מַר (H4751) — Hebrew Lexicon — Scattered Israelites

מַר

𐤌𐤓

mar

H4751 adjective

SILEX Entry

Root מרר to be bitter, to become bitter, to provoke bitterness

Definition

Bitter—having a harsh or acrid taste or smell; also, causing or characterized by emotional distress or pain. As a noun: bitterness, the quality or state of being bitter, both in taste and in emotional or experiential terms (grief, affliction, resentment). As an adverb: bitterly, describing an action done with intense emotional pain or harshness. The term is used for both literal (taste, water) and metaphorical (emotions, experiences) senses across biblical contexts.

Semantic Range

bitter (of taste), acrid, pungent, bitterness (as a state or quality), bitterly (adverbial use), emotional distress, anguish, grief, resentment, chafed, angry (in context), discontented

Root / Etymology

From the root מָרַר (marar), meaning 'to be or become bitter.' מַר is the primary adjective form, indicating bitterness in various aspects: taste, smell, and emotional response. The root carries the core meaning of sharpness or harshness—originally associated with taste but later extended metaphorically to emotions and experiences.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, מַר is used both literally (to describe the taste of substances such as water, e.g., Exodus 15:23 at Marah, where the water was undrinkable) and metaphorically for intense emotional states (Job 27:2, 'bitter soul'; 1 Samuel 1:10, Hannah's 'bitterness of soul'). As a noun, it denotes the state or experience of bitterness—grief, distress, or resentment—often in response to hardship, oppression, or unfulfilled desire. The feminine form, מָרָה (marah), is used similarly in some contexts. The word is distinct from related terms like עָצֵב (atsēv, 'to be grieved'), with a stronger focus in מַר on the sharp, searing aspect of emotional pain. The metaphorical extension of the term to emotional or existential states is prominent in exilic and post-exilic literature, where personal and communal suffering are foregrounded. Standard English translations often render the word as 'bitter,' 'bitterness,' or 'bitterly,' but may not always capture the depth of pain implied by the Hebrew, particularly in emotionally charged passages.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or (feminine) מָרָה; from מָרַר; bitter (literally or figuratively); also (as noun) bitterness, or (adverbially) bitterly; [phrase] angry, bitter(-ly, -ness), chafed, discontented, [idiom] great, heavy.

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Root Family

מרר (m-r-r) — to be bitter, to become bitter, to provoke bitterness

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
H4472	מַמְרֹר	bitternesses
H4752	מַר	like a drop
H4753	מֹר	the myrrh resin
H4755	מָרָא	Bitter-One
H4785	מָרָה	in Marah
H4786	מֹרָה	bitterness-of
H4787	מׇרָּה	bitterness of
H4814	מְרִירוּת	and in bitterness
H4815	מְרִירִי	poisonously bitter
H4843	מָרַר	I will embitter
H4844	מְרֹר	bitter herbs
H4845	מְרֵרָה	my bile
H4846	מְרֹרָה	bitterness of
H4847	מְרָרִי	to Bitter-One
H4848	מְרָרִי	the Merari-descendant
H8563	תַּמְרוּר	bitter griefs

Word Forms

14 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	Occurrences
`H4751-07`	מַר	mar	`HAamsc`	bitter	bitterness of	15
`H4751-08`	מָרָ֥ה	marah	`HAafsa`	bitter	Bitterness	4
`H4751-03`	הַ/מָּרִ֖ים	hamarim	`HTd/Aampa`	of bitterness	the bitter ones	4
`H4751-01`	בְּ/מַר	bemar	`HR/Aamsc`	in bitterness	in bitterness	3
`H4751-06`	לְ/מָרִֽים	lemarim	`HR/Aampa`	bitter	bitter ones	2
`H4751-05`	לְ/מָ֣רֵי	lemarey	`HR/Aampc`	to the bitter	to bitter ones	2
`H4751-12`	וּ/מָרָ֖ה	umarah	`HC/Aafsa`	and bitter	and bitter	2
`H4751-04`	לְ/מָֽר	lemar	`HR/Aamsa`	for bitter	to bitterness	1
`H4751-02`	הַ/מַּ֣ר	hamar	`HTd/Aamsa`	the bitter	the bitter one	1
`H4751-14`	וָ/מָ֔ר	vamar	`HC/Aamsa`	and bitter	and bitter	1
`H4751-13`	וּ/מָרֵ֥י	umarey	`HC/Aampc`	and-bitter-of	and bitter ones of	1
`H4751-09`	מָ֣רַת	marat	`HAafsc`	bitter	bitter-of	1
`H4751-10`	מָ֣רֵי	marey	`HAampc`	bitter	bitter ones of	1
`H4751-11`	מָרִ֖ים	marim	`HAampa`	bitter	bitter ones	1

Occurrences in Scripture

39 total occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1
`H4751-12`	Genesis 27:34	וּ/מָרָ֖ה	umarah	`HC/Aafsa`	and bitter	and bitter
`H4751-11`	Exodus 15:23	מָרִ֖ים	marim	`HAampa`	bitter	bitter ones
`H4751-03`	Numbers 5:18	הַ/מָּרִ֖ים	hamarim	`HTd/Aampa`	the bitter	the bitter ones
`H4751-03`	Numbers 5:19	הַ/מָּרִ֥ים	hamarim	`HTd/Aampa`	of bitterness	the bitter ones
`H4751-03`	Numbers 5:23	הַ/מָּרִֽים	hamarim	`HTd/Aampa`	of bitterness	the bitter ones
`H4751-03`	Numbers 5:24	הַ/מָּרִ֖ים	hamarim	`HTd/Aampa`	of the bitterness	the bitter ones
`H4751-06`	Numbers 5:24	לְ/מָרִֽים	lemarim	`HR/Aampa`	bitter	bitter ones
`H4751-06`	Numbers 5:27	לְ/מָרִ֔ים	lemarim	`HR/Aampa`	to-bring-bitterness	bitter ones
`H4751-10`	Judges 18:25	מָ֣רֵי	marey	`HAampc`	bitter	bitter ones of
`H4751-09`	1 Samuel 1:10	מָ֣רַת	marat	`HAafsc`	bitter	bitter-of
`H4751-07`	1 Samuel 15:32	מַר	mar	`HAamsc`	the bitterness	bitterness of
`H4751-07`	1 Samuel 22:2	מַר	mar	`HAamsc`	bitter	bitterness of
`H4751-08`	2 Samuel 2:26	מָרָ֥ה	marah	`HAafsa`	bitter	Bitterness
`H4751-13`	2 Samuel 17:8	וּ/מָרֵ֥י	umarey	`HC/Aampc`	and-bitter-of	and bitter ones of
`H4751-07`	Isaiah 5:20	מַ֛ר	mar	`HAamsa`	bitter	bitterness of
`H4751-04`	Isaiah 5:20	לְ/מָֽר	lemar	`HR/Aamsa`	for bitter	to bitterness
`H4751-07`	Isaiah 33:7	מַ֖ר	mar	`HAamsa`	bitterly	bitterness of
`H4751-07`	Isaiah 38:15	מַ֥ר	mar	`HAamsc`	the bitterness	bitterness of
`H4751-07`	Isaiah 38:17	מַר	mar	`HAamsa`	bitterness	bitterness of
`H4751-14`	Jeremiah 2:19	וָ/מָ֔ר	vamar	`HC/Aamsa`	and bitter	and bitter
`H4751-07`	Jeremiah 4:18	מָ֔ר	mar	`HAamsa`	it is bitter	bitterness of
`H4751-07`	Ezekiel 3:14	מַר֙	mar	`HAamsa`	bitter	bitterness of
`H4751-08`	Ezekiel 27:30	מָרָ֑ה	marah	`HAafsa`	bitterly	Bitterness
`H4751-01`	Ezekiel 27:31	בְּ/מַר	bemar	`HR/Aamsc`	in bitterness	in bitterness
`H4751-07`	Ezekiel 27:31	מָֽר	mar	`HAamsa`	bitter	bitterness of
`H4751-07`	Amos 8:10	מָֽר	mar	`HAamsa`	bitter	bitterness of
`H4751-02`	Habakkuk 1:6	הַ/מַּ֣ר	hamar	`HTd/Aamsa`	the bitter	the bitter one
`H4751-07`	Zephaniah 1:14	מַ֥ר	mar	`HAamsa`	bitter	bitterness of
`H4751-07`	Psalms 64:4	מָֽר	mar	`HAamsa`	bitter	bitterness of
`H4751-08`	Proverbs 5:4	מָרָ֣ה	marah	`HAafsa`	is bitter	Bitterness
`H4751-07`	Proverbs 27:7	מַ֥ר	mar	`HAamsa`	bitter thing	bitterness of
`H4751-05`	Proverbs 31:6	לְ/מָ֣רֵי	lemarey	`HR/Aampc`	to those bitter of	to bitter ones
`H4751-05`	Job 3:20	לְ/מָ֣רֵי	lemarey	`HR/Aampc`	to the bitter	to bitter ones
`H4751-01`	Job 7:11	בְּ/מַ֣ר	bemar	`HR/Aamsc`	in bitterness	in bitterness
`H4751-01`	Job 10:1	בְּ/מַ֣ר	bemar	`HR/Aamsc`	in bitterness	in bitterness
`H4751-08`	Job 21:25	מָרָ֑ה	marah	`HAafsa`	bitter	Bitterness
`H4751-07`	Lamentations 1:4	מַר	mar	`HVqp3ms`	bitter	bitterness of
`H4751-07`	Ecclesiastes 7:26	מַ֣ר	mar	`HAamsa`		bitterness of
`H4751-12`	Esther 4:1	וּ/מָרָֽה	umarah	`HC/Aafsa`	and-bitter	and bitter

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