מָוֶת
𐤌𐤅𐤕
mâveth
H4194 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Death; the cessation of life, whether by natural or violent means. Also denotes the state or condition of being dead and, by extension, the abstract idea or realm of death. In poetic and prophetic literature, māveth can personify death as a force or power. The word may also refer to pestilence or catastrophic destruction in metaphorical contexts. It is not confined merely to biological death but expresses the resulting state, the realm associated with it, and, at times, the power that death represents.
Semantic Range
death (as event), state of being dead, the realm or domain of death, destructive plague or pestilence, divine or judicial death sentence, personification of death, collective dead
Root / Etymology
Root מוּת (mût), 'to die.' מָוֶת is a noun formation from this root, with the -ֶת (et/eth) nominalizing ending. While the root signifies the action 'to die,' the noun conveys the resulting state, process, or abstract condition of death, or collective dead.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In classical Hebrew texts, מָוֶת appears in reference to individual mortality (e.g., Gen 21:16), collective death (e.g., Exod 10:17), and the power or realm of death (e.g., Job 28:22; Ps 18:5). In poetic books, such as Job and Psalms, 'māveth' can be personified, depicted as an active agent or domain (e.g., 'cords of death,' Ps 18:5). In wisdom literature, it often functions as the ultimate fate or an antithesis to life and wisdom. The term sometimes appears in prophetic or legal contexts as a penalty (e.g., 'sentence of death'). The Septuagint often translates מָוֶת as θάνατος, which later acquired broader philosophical overtones in Hellenistic contexts. In later Rabbinic Hebrew and post-biblical literature, the concept expands but retains its core association with mortality and the transition from life. The KJV renders the word as 'death,' but modern readers should note its broader figurative uses beyond the mere ending of biological life. Differentiated from related words such as שְׁאוֹל (Sheol), which more specifically denotes the underworld or abode of the dead rather than the process or state of dying.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from מוּת; death (natural or violent); concretely, the dead, their place or state (hades); figuratively, pestilence, ruin; (be) dead(-ly), death, die(-d).
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
מות (m-w-t) — to die, perish, come to an end
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4131 | מוֹט | in death of |
| H4191 | מוּת | I will cause to die |
| H4192 | מוּת | death-of |
| H4193 | מוֹת | to death |
| H4463 | מָמוֹת | the death-doomed ones |
Word Forms
29 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4194-16 |
מָ֔וֶת | mavet | HNcmsa |
death | death | 51 |
H4194-18 |
מ֣וֹת | mot | HNcmsc |
death | to die | 24 |
H4194-17 |
מִ/מָּֽוֶת | mimavet | HR/Ncmsa |
from death | from death | 10 |
H4194-07 |
הַ/מָּ֥וֶת | hamavet | HTd/Ncmsa |
death | the death | 10 |
H4194-22 |
מוֹתֽ/וֹ | moto | HNcmsc/Sp3ms |
of his death | his death | 10 |
H4194-12 |
לַ/מָּ֨וֶת֙ | lamavet | HRd/Ncmsa |
to death | to death | 10 |
H4194-21 |
מוֹתִֽ/י | moti | HNcmsc/Sp1cs |
my death | my death | 5 |
H4194-02 |
בְּ/מ֣וֹת | bemot | HR/Ncmsc |
at-the-death-of | in death of | 5 |
H4194-05 |
בְּ/מֹת֖/וֹ | bemoto | HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms |
at his death | in his death | 4 |
H4194-03 |
בְּ/מֹתָ֖/ם | bemotam | HR/Ncmsc/Sp3mp |
at their death | in their death | 3 |
Occurrences in Scripture
158 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4194-02 |
Genesis 21:16 | בְּ/מ֣וֹת | bemot | HR/Ncmsc |
the death | in death of |
H4194-18 |
Genesis 25:11 | מ֣וֹת | mot | HNcmsc |
death | to die |
H4194-18 |
Genesis 26:18 | מ֣וֹת | mot | HNcmsc |
death | to die |
H4194-21 |
Genesis 27:2 | מוֹתִֽ/י | moti | HNcmsc/Sp1cs |
of my death | my death |
H4194-21 |
Genesis 27:7 | מוֹתִֽ/י | moti | HNcmsc/Sp1cs |
my death | my death |
H4194-22 |
Genesis 27:10 | מוֹתֽ/וֹ | moto | HNcmsc/Sp3ms |
his death | his death |
H4194-22 |
Genesis 50:16 | מוֹת֖/וֹ | moto | HNcmsc/Sp3ms |
his death | his death |
H4194-07 |
Exodus 10:17 | הַ/מָּ֥וֶת | hamavet | HTd/Ncmsa |
the death | the death |
H4194-03 |
Leviticus 11:31 | בְּ/מֹתָ֖/ם | bemotam | HR/Ncmsc/Sp3mp |
at their death | in their death |
H4194-03 |
Leviticus 11:32 | בְּ/מֹתָ֜/ם | bemotam | HR/Ncmsc/Sp3mp |
when they are dead | in their death |