H4796 H4796
Maroth, a town in Judah mentioned in Micah's prophetic lament over cities facing Assyrian invasion
Maroth appears only in Micah 1:12, part of a prophetic wordplay sequence naming Judean towns in the path of Assyrian invasion. The prophet says the inhabitants "wait anxiously for good," but disaster comes instead. The name likely derives from the root for "bitterness," creating an ironic pun: the people of "Bitterness-ville" hope for sweetness but receive calamity. These town names in Micah 1 form a powerful poetic device, with sound and meaning reinforcing the prophet's message of coming judgment.
Senses
1. sense 1 — A town in the Shephelah (lowland) of Judah, mentioned in Micah's prophecy against cities threatened by Assyrian invasion (circa 701 BC). The name appears in a passage employing wordplays on town names—Maroth probably derives from a root meaning "bitter," creating tension with the inhabitants' vain hope for good. The Septuagint's "Odunōn" (pains/griefs) reflects this etymology. Cross-linguistic consistency (Maroth/Marot) preserves the proper name. 1×
AR["مَارُوتَ"]·ben["মারোতের"]·DE["von-Rut"]·EN["Maroth"]·FR["Maroth"]·heb["מרות"]·HI["मारोत-की"]·ID["Marot"]·IT["[מרות]"]·jav["Marot"]·KO["마롯"]·PT["Marot"]·RU["Марота"]·ES["Marot"]·SW["Marothi"]·TR["Marot'un"]·urd["ماروت"]
Related Senses
G3588 1. definite article (18298×)H0853 1. definite direct object marker (10915×)G2532 1. (8312×)H3068 1. YHWH (the divine name) (6522×)H0834a 1. relative pronoun (who/which/that) (4839×)H3588a 1. causal: because, for (3498×)G1161 1. and (2806×)H3478 1. Israel (proper name and nation) (2507×)G4771 1. you (plural address) (1853×)H1931 1. personal pronoun he/she/it (1431×)G3739 1. relative pronoun who/which/that (1149×)H1732 1. David (proper name) (1075×)H2088 1. this, this one (demonstrative) (1059×)G1063 1. (1047×)G3778 1. this thing, these things (1003×)H???? 2. (1002×)G2424 1. (924×)G3754 1. that (content clause) (881×)H2009 1. presentative particle: behold, look (881×)H0589 1. I (first person singular pronoun) (874×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† מָרוֹת n.pr.loc. in (Shephelah of) Judah Mi 1:12; form attested by 𝔊 ���δύνας (√ מרר).