H4805 H4805
Rebellion, defiance — stubborn resistance against God or rightful authority, especially Israel's chronic disobedience
This masculine noun (מְרִי) captures the posture of deliberate, sustained resistance against divine or legitimate authority. Ezekiel dominates its usage, branding Israel a 'house of rebellion' (בֵּית מְרִי) no fewer than thirteen times — a phrase that became almost a signature expression of his prophecy (Ezek 2:5-8; 3:9, 26-27; 12:2-3, 9, 25). Outside Ezekiel, Samuel equates rebellion with the sin of divination (1 Sam 15:23), and Moses invokes Israel's מְרִי as a standing indictment before his death (Deut 31:27). The word's consistent pairing with spiritual obstinacy across French ('rébellion') and German ('Widerspenstigkeit') underscores its core sense of willful defiance.
Senses
1. rebellion, contrariness — Masculine noun for willful rebellion against God or authority. Concentrated in Ezekiel's בֵּית מְרִי ('house of rebellion,' Ezek 2:5-8; 12:2-3; 17:12; 24:3). Samuel equates it with divination (1 Sam 15:23), Moses cites Israel's abiding מְרִי (Deut 31:27), and Proverbs warns the rebel 'seeks only evil' (Prov 17:11). German 'Widerspenstigkeit' captures its flavor of mulish defiance. 23×
AR["التَّمَرُّدُ", "التَّمَرُّدِ", "الـ-عِصْيانِ", "الْ-مُتَمَرِّدِ", "الْعِصْيَانِ", "تَمَرُّدٌ", "تَمَرُّدَكَ", "عاصِيًا", "عِصْيانٌ", "عِصْيانٍ", "عِصْيَانٍ", "مُتَمَرِّدٌ"]·ben["-বিদ্রোহের", "তোমার-বিদ্রোহ", "বিদ্রোহ", "বিদ্রোহী", "বিদ্রোহীদের", "বিদ্রোহের"]·DE["Widerspenstigkeit", "[מרי]", "dein-rebellion", "rebellion"]·EN["rebellion", "rebellious", "the-rebellion", "your-rebellion"]·FR["[מרי]", "le-rébellion", "rebellion", "rébellion", "ton-rébellion", "מרי"]·heb["ה-מרי", "מרי", "מריך"]·HI["ते-विद्रोह", "तेरा-विद्रोह", "बघवत", "विद्रोह", "विद्रोह-के", "विद्रोही"]·ID["pemberontak", "pemberontak-itu", "pemberontakan", "pemberontakanmu"]·IT["[מרי]", "il-ribellione", "rebellion", "ribellione", "tuo-rebellion"]·jav["ingkang-mbalela", "ingkang-mbangkang", "ingkang-mbrontak", "mbalela", "mbalela-punika", "pambalela-panjenengan", "pambrontak", "wangkot"]·KO["거역함이다", "그-반역의", "네-반역을", "반역", "반역을", "반역의"]·PT["a-rebelião", "rebelde", "rebelião", "tua-rebelião"]·RU["мятежа", "мятежному", "мятежные", "мятежный", "мятежным", "непокорность", "непокорность-твою"]·ES["la-rebeldía", "rebeldía", "rebelión", "tu-rebeldía"]·SW["mwasi", "uasi", "uasi-wako", "wa-uasi", "waasi", "ya-uasi"]·TR["ev", "isyan", "isyankar", "isyankârlara", "isyanın", "isyanını"]·urd["باغی", "باغی-کے", "باغیوں-کے", "بغاوت", "بغاوت-والے", "بغاوت-کا", "تیرے-بغاوت", "سرکشوں", "سرکشی"]
Num 17:10, Deut 31:27, 1 Sam 15:23, Neh 9:17, Job 23:2, Prov 17:11, Isa 30:9, Ezek 2:5, Ezek 2:6, Ezek 2:7, Ezek 2:8, Ezek 2:8 (+11 more)
Related Senses
H4421 1. war, battle, armed conflict (319×)H0341 1. enemy, adversary, foe (284×)H3898a 1. Nifal: to fight, wage war (167×)H2026 1. kill, slay (active) (146×)H2451 1. wisdom, discernment (146×)H5483b 1. horse (the animal) (138×)H0006 1. to perish, be destroyed (105×)H7843 1. Hifil: destroy, annihilate (83×)H2491a 1. slain, fatally pierced (74×)H6862c 1. adversary, enemy, foe (69×)H8045 1. destroy, exterminate (69×)G0615 1. kill, put to death (60×)H6571b 1. horseman, cavalryman (52×)H8077a 1. desolation, waste (abstract state) (52×)G4678 1. of wisdom (51×)G4717 1. crucify, fasten to a cross (46×)H2763a 1. utterly destroy (Hifil active) (44×)G0622 1. perish, be destroyed (intransitive) (41×)H0006 2. to destroy, annihilate (Piel) (38×)H8074 1. be desolate, lie waste (36×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† מְרִי n.m. Pr 17:11 rebellion;—מְרִי Is 30:9 + 10 times; מֶ֑רִי Nu 17:25 + 9 times; sf. מֶרְיְךָ Dt 31:27; מִרְיָם Ne 9:17;—rebellion Dt 31:27 1 S 15:23 Ne 9:17 Jb 23:2 עם מרי rebellious people Is 30:9; בית (ה)מרי rebellious house (referring to Israel) Ez 2:5, 6, 8; 3:9, 26, 27; 12:2(×2), 3, 9, 25; 17:12; 24:3, בית omitted (restored by Co) 2:7; 44:6; בְּנֵי מרי rebellious sons Nu 17:25 (P);…