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מֹץ

𐤌𐤑

môts

H4671 noun

SILEX Entry

Root מוץ to shake, scatter, move, disperse

Definition

Loose, dry husks or fragments of grain removed by threshing or winnowing; chaff. Denotes the brittle, worthless residue left after grain has been processed, frequently used metaphorically to indicate what is unsubstantial, fleeting, or destined for removal and destruction. The term often stands in contrast to what is substantial, valuable, or enduring (e.g., the grain itself).

Semantic Range

chaff, grain husks, residue after threshing, what is blown away, something unsubstantial, worthless, fleeting, destined for removal

Root / Etymology

From the root מוץ (m-w-ts), meaning 'to move, shake, scatter, disperse.' The noun מֹץ derives from this root and refers to the result of the threshing/winnowing process: the chaff or husk separated from the useful grain. The alternate spelling מוֹץ occurs but carries the same meaning and etymology.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In ancient Israelite agricultural practice, מֹץ referred to the by-product of threshing grain, specifically light husks or debris separated and blown away during winnowing (e.g., Ps 1:4). The word often appears in poetic and prophetic contexts, symbolizing the unstable or valueless (e.g., fate of the wicked in Job 21:18, Isa 17:13). Unlike תֶּבֶן (teven, 'straw'), which refers to stalks left after harvesting and may be used as fodder, מֹץ is unusable debris—suitable only for removal or burning. Over time, the metaphorical use of מֹץ as something ephemeral or destined for destruction grew especially common in prophetic and wisdom literature. English translations with 'chaff' generally capture the agricultural sense, though the metaphorical nuance can be broader in Hebrew. Later rabbinic usage retains the term in a similar referential and figurative sense, though the word is rare outside the Bible.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or מוֹץ; (Zephaniah 2:2), from מוּץ; chaff (as pressed out, i.e. winnowed or (rather) threshed loose); chaff.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

מוץ (m-w-ts) — shake, scatter, move, disperse

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4160 מוּץ the pressure-extorter
H4330 מִיץ pressed-out juice of

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H4671-02 כְּ/מֹ֤ץ kemots HR/Ncmsc like chaff like chaff 4
H4671-01 כַּ/מֹּ֥ץ kamots HRd/Ncmsa like chaff like chaff 2
H4671-03 וּ/כְ/מֹ֤ץ ukhemots HC/R/Ncmsa and like chaff and like scattered chaff 2

Occurrences in Scripture

8 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H4671-02 Isaiah 17:13 כְּ/מֹ֤ץ kemots HR/Ncmsc like chaff like chaff
H4671-03 Isaiah 29:5 וּ/כְ/מֹ֤ץ ukhemots HC/R/Ncmsa and like chaff and like scattered chaff
H4671-01 Isaiah 41:15 כַּ/מֹּ֥ץ kamots HRd/Ncmsa like chaff like chaff
H4671-02 Hosea 13:3 כְּ/מֹץ֙ kemots HR/Ncmsa like chaff like chaff
H4671-02 Zephaniah 2:2 כְּ/מֹ֖ץ kemots HR/Ncmsa like-chaff like chaff
H4671-01 Psalms 1:4 כַּ֝/מֹּ֗ץ kamots HRd/Ncmsa like chaff like chaff
H4671-02 Psalms 35:5 כְּ/מֹ֥ץ kemots HR/Ncmsa like chaff like chaff
H4671-03 Job 21:18 וּ֝/כְ/מֹ֗ץ ukhemots HC/R/Ncmsa and like chaff and like scattered chaff
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