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
H5921a 1. upon, on, over (spatial) (5443×)H0413 1. directional: to, toward (5366×)H1121a 1. son, male offspring, descendant (4914×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)H4428 1. king, human ruler (2518×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)H6440 1. before, in front of (spatial) (1870×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H3027 1. physical hand (body part) (1596×)H1697 1. word, speech, utterance (1235×)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×)
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.…