרְמָה should be distinguished from related terms such as שֶׁקֶר (falsehood, lie), which may lack the nuance of craftiness or scheming implied by מִרְמָה. Unlike some later English translations, use of the term is not limited to simple dishonesty, but includes complex and premeditated forms of cunning and duplicity.

Translation Consistency

primary "deceit" 36 occurrences

mirmâh consistently denotes the quality or act of misleading — trickery, guile, treachery, or fraud. “Deceit” is the natural, common English noun that covers both the abstract quality and concrete acts, fits typical biblical usage, and will read naturally in all contexts where the Hebrew term appears.

Alternatives (3 occurrences):

"treachery" (1x) "deceitfully" (1x) "deceptions" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from רָמָה in the sense of deceiving; fraud; craft, deceit(-ful, -fully), false, feigned, guile, subtilly, treachery.

Bantu Hebrew

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

Root Family

רמה (Miremah) — to deceive, mislead, act treacherously

Root רמה to deceive, mislead, act treacherously

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
H4821	מִרְמָה	deliberate deceit
H7411	רָמָה	to betray me
H7412	רְמָה	to cast
H7423	רְמִיָּה	deceitful slackness
H7432	רֶמֶת	and Remeth
H8649	תׇּרְמָה	in treachery

Word Forms

7 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2	Occurrences
`H4820-03`	מִרְמָ֥ה	miremah	`HNcfsa`	deceit	deliberate deceit	deliberate deceit	26
`H4820-05`	וּ/מִרְמָ֗ה	umiremah	`HC/Ncfsa`	and deceit	and treachery	and deceit	5
`H4820-01`	בְּ/מִרְמָ֑ה	bemiremah	`HR/Ncfsa`	deceitfully	in treachery	in deceit	3
`H4820-06`	וּ/מִרְמ֣וֹת	umiremot	`HC/Ncfpa`	and deceits	and treacheries	and deceits	2
`H4820-02`	לְ/מִרְמָֽה	lemiremah	`HR/Ncfsa`	deceitfully	to treachery	deceitfully	1
`H4820-04`	מִ֝רְמוֹת	miremot	`HNcfpa`	deceit	deceptions	deceptions	1
`H4820-07`	וּ/בְ/מִרְמָ֖ה	uvemiremah	`HC/R/Ncfsa`	and with deceit	and in treachery	and in treachery	1

Occurrences in Scripture

39 occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	SIBI-P2
`H4820-01`	Genesis 27:35	בְּ/מִרְמָ֑ה	bemiremah	`HR/Ncfsa`	with deceit	in treachery	in deceit
`H4820-01`	Genesis 34:13	בְּ/מִרְמָ֖ה	bemiremah	`HR/Ncfsa`	deceitfully	in treachery	in deceit
`H4820-03`	2 Kings 9:23	מִרְמָ֥ה	miremah	`HNcfsa`	treachery	deliberate deceit	deliberate deceit
`H4820-03`	Isaiah 53:9	מִרְמָ֖ה	miremah	`HNcfsa`	deceit	deliberate deceit	deliberate deceit
`H4820-03`	Jeremiah 5:27	מִרְמָ֑ה	miremah	`HNcfsa`	of deceit	deliberate deceit	deliberate deceit
`H4820-03`	Jeremiah 9:5	מִרְמָ֑ה	miremah	`HNcfsa`	of deceit	deliberate deceit	deliberate deceit
`H4820-01`	Jeremiah 9:5	בְּ/מִרְמָ֛ה	bemiremah	`HR/Ncfsa`	in deceit	in treachery	in deceit
`H4820-03`	Jeremiah 9:7	מִרְמָ֣ה	miremah	`HNcfsa`	deceit	deliberate deceit	deliberate deceit
`H4820-07`	Hosea 12:1	וּ/בְ/מִרְמָ֖ה	uvemiremah	`HC/R/Ncfsa`	and with deceit	and in treachery	and in treachery
`H4820-03`	Hosea 12:8	מִרְמָ֖ה	miremah	`HNcfsa`	of deceit	deliberate deceit	deliberate deceit
`H4820-03`	Amos 8:5	מִרְמָֽה	miremah	`HNcfsa`	of deceit	deliberate deceit	deliberate deceit
`H4820-03`	Micah 6:11	מִרְמָֽה	miremah	`HNcfsa`	of deceit	deliberate deceit	deliberate deceit
`H4820-05`	Zephaniah 1:9	וּ/מִרְמָֽה	umiremah	`HC/Ncfsa`	and deceit	and treachery	and deceit
`H4820-05`	Psalms 5:7	וּ/מִרְמָ֗ה	umiremah	`HC/Ncfsa`	and-deceit	and treachery	and deceit
`H4820-06`	Psalms 10:7	וּ/מִרְמ֣וֹת	umiremot	`HC/Ncfpa`	of deceit	and treacheries	and deceits
`H4820-03`	Psalms 17:1	מִרְמָֽה	miremah	`HNcfsa`	deceit	deliberate deceit	deliberate deceit
`H4820-02`	Psalms 24:4	לְ/מִרְמָֽה	lemiremah	`HR/Ncfsa`	deceitfully	to treachery	deceitfully
`H4820-03`	Psalms 34:14	מִרְמָֽה	miremah	`HNcfsa`	deceit	deliberate deceit	deliberate deceit
`H4820-04`	Psalms 35:20	מִ֝רְמוֹת	miremot	`HNcfpa`	deceit	deceptions	deceptions
`H4820-05`	Psalms 36:4	וּ/מִרְמָ֑ה	umiremah	`HC/Ncfsa`	and deceit	and treachery	and deceit
`H4820-06`	Psalms 38:13	וּ֝/מִרְמ֗וֹת	umiremot	`HC/Ncfpa`	and deceits	and treacheries	and deceits
`H4820-03`	Psalms 43:1	מִרְמָ֖ה	miremah	`HNcfsa`	deceitful	deliberate deceit	deliberate deceit
`H4820-03`	Psalms 50:19	מִרְמָֽה	miremah	`HNcfsa`	deceit	deliberate deceit	deliberate deceit
`H4820-03`	Psalms 52:6	מִרְמָֽה	miremah	`HNcfsa`	deceit	deliberate deceit	deliberate deceit
`H4820-05`	Psalms 55:12	וּ/מִרְמָֽה	umiremah	`HC/Ncfsa`	and deceit	and treachery	and deceit
`H4820-05`	Psalms 55:24	וּ֭/מִרְמָה	umiremah	`HC/Ncfsa`	and deceit	and treachery	and deceit
`H4820-03`	Psalms 109:2	מִ֭רְמָה	miremah	`HNcfsa`	of deceit	deliberate deceit	deliberate deceit
`H4820-03`	Proverbs 11:1	מִ֭רְמָה	miremah	`HNcfsa`	of deceit	deliberate deceit	deliberate deceit
`H4820-03`	Proverbs 12:5	מִרְמָֽה	miremah	`HNcfsa`	deceit	deliberate deceit	deliberate deceit
`H4820-03`	Proverbs 12:17	מִרְמָֽה	miremah	`HNcfsa`	deceit	deliberate deceit	deliberate deceit
`H4820-03`	Proverbs 12:20	מִ֭רְמָה	miremah	`HNcfsa`	Deceit	deliberate deceit	deliberate deceit
`H4820-03`	Proverbs 14:8	מִרְמָֽה	miremah	`HNcfsa`	is deceit	deliberate deceit	deliberate deceit
`H4820-03`	Proverbs 14:25	מִרְמָֽה	miremah	`HNcfsa`	deceitful	deliberate deceit	deliberate deceit
`H4820-03`	Proverbs 20:23	מִרְמָ֣ה	miremah	`HNcfsa`	deceit	deliberate deceit	deliberate deceit
`H4820-03`	Proverbs 26:24	מִרְמָֽה	miremah	`HNcfsa`	deceit	deliberate deceit	deliberate deceit
`H4820-03`	Job 15:35	מִרְמָֽה	miremah	`HNcfsa`	deceit	deliberate deceit	deliberate deceit
`H4820-03`	Job 31:5	מִרְמָ֣ה	miremah	`HNcfsa`	deceit	deliberate deceit	deliberate deceit
`H4820-03`	Daniel 8:25	מִרְמָה֙	miremah	`HNcfsa`	deceit	deliberate deceit	deliberate deceit
`H4820-03`	Daniel 11:23	מִרְמָ֑ה	miremah	`HNcfsa`	deceitfully	deliberate deceit	deliberate deceit

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