H4138 H4138
Kindred, birthplace, native land; relatives, family; offspring, progeny; the event or circumstances of birth.
A feminine noun built from the root yalad (to bear, give birth), moledet encompasses everything connected to one's origin—the land where one was born, the family into which one was born, and the children one has borne. When God tells Abram to leave his 'moledet' (Gen 12:1), the word resonates with homeland, kinfolk, and identity all at once. Ezekiel employs the plural for Jerusalem's shameful 'birth circumstances' (Ezek 16:3-4), while Leviticus uses it for female offspring 'born of' a father or mother (Lev 18:9, 11). The word beautifully ties land, lineage, and life together.
Senses
1. birthplace, native land — The place or land of one's birth, one's homeland or native country. This is the most frequent sense, appearing ten times. God summons Abram away from his 'birthplace' (Gen 12:1), and Naomi's homeland is Ruth's destination (Ruth 2:11). The construct 'eretz moledet' (land of kindred/birth) appears in Gen 11:28; 24:7; and Jer 46:16. Spanish 'nacimiento' and German 'Verwandtschaft' each capture a different facet—the event of birth versus the network of belonging—showing how this word bridges geography and genealogy. 10×
AR["مَوْلِدَهَا", "مَوْلِدِكِ", "مَوْلِدِنَا", "مَوْلِدِهَا", "مَوْلِدِهِ", "مَوْلِدِهِمْ", "وَ-إِلَى-مَوْلِدِ-كَ", "وَ-مِنْ-عَشِيرَتِكَ"]·ben["আমাদের-জন্মস্থানের", "আর-তোমার-জন্মস্থান-থেকে", "এবং-তোমার-জন্মভূমিতে", "জন্মভূমির-তাদের", "তার-জন্মস্থানের", "তার-জন্মস্থানের।", "তার-বংশ", "তোমার-জন্মভূমির"]·DE["[מולדתה]", "[מולדתו]", "[מולדתך]", "[מולדתם]", "[מולדתנו]", "seiner-Geburt", "und-aus-deiner-Verwandtschaft", "und-zu-deiner-Verwandtschaft"]·EN["and-from-your-birthplace", "and-to-your-kindred", "birth-his", "her-birthplace", "his-birth", "our-birth", "their-birth", "your-birth"]·FR["[מולדתו]", "[מולדתם]", "[מולדתנו]", "et-de-ton-lieu-de-naissance", "et-à-ton-kindred", "sa-parenté", "son-naissance", "ton-naissance"]·heb["ו-ל-מולדתך-ך", "ו-מ-מולדתך-ך", "מולדתה-ה", "מולדתו", "מולדתו-ו", "מולדתך", "מולדתם", "מולדתנו"]·HI["अपना-परिवार", "अपने-जनमस्थन", "उनके-जन्म-स्थान", "और-अपने-जनमस्थन-से", "और-अपने-जन्मस्थान-को", "और-तेरे-जन्मस्थान-को", "जन्म-अपने-का", "जन्मभूमि-की", "परिवार-को", "हमारे-जन्मभूमि"]·ID["dan-dari-sanak-saudaramu", "dan-ke-tempat-kelahiran-mu", "kelahiran-kita", "kelahiran-mereka", "kelahiranmu", "kelahirannya", "keturunannya"]·IT["[מולדתו]", "[מולדתם]", "[מולדתנו]", "e-a-tuo-kindred", "e-da-tuo-birthplace", "la-sua-parentela", "suo-birth", "tuo-birth"]·jav["kalairanipun", "kalairanipun-sedaya.", "kaluarga-ipun", "kelairan-ipun", "lair-kita", "lair-panjenengan", "lan-dhateng-tanah-wiyosan-panjenengan", "lan-saking-kaluarga-panjenengan"]·KO["그녀의-출생지를", "그들의-태생의", "그리고-너의-출생지로", "그리고-네-고향에서", "그리고-네-친족에게", "그의-출생지의", "그의-태어난-곳의", "니-출생지의", "우리의-태어난-땅으로"]·PT["e-de-parentela-tua", "e-para-parentela-tua", "nascimento-dele", "nosso-nascimento", "parentela-dela", "seu-nascimento", "teu-nascimento"]·RU["Халдеи", "и-к-родине-твоей", "и-от-родни-твоей", "родину-её", "рождения-его", "рождения-нашего", "рождения-своего", "рождения-твоего"]·ES["nacimiento-de-ellos", "nacimiento-de-él", "nacimiento-suyo", "nuestro-nacimiento", "su-parentela", "tu-nacimiento", "y-a-parentela-tuya", "y-de-parentela-tuya"]·SW["kuzaliwa-kwake", "kuzaliwa-kwako", "kuzaliwa-kwao", "kuzaliwa-kwetu", "kwa-sababu", "na-kutoka-jamaa-yako", "na-uzazi-wako", "na-watu-wake"]·TR["doğduklarının", "doğduğu", "doğduğu-yerin", "doğduğumuz", "doğduğun", "doğum-yerini", "ve-doğduğun-yerden", "ve-doğum-yerine"]·urd["اور-اپنے-وطن-کو", "اور-جنم-بھومی-اپنی", "اور-پیدائش-اپنی-سے", "اپنی-نسل", "اپنے-وطن-کی", "پیدائش-ان-کی", "پیدائش-اپنی", "پیدائش-کی-اپنی"]
2. kindred, relatives, family — One's kinfolk, relatives, or extended family group—the people to whom one belongs by birth. When Abraham's servant is asked about family (Gen 43:7) or when God directs Jacob to return to his 'kindred' (Gen 31:3, 13), moledet denotes the web of human relationships defined by shared descent. Esther conceals her 'moledet' (Est 2:10, 20)—her people and family identity. Spanish 'parentela' and German 'Verwandtschaft' render this relational dimension well, emphasizing the communal bond over the geographical origin. 6×
AR["مَوْلِدِ-كَ", "مَوْلِدِي", "وَ-عَنْ-عَشِيرَتِنَا"]·ben["আমার-আত্মীয়দের-কাছে", "আমার-জন্মভূমির", "আমার-জন্মস্থান", "আমার-বংশের", "আর-আমাদের-বংশ-বিষয়ে", "তোমার-জন্মভূমিতে"]·DE["[מולדתי]", "deiner-Verwandtschaft", "mein-birthplace", "meiner-Verwandtschaft", "und-unsere-Verwandtschaft"]·EN["and-about-our-kindred", "my-birth", "my-birthplace", "my-kindred", "your-kindred"]·FR["et-au-sujet-de-notre-kindred", "mon-birthplace", "mon-kindred", "mon-naissance", "parenté", "ton-kindred"]·heb["ו-ל-מולדתנו-נו", "מולדתי", "מולדתי-י", "מולדתך-ך"]·HI["अपने-जन्मस्थान", "और-हमारे-वंश-के-बारे-में", "तेरे-जन्मस्थान-के", "मेरे-जन्म-स्थान", "मेरे-जन्म-स्थान-के", "मेरे-स्वजनों-का"]·ID["dan-tentang-keluarga-kami", "kelahiran-mu", "keluargaku", "keturunanku"]·IT["e-riguardo-nostro-kindred", "mio-birth", "mio-birthplace", "mio-kindred", "parentela", "tuo-kindred"]·jav["kaluarga-kawula", "kulawangsa-kula", "lan-bab-turunan-kita", "tanah-lair-kula", "wiyosan-panjenengan"]·KO["그리고-우리의-가문에-대해", "나의-친족", "나의-친족의", "너의-출생지의"]·PT["e-para-família-nossa", "família-minha", "minha-família", "parentela-minha", "parentela-tua"]·RU["и-о-родственниках-наших", "родину-мою", "родины-моей", "родне-моей", "родных-моих", "рождения-твоего"]·ES["mi-parentela", "mi-parentela?", "parentela-tuya", "y-por-parentela-nuestra"]·SW["jamaa-yangu", "sisi", "uzazi-wangu", "ya-uzazi-wako"]·TR["akrabalarıma", "akrabalarımın", "doğduğum-yere", "doğum-yerinin", "soyumun", "ve-soyumuza"]·urd["اور-خاندان-ہمارے-کے-بارے-میں", "اپنے-رشتہ-داروں", "جنم-بھومی-اپنی", "رشتہ-داروں-میرے", "رشتہ-داروں-میرے-کی", "میرے-لوگوں-کی"]
3. offspring, those born — Offspring, children, or those born from someone—progeny in the concrete sense. Jacob tells Joseph that sons born after Ephraim and Manasseh shall be Joseph's own 'moledet' (Gen 48:6). The Holiness Code uses it for a daughter 'born of' one's father or mother (Lev 18:9, 11), distinguishing full and half-siblings. Spanish 'descendencia' captures this generative meaning. The shift from 'place of birth' to 'those whom one has birthed' is a natural metonymic extension within the yalad root family. 4×
AR["مَوْلُودَةِ", "وَمَوْلُودُكَ"]·ben["আর-তোমার-সন্তান", "জন্ম"]·DE["born-von", "und-deine-Nachkommen"]·EN["and-offspring-your", "born-of"]·FR["et-postérité-ton", "né-de"]·heb["ו-מולדתך-ך", "מולדת"]·HI["और-संतान-तेरी", "जन्मी-हुई"]·ID["dan-keturunanmu", "yang-lahir"]·IT["born-di", "e-offspring-tuo"]·jav["Lan-turun-panjenengan", "miyos-"]·KO["그리고-네-자손이", "낳은"]·PT["E-tua-progenitura", "nascida-de"]·RU["И-потомство-твоё", "рождённой"]·ES["Y-tu-descendencia", "nacida-de"]·SW["aliyezaliwa", "aliyezaliwa-na-", "na-watoto-wako"]·TR["Ve-soyluların", "doğmuş"]·urd["اور-اولاد-تیری", "پیدا-ہوئی"]
4. birth, nativity — The event or circumstances of birth itself, one's nativity or origin as an abstract concept. This rare sense appears in Ezekiel's allegory of Jerusalem's origins: 'your births and your nativity are from the land of the Canaanite' (Ezek 16:3-4), where the plural 'moldetayik' vividly evokes the sordid conditions of the city's founding. The passage personifies Jerusalem as an abandoned newborn, making 'birth' both literal and figurative. No single target-language gloss captures this—translations typically resort to paraphrase, underscoring its unique rhetorical force. 2×
AR["وَأَمَّا-مَوْلِدُكِ", "وَمَوْلِدُكِ"]·ben["আর-তোমার-জন্ম", "ও-তোমার-জন্ম"]·DE["[ומולדותיך]", "[ומלדתיך]"]·EN["and-birth-your"]·FR["[ומולדותיך]", "[ומלדתיך]"]·heb["ו-מולדותייך"]·HI["और-जन्म-तेरा"]·ID["Dan-tentang-kelahiranmu,", "dan-kelahiranmu"]·IT["[ומולדותיך]", "[ומלדתיך]"]·jav["Lan-klahiranipun", "lan-klahiranipun"]·KO["그리고-네-태생은", "그리고-네-태어남이라"]·PT["e-teu-nascimento"]·RU["и-родина-твоя", "и-рождение-твоё"]·ES["Y-nacimiento-de-ti", "y-nacimiento-de-ti"]·SW["Na-kuzaliwa-kwako", "na-kuzaliwa-kwako"]·TR["ve-doğumun"]·urd["اور-تیری-نسل", "اور-تیری-پیدائش"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H0376 1. man, person, human male (2130×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)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×)H0859a 1. you (2nd person masculine singular pronoun) (743×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† מוֹלֶ֫דֶת n.f. kindred, birth, offspring;—מ׳ cstr. Lv 18:9, 11; sf. מוֹלַדְתִּי Gn 24:4 + 3 times, etc.; pl. sf. מוֹלְדוֹתַיִךְ Ez 16:4; מֹלְדֹתַיִךְ v 3;— 1. kindred Gn 12:1 (‖ ארצך, ביתאביך), 24:4; 32:10 (‖ ארץ), Nu 10:30 (‖ id.), Gn 31:3 (‖ ארץ אבותיך), 43:7 (all J); ‖ עַם Est 2:10, 20 8:6; especially אֶרֶץ מ׳ land of one’s kindred Gn 11:28; 24:7 (both J), 31:13 (E), Je 22:10; 46:16 Ez…