H4779 H4779
rebellious, defiant; a city characterized by political insurrection and resistance to authority
This Aramaic adjective means 'rebellious,' appearing twice in Ezra 4 in the letter accusing Jerusalem. 'The rebellious city, harmful to kings' (v. 12) and 'search the book of records and you will find... this city is a rebellious city' (v. 15). The enemies of Judah petition the Persian king, claiming Jerusalem has a history of sedition and revolt. The adjective describes political rebellion, insurrection against imperial authority. The accusations had enough historical basis (Babylonian revolt) to be credible, though the letter exaggerates to prevent Jerusalem's rebuilding. The term carries legal-political weight in imperial correspondence.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Rebellious, characterized by political insurrection or defiance of authority. Ezra 4:12 accuses the returned exiles of rebuilding 'the rebellious and harmful city,' while verse 15 claims archival records will prove 'this is a rebellious city.' The Aramaic emphatic state forms (mārādā', mārādetā') function as definite descriptors: 'the rebellious one.' This is accusatory language in Persian imperial administration, where rebellion justified intervention. The charge had historical grounding in Judah's revolts against Babylon, making it rhetorically effective even if presently false. The term belongs to political-legal vocabulary, not moral or religious rebellion. 2×
AR["الْمُتَمَرِّدَةَ", "مُتَمَرِّدَةٌ"]·ben["বিদ্রোহী"]·DE["[מרדא]", "[מרדתא]"]·EN["rebellious"]·FR["[מרדא]", "[מרדתא]"]·heb["מרדא", "מרדתא"]·HI["विद्रोही"]·ID["pemberontak"]·IT["[מרדא]", "[מרדתא]"]·jav["lan-ngrisak", "mbangun"]·KO["그-반역하는", "반역하는"]·PT["a-rebelde", "rebelde"]·RU["мятежный"]·ES["rebelde"]·SW["wa-uasi"]·TR["isyankar", "isyankardir"]·urd["باغی"]
Related Senses
H3212 1. go, depart, travel (884×)H1980 1. to go, travel (Qal) (283×)G4198 1. go, proceed (physical movement) (139×)H1980 2. to walk in conduct (Qal) (132×)G0565 1. go away, depart physically (112×)H3212 2. walk in, follow a way (79×)G5217 1. go, proceed (78×)H1980 3. to walk about, traverse (Hitpael) (63×)H5162 1. comfort, console (Piel) (51×)G4043 1. conduct oneself, live (48×)G4043 2. walk physically (47×)H5162 2. relent, repent, change mind (Nifal) (35×)G3340 1. repent, change one's mind (34×)H1980 4. to walk habitually (Piel) (30×)H4546 1. highway, raised road (25×)H5637 1. be stubborn, rebellious (17×)G0391 1. conduct, way of life, behavior (13×)H3212 4. lead, bring, cause to go (13×)G1485 1. custom, habit, established practice (12×)H5162 3. be comforted, receive comfort (Nifal) (10×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [מָרָד K§ 59 d)] adj. rebellious;—of city, f. abs. מָרָדָא Ezr 4:15, emph. מָרָֽדְתָּא (K ib.) v 12.