H4844 H4844
Bitter herbs eaten with the Passover meal, symbolizing slavery's bitterness
These are the bitter plants—likely endive, chicory, or similar greens—commanded to be eaten with the Passover lamb as a memorial of Israel's bitter slavery in Egypt. The instruction appears in both Exodus 12 and Numbers 9, linking the physical taste of bitterness to the remembered experience of oppression. Lamentations uses the term metaphorically, describing God's judgment as being sated with 'bitter herbs'—suffering that fills the mouth with bitterness. The herbs serve as edible memory, taste encoding history.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Bitter herbs required for Passover. Exodus 12:8 commands: 'they shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it.' Numbers 9:11 repeats the requirement for the second Passover. Lamentations 3:15 uses it figuratively: 'He has filled me with bitterness; he has sated me with bitter herbs'—describing affliction as forced consumption of bitterness. The Spanish 'hierbas amargas' and French 'herbes amères' preserve the dual botanical and memorial significance. 3×
AR["أَعْشَابٍ-مُرَّةٍ", "بِالْمَرَارَاتِ", "وَ-مُرٍّ"]·ben["এবং-তেতো-শাক", "তিক্ত-জিনিসে", "তিক্ত-শাকের"]·DE["[במרורים]", "bitter-herbs", "und-bitter-herbs"]·EN["and-bitter-herbs", "bitter-herbs", "with-bitterness"]·FR["[במרורים]", "amer-herbes", "et-bitter-herbs"]·heb["ב-מרורים", "ו-מררים", "מרורים"]·HI["और-कड़वी-जड़ियों", "कड़वी-जड़ियों", "कड़वे-चीजों-से"]·ID["dan-sayuran-pahit", "dengan-hal-hal-pahit", "sayuran-pahit"]·IT["[במרורים]", "amaro-herbs", "e-amaro-herbs"]·jav["kanthi-pait", "lan-jangan-pait", "rerambanan-pait"]·KO["그리고-쓴나물들", "쓴-것들-로", "쓴-나물과"]·PT["de-amarguras", "e-ervas-amargas", "ervas-amargas"]·RU["горечами", "горькими-травами", "и-горькими-травами"]·ES["de-amarguras", "hierbas-amargas", "y-hierbas-amargas"]·SW["kwa-uchungu", "mimea-michungu", "na-mimea-michungu"]·TR["acı-otlar", "acılar-ile", "ve-acı-otlarla"]·urd["اور-کڑوی-جڑیوں", "کڑواہٹ-سے", "کڑوی-جڑیوں"]
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
† [מָרֹר] n.m. bitter thing, bitter herb (cf. NH id., bitter herb; on form v. BaNB 194);—only pl. מְרֹרִים Ex 12:8; Nu 9:11, מְרוֹרִים La 3:15;—bitter herbs, in Passover meal Ex 12:8; Nu 9:11 (both P); cf. הִשְׂבִּיעַנִי בַּמּ׳ La 3:15, fig. of distress inflicted (‖ לַעֲנָה).