H4784 H4784
To be rebellious, contentious, or disobedient; to defy authority, especially God's commands; also bitter provocation.
Marah is the Hebrew Bible's primary verb for defiant rebellion against divine authority. Its Qal form captures the raw act of disobedience — a son who is 'stubborn and rebellious' (Deut 21:18), Israel defying God at Meribah. The Hifil intensifies this into active provocation, deliberately goading God to anger. Arabic maraa ('to dispute') and Syriac Pa'el 'contend with' preserve the adversarial core, but Hebrew expands the range into deeper theological indictment: covenantal treachery. A peripheral sense surfaces in Lam 1:20 and 1 Sam 30:6, where the root shades into bitter grief — the same consonants that spell 'rebellion' also evoke the bitterness that drives it.
1. rebel against, provoke to anger (Hifil) — The causative Hifil sense: to rebel against, provoke to anger, actively defy a superior authority. This is the most frequent cluster (18 occurrences), concentrated in Deuteronomy and the historical books where Israel's rebellions are catalogued. In Deut 1:26 and 1:43 Israel refuses to go up and then presumptuously attacks — both acts of marah against Yahweh's explicit command. Spanish rebelarse and French se rebeller both select active-defiance vocabulary, while German widerspenstig ('obstinate, refractory') captures the willful quality. The Hifil causative force means this is not passive disobedience but deliberate provocation. 18×
AR["أَمَرّوا","تَتَمَرَّدُوا","تَمَرَّدوا-على","تَمَرَّدُوا-عَلَيْهِ","فَ-تَمَرَّدُوا","فَـ-تَمَرَّدَ-","فَـ-تَمَرَّدُوا-","لِيَتَمَرَّدُوا-عَلَى","لِيُمَرِّدُوا","وَ-بَدَّلَتْ","وَ-تَمَرَّدوا","وَ-عَصَيْتُمْ","وَتَمَرَّدُوا-عَلَى","وَعَصَيْتُمْ","يَتَمَرَّدونَ","يَتَمَرَّدُ"]·ben["-বিদ্রোহ-করতে","আর-বিদ্রোহ-করল","আর-সে-বিদ্রোহ-করেছে","এবং-তারা-বিদ্রোহ-করেছিল","এবং-তোমরা-বিদ্রোহ-করেছিলে","এবং-বিদ্রোহ-করলে","কিন্তু-বিদ্রোহ-করল-","তারা-তাঁকে-বিদ্রোহ-করেছিল","তারা-বিদ্রোহ-করেছিল","বিদ্রোহ-করত","বিদ্রোহ-করতে-","বিদ্রোহ-করবে"]·DE["[וימרו]","[ותמר]","[למרות]","du-wird-empoere-dich","rebelled","rebels-gegen","sie-embittered","sie-rebelled-gegen","sie-rebelled-gegen-ihn","und-du-lehnte-sich-auf","und-rebelled-gegen","und-sie-rebelled","und-widersetzte-sich","zu-sich-empören-gegen"]·EN["and-rebelled-","and-rebelled-against","and-she-rebelled","and-they-disobeyed","and-they-rebelled","and-they-rebelled-","and-you-rebelled","rebelled","rebels-against","they-embittered","they-rebelled-against","they-rebelled-against-him","to-rebel","to-rebel-against","you-will-rebel"]·FR["[וימרו]","et-se-rebeller","et-tu-se-rebella","le-se-rebeller","se-rebelle-contre","se-rebeller","tu-fera-rebelle","à-se-rebeller"]·heb["המרו","ו-ימרו","ו-ימרו־","ו-תמר","ו-תמרו","ימרה","ימרו","ימרוהו","ל-מרות","תמרו"]·HI["-के-लिए-विद्रोह-करना","उन्होंने-विद्रोह-किया-उससे","और-उसने-बदला","और-विद्रोह-किया","और-विद्रोह-किया-","और-विद्रोह-किया-तुमने","और-वे-विद्रोही-हुए","परन्तु-अवज्ञा-करने-लगे","विद्रोह-करने","विद्रोह-करे","विद्रोह-करोगे","विद्रोही-थे","वे-विद्रोही-हुए"]·ID["Dan-dia-memberontak","dan-kamu-memberontak","dan-memberontak","dan-memberontak-terhadap","dan-mereka-memberontak","memberontak","memberontak-terhadap","mereka-memberontak","mereka-memberontak-terhadap-Nya","untuk-memberontak","untuk-memberontak-terhadap"]·IT["[וימרו]","[ותמר]","e-si-ribello'","e-tu-si-ribello","rebels-contro","ribellarsi","si-ribello'","tu-vorrà-ribellati"]·jav["Lan-punika-ngéwahi","Nanging-piyambakipun-mbalela-","Nanging-sami-mbalela","kangge-mbalela","lan-panjenengan-mbalela","lan-panjenengan-sadaya-mbalela","lan-sami-mbalela","mbalela","saha-tiyang-tiyang-mbalela","sami-mbalela","supados-mbalela","tiyang-tiyang-mbalela-dhateng-Panjenengan"]·KO["거역하는-것이라","거역하면","거역하였음이니","거역하였음이라","거역한다면","그러나-반항했다","그리고-거역하였다","그리고-거역하였도다-너희가","그리고-너희가-거역하였다","그리고-반역하였나이다","그리고-반역했다-","반역하였나이다","반항하기-를","반항하였나이다","반항하였는가-그-에게"]·PT["E-foram-rebeldes","E-rebelou","e-rebelaram-se-","e-rebelastes-vos","e-se-rebelaram","e-se-rebelaram-contra","irritaram","para-rebelão-contra","rebelando-se-contra","rebelardes","se-rebelar","se-rebelaram","se-rebelaram-contra","se-rebelaram-contra-ele"]·RU["-огорчили","Но-огорчили","будете-противиться","воспротивится","и-воспротивились-вы","и-восстала","и-восстали","и-противились","и-противились-вы","противились","противились-Ему","противиться","чтобы-раздражать"]·ES["Y-se-rebelaron","Y-se-rebeló","lo-provocaron","os-rebeláis","para-rebelarse","para-rebelarse-contra","se-rebelaban","se-rebelaron-contra","se-rebele","y-os-rebelasteis","y-se-rebelaron","y-se-rebelaron-contra"]·SW["Na-wakaasi","kumka","kumkasirisha","kumwasi","lakini-mliasi","lakini-wakaasi","mtaasi","mwasi","na-imeasi","na-wakamwasi","na-waliasi","waliasi","walimwasi","waliudhi"]·TR["isyan-eder","isyan-ederek","isyan-ederseniz","isyan-ettiler","isyan-ettirdiler","isyan-icin","ve-asioldular","ve-değiştirdi","ve-isyan-ettiler","ve-isyan-ettiniz"]·urd["اور-باغی-ہوئے","اور-بغاوت-کی","اور-سرکشی-کی-","اور-سرکشی-کی-تم-نے","اور-وہ-باغی-ہوئے","اُنہوں-نے-بغاوت-کی","باغی-ہوئے","باغی-ہوتے","بغاوت-کرنے","بغاوت-کرو-گے","سرکشی-کرے","لِ-بغاوت-کرنے","و-اُس-نے-بدلا","وہ-باغی-ہوئے"]
Deut 1:26, Deut 1:43, Deut 9:23, Josh 1:18, 1 Sam 12:14, Neh 9:26, Ps 78:17, Ps 78:40, Ps 78:56, Ps 106:7, Ps 106:33, Ps 106:43 (+6 more)
▼ 4 more senses below
Senses
2. rebel, be disobedient (Qal) — The basic Qal finite sense: to rebel, be disobedient, act in defiance of authority. Covering 15 occurrences across all Qal conjugations, this is the unmarked rebellion sense without the intensifying causative nuance. In Num 20:24 and 27:14 Moses and Aaron 'rebelled against' God's command at Meribah; in 1 Kgs 13:21 and 13:26 the man of God 'disobeyed' the word of the LORD. Spanish fui rebelde ('I was rebellious') and French se rebeller both treat this as straightforward disobedience. The distinction from sense 1 is grammatical (Qal vs. Hifil) but also semantic — the Qal describes the act of rebellion itself, while the Hifil foregrounds the provocation of the authority. 15×
AR["أَتَمَرَّدْ","تَمَرَّدَت","تَمَرَّدَتْ","تَمَرَّدُوا","عَصَوا","عَصَى","عَصَيْتَ","عَصَيْتُ","عَصَيْتُمَا","عَصَيْتُمْ","وَ-تَتَمَرَّدُوا","وَ-تَمَرَّدتُم","وَتَمَرَّدْنَا"]·ben["আর-বিদ্রোহ-করবে","এবং-বিদ্রোহ-করেছি","ও-বিদ্রোহ-করো","তারা-বিদ্রোহ-করল","তারা-বিদ্রোহ-করেছে","তোমরা-বিদ্রোহ-করেছ","বিদ্রোহ-করল","বিদ্রোহ-করেছ","বিদ্রোহ-করেছি-আমি","বিদ্রোহ-করেছিলাম","বিদ্রোহ-করেছিলে","বিদ্রোহ-করেছে","সে-বিদ্রোহী-হয়েছে"]·DE["[ומריתם]","[מרו]","[מריתי]","[מרתה]","du-empoerte-sich-gegen","du-lehnte-sich-auf","du-lehnte-sich-auf-gegen","empoerte-sich-gegen","sie-haben-rebelled","sie-rebelled","und-du-wird-empoere-dich","und-widersetzte-sich","widersetzte-sich"]·EN["I-rebelled","I-rebelled-against","and-rebel","and-rebelled","and-you-will-rebel","rebelled","rebelled-against","she-has-rebelled","she-has-rebelled-against","they-have-rebelled","they-rebelled","you-rebelled","you-rebelled-against"]·FR["de-se-rebeller","et-se-rebeller","et-tu-fera-rebelle","j'ai-été-rebelle","se-rebella-contre","se-rebeller","tu-se-rebella","tu-se-rebella-contre"]·heb["ו-מרינו","ו-מריתם","מרה","מרו","מרית","מריתי","מריתם","מרתה"]·HI["उसने-विद्रोह-किया","और-विद्रोह-करो","और-विद्रोह-करोगे","और-विद्रोह-किया","तुमने-विद्रोह-किया","मैंने-बगावत-की","विद्रोह-किया","विद्रोह-किया-उसने","विद्रोह-किया-तूने","विद्रोही-हुए","विरोध-किया-तुमने","वे-विद्रोही-हुए"]·ID["aku-memberontak","dan-kamu-memberontak-terhadap","dan-melawan","dan-memberontak","dia-memberontak","engkau-memberontak","kamu-memberontak","memberontak","memberontak-kamu","mereka-memberontak"]·IT["[מרתה]","e-ribellarsi","e-tu-vorrà-ribellati","ribellarsi","si-ribello'","si-ribellò-contro","tu-si-ribello","tu-si-ribello-contro","tu-si-ribellò-contro"]·jav["kawula-sampun-mbalela","kawula-sampun-nglawan","lan-mbalela","mbalela","mbangkang","panjenengan-sami-mbalela","piyambakipun-mbalela","piyambakipun-sampun-mbalela","sami-mbalela","sampun-mbangkang"]·KO["거역하였고","거역하였도다","거역했다","그리고-거역한다면","그리고-반역했네","내-가-거역했네","너희가-반역했다","반역하면","반역하였느니라","반역했나이다","반역했다","반역했다-그녀가","반역했다-너희가"]·PT["e-rebelamos","e-rebelardes","eu-rebelei","me-rebelei","rebelaste","rebelastes","rebelou","rebelou-se","se-rebelaram"]·RU["-воспротивились","воспротивились-вы","воспротивился","восстала","восстали","и-будете-противиться","и-воспротивитесь","и-восстали","противились-вы","противился","противился-ты","я-ослушалась"]·ES["fui-rebelde","me-rebelé","os-rebelasteis","os-rebelasteis-contra","se-rebelaron","se-rebeló","te-rebelaste","y-nos-rebelamos","y-os-rebeláis"]·SW["aliasi","imeasi","kaidi","mliasi","mlivyoasi","mwasi","na-kuasi","na-mtaasi","nimeasi","umeasi","umeuasi","waliasi","wameasi"]·TR["başkaldırdılar","isyan-etti","isyan-ettiler","isyan-ettim","isyan-ettin","isyan-ettiniz","karşı-geldiler","ve-başkaldırdık","ve-isyan-ederseniz"]·urd["اور-بغاوت-کرو","اور-بغاوت-کرو-گے","اور-سرکشی-کی","اُس-نے-بغاوت-کی","اُنہوں-نے-بغاوت-کی","باغی-ہوئے","باغی-ہوئے-تم","بغاوت-کی","تو-نے-نافرمانی-کی","سرکش-ہوا","سرکشی-کی-میں-نے","نافرمانی-کی","وہ-باغی-ہوئے"]
Num 20:24, Num 27:14, 1 Sam 12:15, 1 Kgs 13:21, 1 Kgs 13:26, Ps 5:10, Ps 105:28, Isa 1:20, Isa 50:5, Isa 63:10, Jer 4:17, Lam 1:18 (+3 more)
3. rebellious, defiant (Qal participle) — The Qal participial/adjectival sense: rebellious, defiant — used substantively to characterize persons or communities as inherently rebel. Five occurrences, including the memorable legal formula ben sorer umoreh ('a stubborn and rebellious son,' Deut 21:18, 20) and the exasperated address to Israel as hamnmorim ('you rebels!') in Num 20:10. Spanish los rebeldes and French rebelle both nominalize the adjective, confirming that cross-linguistically this functions as a characterizing label rather than an event description. Ps 78:8 and Jer 5:23 extend this to describe Israel's national character across generations. 5×
AR["أَيُّهَا-الْمُتَمَرِّدُونَ","وَ-عَاصٍ","وَعَاصٍ","وَمُتَمَرِّدًا"]·ben["এবং-বিদ্রোহী","এবং-বিপ্লবী","বিদ্রোহীরা"]·DE["[ומורה]","der-rebels","und-rebellious","und-widerspenstig"]·EN["and-rebellious","the-rebels"]·FR["et-de-se-rebeller","et-rebelle","et-se-rebeller","le-rebels"]·heb["ה-מרים","ו-מורה"]·HI["और-विद्रोही","हे-विद्रोहियो"]·ID["dan-memberontak","orang-orang-pemberontak"]·IT["e-ribellarsi","e-ribelle","e-si-ribello'","il-rebels"]·jav["lan-mbalela","para-tiyang-pambalela","saha-wangkot"]·KO["그-반역자들아","그리고-반역하는","그리고-반항하는","반항하는"]·PT["e-contumaz","os-rebeldes"]·RU["и-мятежное","и-мятежный","и-непокорное","мятежники"]·ES["los-rebeldes","y-contenciosa","y-contumaz"]·SW["na-muasi","na-mwasi","na-uasi","waasi"]·TR["isyancılar","ve-asi","ve-isyankar"]·urd["اور-باغی","اور-باغی-ہے","اور-سرکش","باغیو"]
4. bitter, bitterness — A stative/adjectival sense: bitter, bitterness, bitter provocation. Four occurrences where the root overlaps with or borrows coloring from the related root marar ('to be bitter'). In 1 Sam 30:6 David is 'bitter of soul'; in 2 Kgs 14:26 Israel's affliction is 'very bitter'; in Lam 1:20 the infinitive absolute maro intensifies Jerusalem's grief. Spanish amarga/amargamente ('bitter/bitterly') and German bitter confirm that translators recognize this as a distinct semantic zone. The connection between rebellion and bitterness is not accidental — the place-name Marah (Exod 15:23) and this verb share the same consonantal root, and biblical theology often treats disobedience as a bitter draught. 4×
AR["مَرَارَةً","مُرًّا","مُرَّت","وَ-فِي-مَرَارَاتِهِمْ"]·ben["এবং-তাদের-তিক্ততায়","তিক্ত","তিক্ত-ছিল","তিক্তভাবে"]·DE["bitter","und-widersetzte-sich","widersetzte-sich"]·EN["and-in-their-provocations","bitter","rebelling"]·FR["amer","et-être-rebelle-eux","se-rebeller"]·heb["ו-ב-המרותם","מר","מרה","מרו"]·HI["और-उनकी-कड़वाहटों-में","कड़वाहट-से","कड़वी","कदवि-थि"]·ID["dan-dalam-kepahitan-mereka","pahit","sangat"]·IT["amaro","e-in-e-in-loro-provocations-loro","ribellarsi"]·jav["lan-ing-pahit-nipun","pait","sanget","sedhih"]·KO["그리고-그들의-쓴-것에","쓰디쓰게","쓰라렸다","쓴"]·PT["amarga","e-em-sua-provocação","rebeldemente"]·RU["горько","горькое","и-на-огорчениях-их","огорчилась"]·ES["amarga","amargamente","y-en-sus-provocaciones"]·SW["kuasi","na-uchungu-wao","uchungu","yenye-uchungu"]·TR["acı","isyan","ve-acılarında"]·urd["اور-اُن-کی-تلخیوں-میں","بہت-تلخ","تلخ","تلخی-سے"]
5. sense 5 — Persistent characterization of Israel as rebellious — three occurrences in Deut 9:7, 9:24, and 31:27 where the participle or adjective mamrim functions as a summary label for Israel's chronic disposition toward God. These are not narrating a single act of rebellion but describing an enduring national trait. Spanish rebeldes and German widerspenstig both select habitual-character vocabulary. Moses' farewell speech in Deut 31:27 is particularly striking: 'I know your rebellion (meriyekha) and your stiff neck — while I am still alive with you today you have been rebellious (mamrim) against the LORD.' The evidence suggests this is a specialized rhetorical-summary usage of the participial form rather than a new semantic sense per se, but the consistent Deuteronomic clustering warrants separate treatment. 3×
AR["مُتَمَرِّدِينَ"]·ben["বিদ্রোহকারী","বিদ্রোহী"]·DE["widerspenstig"]·EN["rebellious"]·FR["rebelle"]·heb["ממרים"]·HI["विद्रोही"]·ID["Memberontak","memberontak"]·IT["ribelle"]·jav["Mbalela","mbalela"]·KO["반역하는-자들","반역하는-자들이다"]·PT["Rebeldes","rebeldes"]·RU["Противящимися","непокорными","противящимися"]·ES["Rebeldes","rebeldes"]·SW["Waasi","mkiasi","waasi"]·TR["isyankarlar"]·urd["باغی","سرکش"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† מָרָה vb. be contentious, refractory, rebellious (NH id., Hiph.; Arabic مَرَىَ iii. dispute with; Syriac ܡܰܪܺܝ Pa. contend with);— Qal Pf. 3 ms. מָרָה 1 K 13:26; f. מָֽרְתָה Ho 14:1; מָרָ֑תָה Je 4:17; 2 ms. מָרִיתָ 1 K 13:21 + 11 times pf.; Inf. abs. מָרוֹ La 1:20; Pt. מֹרֶה 2 K 14:26 (but read מר, √ מרר, Kmp Kau כִּי מַר הוּא); מוֹרֶה Dt 21:18 + 3 times; f. מֹרְאָה Zp 3:1 (read מֹרָה; metapl.…