מְדוּרָה (me.du.rah)
me.du.rah
pile
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun medurah refers to a pile of fuel, specifically wood arranged for burning. It describes the physical preparation necessary for a fire, whether for cooking or for sacrifice. The word appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, in Isaiah 44:15.
In that verse, the prophet uses the image with striking practicality. A person cuts down trees, piles the wood as medurah, and then uses part of it to bake bread and warm himself. He burns the rest in the fire to make an idol. This single usage highlights the word’s concrete nature: it is not about the spiritual act of worship, but the mundane, physical stack of timber that makes fire possible.
Translators often render medurah as "pyre" or "pile of wood." The term carries no inherent religious weight on its own. It simply denotes the fuel source. Isaiah’s point relies on this ordinary object being misused for idolatry, contrasting the uselessness of carved gods with the God who created the very wood piled in the hearth.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word medurah describes a simple pile of wood prepared for burning. Isaiah 44:15 uses this image to show how ordinary materials can be misused. A person cuts trees, piles the wood, and uses it for daily needs like baking bread. Then he burns some of that same wood to make an idol. This contrast highlights the absurdity of worshipping something made by human hands.
Isaiah 30:33 also mentions a burning place prepared with much wood. Here the focus shifts to God’s judgment. The pile is not for warmth or comfort but for divine justice. These verses remind us that God sees the heart behind our actions. He knows when we use His gifts for good and when we twist them for pride.
Understanding medurah helps us see the value of everyday things. Wood, fire, and labor are gifts from God. We can trust Him to provide for our needs while keeping our hearts focused on what truly matters. This perspective brings peace in a world full of distractions.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- wood pile/ its1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- מְדֻרָתָ֗/הּ1×
Key Verses
-
Isaiah 30:33
For his burning place has long been ready. Yes, it is prepared for the king. He has made its pyre deep and large with fire and much wood. Yahweh’s breath, like a stream of sulfur, kindles it.
This verse uses the concept of a prepared burning place with much wood to illustrate God's judgment against the king, contrasting with the mundane use of wood in Isaiah 44.