H4801 H4801
distant place, distance — remoteness or far-off regions, often in the phrase 'from afar'
Merchaq is a noun denoting distance, remoteness, or a distant place, appearing 17 times predominantly in the prophetic literature. Its most characteristic construction is the prepositional phrase mimmerchaq ('from afar'), which signals the approach of menacing foreign powers or the far reach of divine attention. Isaiah uses it to introduce invading armies: 'He lifts a signal for a nation from afar' (Isa 5:26), and 'they come from a distant land, from the end of the heavens' (Isa 13:5; 46:11). Jeremiah echoes the threat: 'I am bringing a nation against you from afar' (Jer 4:16; 5:15; 6:20). Yet the same word also carries a note of wonder and provision: the excellent wife of Proverbs 31:14 'brings her food from afar,' and the good news from a distant land is 'like cold water to a thirsty soul' (Prov 25:25). Psalm 138:6 uses it theologically — 'though the LORD is exalted, he regards the lowly, but the haughty he knows from afar.' Isaiah 33:17 promises that faithful eyes will 'behold a land of far distances,' a vision of expansive peace. Zechariah 10:9 scatters Israel 'among distant peoples' but promises regathering. Spanish 'lejos/lejania,' French 'loin,' and German 'Ferne' all capture both the spatial and the figurative weight.
Senses
1. distant place, distance — A distant place or remoteness, used concretely for far-off lands and abstractly for spatial or relational distance. Most frequently appears in the prepositional phrase mimmerchaq ('from afar'), introducing invading armies summoned from distant nations (Isa 5:26; 10:3; 13:5; 30:27; 46:11; Jer 4:16; 5:15; 6:20) or expressing divine knowledge across vast distance (Ps 138:6). Also used positively for provision that comes from far away (Prov 25:25; 31:14) and for the expansive land of eschatological promise (Isa 33:17). Zechariah 10:9 speaks of Israel scattered 'in distant places' yet remembered by God. Ezekiel 23:40 uses it for seductive alliances with faraway peoples. Spanish 'lejania,' French 'loin,' and German 'Ferne' confirm the unified spatial sense. 17×
AR["أَبعَادِ-", "بَعِيدَةً", "بَعِيدَةٍ", "مِنْ-بَعيدٍ", "مِنْ-بَعِيدٍ", "مِنْ-بُعْدٍ", "وَفِي-الْبَعِيدَةِ"]·ben["-দূর-থেকে", "-দূরের", "এবং-দূরে", "দূর-থেকে", "দূরবর্তী-", "দূরে-থেকে", "দূরের"]·DE["Ferne", "[ובמרחקים]", "[ממרחק]", "[מרחק]", "von-afar"]·EN["among-the-peoples", "distance", "far-away", "far-places-of-", "far-stretching", "from-afar", "from-distance", "the-distance"]·FR["de-loin", "de-ממרחק", "et-loin", "loin", "מרחק"]·heb["ה-מרחק", "ו-ב-ה-מרחקים", "מ-מרחק", "מרחק", "מרחקי-", "מרחקים"]·HI["और-में-दूरों", "दूर", "दूर-", "दूर-के", "दूर-से", "दूरियों-की", "से-दूर"]·ID["dan-di-tempat-tempat-jauh", "dari-jauh", "dari-kejauhan", "jauh", "ujung-ujung-", "yang-jauh"]·IT["[ובמרחקים]", "[ממרחק]", "da-da-afar", "far-via", "lontananza"]·jav["ingkang-tebih", "lan-ing-tebih", "saking-tebih", "tebih", "tebih-tebih-"]·KO["-먼-곳에서", "그-먼", "그리고-먼-곳들에서", "먼", "먼-것의", "먼-곳들아", "먼-곳들의", "먼-곳에서", "멀리", "멀리-에서", "멀리서", "에서-먼-곳에서"]·PT["a-distância", "de-longe", "distante", "distância", "distâncias", "e-nas-distâncias", "longes-de"]·RU["вдаль", "дальней", "дальние-", "дальних", "далёкой", "и-в-дальних-краях", "издалека"]·ES["de-lejanías", "de-lejos", "desde-lejos", "lejana", "lejana?", "lejanía", "lejanías", "tierras-lejanas-de", "y-en-los-lugares-lejanos"]·SW["kutoka-mbali", "kwa-mbali", "mbali", "mbali-za", "na-mbali", "ya-mbali"]·TR["-den-uzaktan", "uzak", "uzaklarinda-", "uzakliklarin", "uzaktan", "uzaktan-", "ve-uzak-yerlerde"]·urd["اور-دُور-دراز-مقاموں-میں", "دور", "دور-دراز", "دور-سے", "دور-کی", "دُور-سے", "دُور-کی", "سے-دور"]
Related Senses
H8033 1. There (locative adverb) (835×)H7760a 1. put, place, set physically (444×)H8064 1. heavens / sky (329×)H5439 1. around, all around (spatial) (319×)H4057b 1. wilderness, desert region (270×)H3220 1. sea, body of water (269×)H0520a 1. cubit (unit of length) (246×)H0127 1. ground, land (territory) (210×)H3383 1. Jordan River (proper noun) (183×)G1093 1. earth, the world (176×)H5800a 1. forsake, abandon (Qal active) (166×)H8121 1. sun (celestial body) (133×)H7126 1. offer, present sacrificially (122×)H6828 1. north, cardinal direction (120×)H2351 1. outside, exterior space (119×)H5104 1. river, stream (119×)H7341 1. width, breadth (101×)G1563 1. there (95×)H7126 2. draw near, approach (95×)G2281 1. sea, large body of water (91×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† מֶרְחָק n.m. distant place, distance;—abs. מ׳ Is 10:3 +, מֶרְחַק ψ 138:6; pl. מֶרְחַקִּים Zc 10:9, מַר׳ Is 33:17; Je 8:19, cstr. מֶרְחַקֵּי־ Is 8:9;—distant place, far country Is 8:9 Zc 10:9; often c. צֶרֶץ: א׳ (ה)מֶרְחָק land of distance, distant land Is 13:5; 46:11; Je 4:16; 6:20; Pr 25:25, so c. pl. א׳ מרחקים Je 8:19, land of distances, i.e. of wide extent, Is 33:17; מִמּ׳ from far Is 10:3;…