H4133 H4133
A yoke bar, wooden crosspiece symbolizing oppression; a carrying pole for sacred objects
The noun מוֹטָה refers to the bar or crossbeam of a yoke — the wooden piece laid across the neck of draft animals and, by powerful biblical metaphor, across the necks of oppressed peoples. Jeremiah physically wore yoke bars and bonds as a prophetic sign-act (Jer 27:2), and Hananiah broke them to symbolize deliverance (Jer 28:10, 12–13). Isaiah calls for loosing the bonds of the yoke and breaking every bar of oppression (Isa 58:6, 9). A single occurrence in 1 Chronicles 15:15 uses the word for the carrying poles threaded through the Ark of the Covenant — a different physical object but the same basic shape: a wooden bar borne on the shoulders.
Senses
1. yoke bar — A yoke bar — the wooden crossbeam that forms part of a yoke — used literally of animal yokes and figuratively of political and social oppression. Jeremiah's sign-act dominates: he fashioned yoke bars and bonds (Jer 27:2), Hananiah broke the wooden bar (Jer 28:10, 12), and God replaced it with an iron bar (Jer 28:13). Leviticus 26:13 recalls how God broke the bars of Egypt's yoke, and Ezekiel 34:27 promises the same liberation. Isaiah 58:6 pairs 'bands of the yoke bar' (aguddot motah) with oppression. Spanish 'yugos de' and German 'Joch' consistently point to yoke imagery. Ezekiel 30:18 uses the plural figuratively of Egypt's proud power being broken. 11×
AR["-النِّيرَ", "-النِّيرِ", "أَعْمِدَةَ", "أَنْيَارَ", "النِّيرَ", "رُبُطَ", "قُضْبَانِ", "نِيرٍ", "وَأَنْيَارًا"]·ben["ও-জোয়াল", "জোয়াল", "জোয়াল-দণ্ড-সেই", "জোয়ালকে", "জোয়ালের", "দণ্ডগুলি", "দন্ডগুলি", "বন্ধন"]·DE["Joch", "Staemme", "bars-von", "das-Joch", "und-Joch"]·EN["Bars-of", "and-yoke-bars", "bars-of", "the-yoke", "the-yoke-bar", "yoke", "yokes-of-"]·FR["bars-de", "et-joug", "joug"]·heb["ה-מוטה", "ו-מוטות", "מוטה", "מוטות", "מטת"]·HI["और-जूआ", "और-मैं-छुड़ाऊँगा-उन्हें", "जुओं", "जूआ", "जूए", "जूएके", "डंडों"]·ID["dan-kuk", "kuk", "kukmu"]·IT["[מטות]", "bars-di", "e-giogo", "giogo"]·jav["blabag-blabag-ing", "lan-pasangan", "pasangan", "pekawis-kuwaos", "tali"]·KO["그-멍에를", "그리고-멍에들을", "먍에들을", "멍에들을", "멍에들을-", "멍에를", "멍에의"]·PT["Canzis-de-", "barras-de", "canzis-de-", "e-canzis", "jugo", "jugos-de", "o-canzil", "varais-de"]·RU["и-ярмо", "оглобли", "перекладины", "ярма", "ярмо"]·ES["Yugos-de", "barras-de", "el-yugo", "las-barras-de", "los-yugos-de", "y-yugos", "yugo", "yugos-de"]·SW["miti-ya-", "na-nira", "nira", "nira-za", "za-nira"]·TR["boyundurklarını", "boyundurugu", "boyundurugunu", "boyunduruklarını", "boyunduruklkarını", "boyunduruğu-o", "ve-çubuklar", "çubuklarını-"]·urd["اور-جوئے", "بیںڑاں", "جوؤں-", "جوئے", "جوا", "جوا-کے", "ڈنڈے"]
2. carrying pole — A carrying pole or staff used for transporting sacred furnishings, specifically the poles inserted through rings on the Ark of the Covenant. The single occurrence at 1 Chronicles 15:15 describes the Levites carrying the Ark of God 'with the poles (bamotot) upon their shoulders, as Moses had commanded.' Spanish 'con los varales' ('with the carrying-poles') confirms the distinct sense. While sharing the basic form of a long wooden bar, this use differs entirely in function — not subjugation but sacred transport — and in context, appearing only in Chronicler's liturgical narrative. 1×
AR["بِ-الْعِصِيِّ"]·ben["কাঁধ-তাদের"]·DE["[במטות]"]·EN["with-the-poles"]·FR["[במטות]"]·heb["ב-ה-מטות"]·HI["डंडों-से"]·ID["dengan-kayu-pengusung"]·IT["[במטות]"]·jav["klawan-pikulan"]·KO["에-그-장대들"]·PT["com-as-varas"]·RU["на-шестах"]·ES["con-los-varales"]·SW["kwa-miti"]·TR["sırıklarla"]·urd["ڈنڈوں-سے"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† מוֹטָה n.f. pole, bar of yoke, mostly late (cf. מוֹט);—מ׳ Je 28:10 + 4 times; pl. מֹטוֹת etc., abs. Je 27:2 1 Ch 15:15; cstr. Ez 30:18 + 4 times;— 1. pole, pl., staves, for bearing ark 1 Ch 15:15. 2. bar of yoke, symb., of oppression Je 27:2 (‖ מוֹסֵרוֹת, cf. עֹל v 8, 11, 12), 28:10, 12 (cf. עֹל v 11); מ׳ עֵץ 28:13; מ׳ בַּרְזֶל v 13 (cf. עֹל v 14); fig. of oppression, Is 58:6, 9 Ez 30:18; cf.…