מְגַר (me.gar)
me.gar
to overthrow
A:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- A:V
Word Overview
The Aramaic verb megār means to overthrow or destroy completely. It appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, in Ezra 6:12, where it describes the fate of anyone who alters King Darius’s decree regarding the temple. The term carries a heavy weight of finality, implying that such an act would result in total ruin.
Its root lies in the verb magar, which means to cast or throw. In this Pael stem form, the action is intensified, suggesting a forceful casting down or toppling over. This linguistic connection emphasizes the severity of the warning: just as one might violently throw down an object, so too would the king’s authority crush those who defy his command.
Translators typically render this word as "overthrow" to capture its destructive force. The usage highlights the absolute nature of royal power in the Persian empire and the sacredness of the temple project under imperial protection. The single occurrence serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of interfering with divinely sanctioned work.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word megār carries the forceful image of toppling something solid, like a tower or a wall. In its single biblical appearance, it is used in a warning against tampering with God’s work. It reminds us that what God establishes has a permanence that human opposition cannot easily break.
When we face obstacles in our own lives, this word offers a quiet assurance. The same power that protects divine purposes is at work in the spiritual foundations you are building through faith. You do not need to fight for your place in God’s family; He secures it.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- may he overthrow1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- יְמַגַּ֞ר1×
Key Verses
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Ezra 6:12
May the God who has caused his name to dwell there overthrow all kings and peoples who stretch out their hand to alter this, to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree. Let it be done with all diligence.
This verse uses the word to describe God's power to overthrow any ruler who tries to stop the rebuilding of His temple.