מָרָא
𐤌𐤓𐤀
Mara
H4755 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A personal name meaning 'bitter,' given symbolically by Naomi to herself to express the depth of her sorrow and misfortune. In the biblical narrative, the name is used to convey intense personal distress and the experience of bitterness in life.
Semantic Range
bitter (as an adjective or as a symbolic personal name expressing suffering or sorrow); expression of bitterness of spirit; designation for Naomi's state
Root / Etymology
From the Hebrew root מרר (מר, marar), meaning 'to be bitter.' מָרָא is a feminine form constructed either after the pattern of related feminine noun forms or adapted for the purpose of the symbolic naming in Ruth 1:20.
Historical & Contextual Notes
מָרָא appears uniquely in Ruth 1:20, where Naomi, an Israelite woman of Bethlehem, upon returning from Moab following the deaths of her husband and sons, tells the local women not to call her Naomi ('pleasant') but rather מָרָא ('bitter'), highlighting her experience of suffering and personal tragedy. The name functions less as a conventional proper name and more as a personal epithet or title expressing her perception of providence and fate. Unlike the common noun forms from the same root (e.g. מַר, 'bitterness'), מָרָא is used only in this symbolic fashion and did not develop into a general personal name in Israelite or later Judean usage. In later English translations, the word is often left untranslated or simply rendered as 'Mara'; however, in the biblical context, it serves more as a meaningful self-designation than as a separate, independently used name. Not to be confused with related terms for bitterness or lament found elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
for מַר feminine; bitter; Mara, a symbolic name of Naomi; Mara.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
מרר (m-r-r) — to be bitter, to be grievous, to provoke bitterness
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4472 | מַמְרֹר | bitternesses |
| H4751 | מַר | in bitterness |
| H4752 | מַר | like a drop |
| H4753 | מֹר | the myrrh resin |
| H4785 | מָרָה | in Marah |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4755-01 |
מָרָ֔א | mara | HNp |
Mara | Bitter-One | Mara | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4755-01 |
Ruth 1:20 | מָרָ֔א | mara | HNp |
Mara | Bitter-One | Mara |