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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.

Translation Consistency

primary "death" 49 occurrences

מָוֶת overwhelmingly and consistently denotes "death"—the event, the state, the realm/personified power, or catastrophic pestilence. In the SILEX range it is most naturally and commonly rendered as "death" (140 of 158 occurrences), and that single English noun cleanly covers the typical senses while remaining natural and consistent across contexts.

Alternatives (1 occurrence):
"dying" (1x)

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 recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

מות (Mut) — to die, perish, kill, cause to die

Root מות to die, perish, come to an end
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4191 מוּת I will cause to die
H4192 מוּת death-of
H4193 מוֹת to death
H4463 מָמוֹת the death-doomed ones
H8546 תְּמוּתָה state of death

Word Forms

29 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H4194-16 מָ֖וֶת mavet HNcmsa death death death 51
H4194-18 מוֹת mot HNcmsc death to die the death 24
H4194-07 הַ/מָּֽוֶת hamavet HTd/Ncmsa death the death the death 10
H4194-12 לַ/מָּ֜וֶת lamavet HRd/Ncmsa to death to death to the death 10
H4194-17 מִ/מָּ֗וֶת mimavet HR/Ncmsa from death from death from death 10
H4194-22 מוֹתֽ/וֹ moto HNcmsc/Sp3ms of his death his death his death 10
H4194-02 בְּ/מ֣וֹת bemot HR/Ncmsc at-the-death-of in death of in death of 5
H4194-21 מוֹתִֽ/י moti HNcmsc/Sp1cs my death my death my death 5
H4194-05 בְּ/מוֹתֽ/וֹ bemoto HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms at his death in his death at his death 4
H4194-03 בְּ/מֹתָ֖/ם bemotam HR/Ncmsc/Sp3mp at their death in their death in their death 3

Occurrences in Scripture

158 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H4194-02 Genesis 21:16 בְּ/מ֣וֹת bemot HR/Ncmsc the death in death of in death of
H4194-18 Genesis 25:11 מ֣וֹת mot HNcmsc death to die the death of
H4194-18 Genesis 26:18 מ֣וֹת mot HNcmsc death to die to death
H4194-21 Genesis 27:2 מוֹתִֽ/י moti HNcmsc/Sp1cs of my death my death my death
H4194-21 Genesis 27:7 מוֹתִֽ/י moti HNcmsc/Sp1cs my death my death my death
H4194-22 Genesis 27:10 מוֹתֽ/וֹ moto HNcmsc/Sp3ms his death his death his death
H4194-22 Genesis 50:16 מוֹת֖/וֹ moto HNcmsc/Sp3ms his death his death his death
H4194-07 Exodus 10:17 הַ/מָּ֥וֶת hamavet HTd/Ncmsa the death the death the death
H4194-03 Leviticus 11:31 בְּ/מֹתָ֖/ם bemotam HR/Ncmsc/Sp3mp at their death in their death in their death
H4194-03 Leviticus 11:32 בְּ/מֹתָ֜/ם bemotam HR/Ncmsc/Sp3mp when they are dead in their death in their death
H4194-18 Leviticus 16:1 מ֔וֹת mot HNcmsc the death to die the death
H4194-03 Numbers 6:7 בְּ/מֹתָ֑/ם bemotam HR/Ncmsc/Sp3mp at their death in their death in their death
H4194-10 Numbers 16:29 כְּ/מ֤וֹת kemot HR/Ncmsc like the death as death of as death of
H4194-18 Numbers 23:10 מ֣וֹת mot HNcmsc the death to die the death
H4194-02 Numbers 26:10 בְּ/מ֣וֹת bemot HR/Ncmsc in the dying in death of in death of
H4194-05 Numbers 33:39 בְּ/מֹת֖/וֹ bemoto HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms at his dying in his death at his death
H4194-18 Numbers 35:25 מוֹת֙ mot HNcmsc death to die to death
H4194-18 Numbers 35:28 מ֖וֹת mot HNcmsc death to die the death
H4194-18 Numbers 35:28 מוֹת֙ mot-2 HNcmsc death to die the death
H4194-18 Numbers 35:32 מ֖וֹת mot HNcmsc death to die death
H4194-16 Deuteronomy 19:6 מָ֔וֶת mavet HNcmsa of death death of death
H4194-16 Deuteronomy 21:22 מָ֖וֶת mavet HNcmsa of death death of death
H4194-16 Deuteronomy 22:26 מָ֑וֶת mavet HNcmsa of death death of death
H4194-07 Deuteronomy 30:15 הַ/מָּ֖וֶת hamavet HTd/Ncmsa death the death the death
H4194-27 Deuteronomy 30:19 וְ/הַ/מָּ֨וֶת֙ vehamavet HC/Td/Ncmsa and death and the death and death
H4194-21 Deuteronomy 31:27 מוֹתִֽ/י moti HNcmsc/Sp1cs my death my death my death
H4194-21 Deuteronomy 31:29 מוֹתִ/י֙ moti HNcmsc/Sp1cs my death my death my death
H4194-22 Deuteronomy 33:1 מוֹתֽ/וֹ moto HNcmsc/Sp3ms his death his death his death
H4194-05 Deuteronomy 34:7 בְּ/מֹת֑/וֹ bemoto HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms at-his-death in his death at his death
H4194-18 Joshua 1:1 מ֥וֹת mot HNcmsc the death to die the death of
H4194-17 Joshua 2:13 מִ/מָּֽוֶת mimavet HR/Ncmsa from-death from death from death
H4194-18 Joshua 20:6 מוֹת֙ mot HNcmsc death to die the death
H4194-18 Judges 1:1 מ֣וֹת mot HNcmsc the death to die the death of
H4194-22 Judges 13:7 מוֹתֽ/וֹ moto HNcmsc/Sp3ms of his death his death his death
H4194-05 Judges 16:30 בְּ/מוֹת֔/וֹ bemoto HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms at his death in his death at his death
H4194-16 1 Samuel 5:11 מָ֨וֶת֙ mavet HNcmsa death death death
H4194-07 1 Samuel 15:32 הַ/מָּֽוֶת hamavet HTd/Ncmsa of death the death the death
H4194-22 1 Samuel 15:35 מוֹת֔/וֹ moto HNcmsc/Sp3ms of his death his death his death
H4194-07 1 Samuel 20:3 הַ/מָּֽוֶת hamavet HTd/Ncmsa death the death the death
H4194-16 1 Samuel 20:31 מָ֖וֶת mavet HNcmsa of death death death
H4194-16 1 Samuel 26:16 מָ֨וֶת֙ mavet HNcmsa death death death
H4194-18 2 Samuel 1:1 מ֣וֹת mot HNcmsc the death to die the death
H4194-25 2 Samuel 1:23 וּ/בְ/מוֹתָ֖/ם uvemotam HC/R/Ncmsc/Sp3mp and in their death and in their death and in their death
H4194-06 2 Samuel 3:33 הַ/כְּ/מ֥וֹת hakemot HTi/R/Ncmsc like the death of as the death of as the death of
H4194-19 2 Samuel 6:23 מוֹתָֽ/הּ motah HNcmsc/Sp3fs of her death her death her death
H4194-16 2 Samuel 12:5 מָ֔וֶת mavet HNcmsa death death death
H4194-13 2 Samuel 15:21 לְ/מָ֨וֶת֙ lemavet HR/Ncmsa for death to death to death
H4194-16 2 Samuel 19:29 מָ֨וֶת֙ mavet HNcmsa death death death
H4194-23 2 Samuel 20:3 מֻתָ֖/ן mutan HVqc/Sp3fp of-their-dying their dying of their dying
H4194-16 2 Samuel 22:5 מָ֑וֶת mavet HNcmsa death death death
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