מְרָתַיִם
𐤌𐤓𐤕𐤉𐤌
Meratayim
H4850 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A place name signifying 'double bitterness' or 'bitter double', used as a poetic or symbolic epithet for Babylon. The term primarily carries the notion of intense or compounded bitterness or distress, rather than functioning as an actual geographical designation. In context, the word is applied figuratively to Babylon, implying a concentration of suffering, affliction, or moral bitterness.
Semantic Range
double bitterness, extreme bitterness, symbolic name for Babylon, figurative for affliction or intensity of suffering
Root / Etymology
Formed as a dual or abstract (plural), derived from the root מָר (mar), meaning 'bitter'. The formation מְרָתַיִם (Merathayim) adds the dual suffix -ַיִם, indicating 'bitterness of twofold nature' or 'double bitterness'.
Historical & Contextual Notes
מְרָתַיִם occurs only in Jeremiah 50:21, where it is used as a poetic epithet for Babylon during prophetic oracles of judgment. The dual form is likely intended to intensify the idea of bitterness, not to denote two actual places. Some interpreters see it as a play on words or a polemical renaming rather than a historical location. English translations sometimes render it 'Merathaim,' but often footnote its literal meaning. The term is not attested outside this prophetic context and is not used as an ethnonym or standard toponym in other historical records. Its use emphasizes the literary style of prophetic oracles, reflecting hyperbolic or symbolic language rather than regular toponymic usage. In later Jewish tradition and translation, the epithet's function as a rhetorical device is sometimes obscured by transliteration or direct translation.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
dual of מַר feminine; double bitterness; Merathajim, an epithet of Babylon; Merathaim.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
מר (m-r) — bitterness, to be bitter, to make bitter, discontent
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4796 | מָרוֹת | Bitter Springs |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4850-01 |
מְרָתַ֨יִם֙ | meratayim | HNp |
Merathaim | Double Bitterness | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4850-01 |
Jeremiah 50:21 | מְרָתַ֨יִם֙ | meratayim | HNp |
Merathaim | Double Bitterness |