† [מַרְפֵּשׂ ?] n.[m. H4833
Fouled or muddied, describing water made turbid by trampling, particularly by livestock
This rare term appears in Ezekiel 34:19, where God rebukes Israel's shepherds (leaders) for their exploitation. The sheep must eat what the shepherds have trampled and drink what they have fouled with their feet. The imagery is vivid: selfish leaders consume the best resources and ruin what remains, leaving the flock with muddied water and trampled pasture. The term specifically describes the turbid, polluted state of water churned up by feet. This metaphor for corrupt leadership resonates across cultures—those in power often enjoy the best while leaving the vulnerable with degraded, insufficient resources.
Senses
1. sense 1 — An adjective or verbal form meaning fouled, muddied, or made turbid, specifically of water churned up and polluted by trampling. Ezekiel 34:19 uses this in a powerful metaphor condemning corrupt leadership: while the shepherds (rulers) enjoy clean water and good pasture, the flock must drink what has been "fouled" by the leaders' feet. The term captures both the physical state (murky, sediment-stirred water) and the moral offense (leaders consuming the best and ruining the rest). This image of muddied water becomes a vivid symbol of exploitative power dynamics. 1×
AR["وَمُعَكِّرَ"]·ben["আর-ঘোলা-করা"]·DE["[ומרפש]"]·EN["and-fouled-of"]·FR["et-eau-trouble"]·heb["ו-מרפש"]·HI["पैरों"]·ID["dan-kekeruhan"]·IT["[ומרפש]"]·jav["lan-endhut-ing"]·KO["그리고-흐린-것을"]·PT["e-turvar-de"]·RU["и-замутнённое"]·ES["y-lo-enturbiado-de"]·SW["na-yaliyochafiliwa-kwa"]·TR["ve-bulanığı"]·urd["اور-گندلا-ہوا"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [מַרְפֵּשׂ ?] n.[m.