מַדּוּחַ
𐤌𐤃𐤅𐤇
maddûwach
H4065 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Something that causes a person or group to stray, be banished, or driven away; an inducement to apostasy or rejection, especially referring to that which leads the Israelites to forsake their covenant obligations. The term denotes both the act of causing to be expelled, as well as the source or instrument of such seduction or alienation.
Semantic Range
cause of banishment, instigator of expulsion, source of seduction to apostasy, means of leading astray, inducement to depart (from covenantal faith)
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root נדח (nadach), which means 'to push away, drive off, banish, scatter.' The form מַדּוּחַ (maddûwach) is a noun of instrument or result, denoting 'that which causes banishment' or 'means of casting away.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
מַדּוּחַ appears only in Deuteronomistic literature (notably Deut 13:6, 13:14), where it refers to persons or things that incite others to abandon devotion to YHWH, functioning as a cause for expulsion from the community. In these contexts, it is used for individuals or entities who entice others toward foreign worship, resulting in social and sometimes physical expulsion. The emphasis is on communal solidarity against internal subversion rather than seduction in a sexual or romantic sense. English translations commonly use 'seducer,' 'instigator,' or 'cause of banishment,' none of which fully capture the word's nuance: it indicates both active deception and the resultant alienation. The concept rests on maintaining covenant faithfulness and community integrity. Distinct from other terms for seduction (such as פתה pithah, 'to entice') in that מַדּוּחַ centers more on expulsion or alienation as the outcome. In later periods, this root is used more broadly for exile and dispersion, but the nominal form here remains rare.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from נָדַח; seduction; cause of banishment.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
נדח (n-d-ḥ) — drive away, scatter, banish
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H5080 | נָדַח | I will drive them away |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4065-01 |
וּ/מַדּוּחִֽים | umaduchim | HC/Ncmpa |
and misleading | and banishment-causers | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4065-01 |
Lamentations 2:14 | וּ/מַדּוּחִֽים | umaduchim | HC/Ncmpa |
and misleading | and banishment-causers |