מָרַק
𐤌𐤓𐤒
mâraq
H4838 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To rub or scrape clean a surface, often with water, resulting in a smooth or bright finish; to polish or furbish an object, particularly metal implements or weapons; by extension, to sharpen the edge of an item such as a sword by scouring; in some contexts, used of rinsing or washing a vessel thoroughly. The term connotes a vigorous, often repeated action resulting in cleanliness, luster, or sharpness.
Semantic Range
to polish (metal implements, weapons), to furbish or make something shine, to scour or scrape clean, to sharpen (by scouring or polishing), to rinse or wash (vessels or items), to make bright or gleaming
Root / Etymology
Root: מרק (m-r-q). The root conveys the idea of scraping, scouring, or rubbing to clean or polish. The verbal form מָרַק is a standard qal root formation, directly related to physical action on objects, especially by means of friction, with water or abrasive materials. The noun מָרוֹק (maroq, 'polishing' or 'rinsing') is derived from the same root.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, מָרַק predominantly appears in the sense of polishing or scouring metal items, such as swords (cf. Ezekiel 21:9–11), where the focus lies on preparing a weapon for use through cleaning and sharpening. This contextually distinguishes it from roots like טהר (ṭ-h-r, 'to make clean, pure') which more broadly concern ritual or moral purity, whereas מָרַק refers to physical cleanliness or readiness. In other instances (e.g., Num 19:17–18), the verb describes the rinsing or scouring of vessels with water, emphasizing removal of physical impurities rather than ritual defilement. Over time, the semantic field did not develop significant figurative uses, remaining rooted in concrete tasks of cleaning, polishing, or sharpening. Standard English translations as 'polish,' 'scour,' 'sharpen,' or 'rinse' capture the immediate physical aspects, but may obscure the emphasis on vigorous, repeated action central to the Hebrew verb. Later in post-biblical Hebrew and related Aramaic forms, the root retains meanings of rinsing or cleaning.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to polish; by implication, to sharpen; also to rinse; bright, furbish, scour.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
מרק (m-r-q) — to scrub, to polish, to scour, to rinse
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4795 | מָרוּק | their purifying rubbings |
| H4839 | מָרָק | the boiled broth |
| H8562 | תַּמְרוּק | cleansing ointment |
Word Forms
4 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4838-02 |
מִרְקוּ֙ | mirequ | HVqv2mp |
polish | Scrub clean! | 1 |
H4838-03 |
תמריק | tmryq | HVhi3fs |
scour | she will scour clean | 1 |
H4838-01 |
מָרֽוּק | maruq | HVqsmsa |
polished | polished one | 1 |
H4838-04 |
וּ/מֹרַ֥ק | umoraq | HC/VPq3ms |
and-scoured | and he was thoroughly scoured | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4838-04 |
Leviticus 6:21 | וּ/מֹרַ֥ק | umoraq | HC/VPq3ms |
and-scoured | and he was thoroughly scoured |
H4838-02 |
Jeremiah 46:4 | מִרְקוּ֙ | mirequ | HVqv2mp |
polish | Scrub clean! |
H4838-03 |
Proverbs 20:30 | תמריק | tmryq | HVhi3fs |
scour | she will scour clean |
H4838-01 |
2 Chronicles 4:16 | מָרֽוּק | maruq | HVqsmsa |
polished | polished one |