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מַרְעֲלָה

𐤌𐤓𐤏𐤋𐤄

Marealah

H4831 noun

SILEX Entry

Root רעל to shake, quiver, be unstable, reel, tremble

Definition

Toponym, designating a specific location allocated to the tribe of Zebulun. The lexical meaning of the name itself is uncertain, but as a proper noun, it identifies a geographic boundary point rather than a common noun or descriptor. The term does not convey meaning beyond its function as a place name.

Semantic Range

Proper noun—place name; no attested common noun use; proposed but unproven connection to shaking or quaking.

Root / Etymology

From the Hebrew root רעל (r-‘-l), but the precise derivation and meaning within the toponym are uncertain; etymology uncertain.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Maralah appears in Joshua 19:11 as a boundary marker for the tribal allotment of Zebulun during the initial Israelite settlement in Canaan. The name survives only as a proper noun with no discernible usage as a common noun, making its original meaning obscure. While some have attempted to link the root רעל (‘to quake’, ‘to be unsettled’, ‘to shake’), no direct evidence connects Maralah to an actual earthquake or seismic activity, nor is this connotation supported elsewhere in Hebrew scripture. The location of Maralah is uncertain, but it is listed alongside other place names north of modern-day Nazareth, reflecting boundary demarcations in the early monarchic and pre-monarchic periods. Modern translations simply transliterate the name, as its lexical meaning is opaque to both ancient and modern readers.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from רָעַל; perhaps, earthquake; Maralah, a place in Palestine; Maralah.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

רעל (r-ʿ-l) — to shake, quiver, tremble, be unstable

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H7477 רָעַל they were caused to stagger
H7478 רַעַל reeling state
H7479 רַעֲלָה and the fluttering veils
H7480 רְעֵלָיָה Yahweh Has Shaken
H8634 תַּרְאֲלָה and Taralah

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H4831-01 וּ/מַרְעֲלָ֖ה umarealah HC/Np and Maralah and Maralah 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H4831-01 Joshua 19:11 וּ/מַרְעֲלָ֖ה umarealah HC/Np and Maralah and Maralah
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