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מָרַר

𐤌𐤓𐤓

mârar

H4843 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To be or become bitter, to experience or cause bitterness. The verb encompasses both a literal sense—such as the taste of something sharp or acrid—and a figurative sense, including the experience of emotional distress, grief, or provocation. Used transitively, it can mean to embitter or make a situation hard to endure; intransitively, it indicates the state of being embittered or distressed.

Semantic Range

to be bitter (literal taste); to experience bitterness (emotionally); to make bitter or embitter; to be grieved; to be provoked; to endure hardship or distress

Root / Etymology

From the root מָרַר (מרר), derived from מַר, 'bitter'. The root meaning is 'to be bitter' in taste or feeling. מָרַר is a twenty-two letter proper root occurring primarily in denominative forms, generally connoting the experience or infliction of bitterness, both literal and figurative.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The verbal root מָרַר is attested in both literal and metaphorical contexts throughout the Hebrew Bible. In wilderness narratives (e.g., Exodus 15:23), it refers to the physical taste of bitter water, while in poetry and prophetic texts it shifts to describe profound emotional anguish or provocation (e.g., Job 27:2, Ruth 1:20). Its figurative meanings were adopted and expanded in post-exilic and Second Temple texts, where suffering, hardship, or deep grief are sometimes depicted with this root. The word underlies the name of the place 'Marah' (Exodus 15:23–25), highlighting the close association between taste and emotional experience in biblical Hebrew. English translations often render the metaphorical senses as 'grieve', 'vex', or 'provoke', but these only approximate the sense of internalized or inflicted bitterness carried by the root.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; properly, to trickle (see מַר); but used only as a denominative from מַר; to be (causatively, make) bitter (literally or figuratively); (be, be in, deal, have, make) bitter(-ly, -ness), be moved with choler, (be, have sorely, it) grieved(-eth), provoke, vex.

Bantu Hebrew

Language Bantu Word Transliteration Meaning
Kikuyu Miruru bitterness, harshness, or strong, pungent tastes
+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

מרר (m-r-r) — bitterness, embittering, grief, provocation

Root מרר to be bitter, to make bitter, to grieve
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4472 מַמְרֹר bitternesses
H4751 מַר in bitterness
H4752 מַר like a drop
H4753 מֹר the myrrh resin
H4755 מָרָא Bitter-One

Word Forms

12 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H4843-04 מָ֑ר mar HVqp3ms bitter bitterness of bitter 2
H4843-02 הֵמַ֥ר hemar HVhp3ms has dealt bitterly he embittered he has made bitter 2
H4843-05 מָֽרָה marah HVqp3fs is bitter Bitterness Bitterness 1
H4843-09 וַ/יִּתְמַרְמַ֤ר vayitemaremar HC/Vfw3ms and he raged and he embittered himself and he raged 1
H4843-11 וְ/יִתְמַרְמַר֙ veyitemaremar HC/Vfi3ms and he will be enraged he will embitter himself and he will embitter himself 1
H4843-03 כְּ/הָמֵ֥ר kehamer HR/Vhc as one is bitter as making bitter as bitterness 1
H4843-12 יֵמַ֥ר yemar HVqi3ms is bitter he will be bitter it will be bitter 1
H4843-01 אֲמָרֵ֣ר amarer HVpi1cs let me weep bitterly I will embitter let me weep bitterly 1
H4843-08 וַ/יְמָרְר֨וּ vayemareru HC/Vpw3mp And they made bitter they embittered they embittered 1
H4843-07 וַֽ/יְמָרֲרֻ֖/הוּ vayemararuhu HC/Vpw3mp/Sp3ms and bitterly attacked him they embittered him they embittered him 1

Occurrences in Scripture

14 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H4843-07 Genesis 49:23 וַֽ/יְמָרֲרֻ֖/הוּ vayemararuhu HC/Vpw3mp/Sp3ms and bitterly attacked him they embittered him they embittered him
H4843-08 Exodus 1:14 וַ/יְמָרְר֨וּ vayemareru HC/Vpw3mp And they made bitter they embittered they embittered
H4843-06 Exodus 23:21 תַּמֵּ֣ר tamer HVhj2ms provoke may you embitter provoke
H4843-05 2 Kings 4:27 מָֽרָה marah HVqp3fs is bitter Bitterness Bitterness
H4843-01 Isaiah 22:4 אֲמָרֵ֣ר amarer HVpi1cs let me weep bitterly I will embitter let me weep bitterly
H4843-12 Isaiah 24:9 יֵמַ֥ר yemar HVqi3ms is bitter he will be bitter it will be bitter
H4843-04 Isaiah 38:17 מָ֑ר mar-2 HVqp3ms bitter bitterness of bitterness
H4843-10 Zechariah 12:10 וְ/הָמֵ֥ר vehamer HC/Vha and bitterness to embitter and bitterness
H4843-03 Zechariah 12:10 כְּ/הָמֵ֥ר kehamer HR/Vhc as one is bitter as making bitter as bitterness
H4843-02 Job 27:2 הֵמַ֥ר hemar HVhp3ms has made bitter he embittered he has made bitter
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