מוֹט (mot)
mot
to shake
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 22 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb mot describes a physical loss of stability, meaning to totter, shake, or slip. It captures the moment when balance is lost, whether in the body, the land, or the social order. In Proverbs 25:26, it illustrates how a righteous person giving way to a wicked one is like a polluted spring or a trampled garden, emphasizing the disruption of natural integrity.
A key distinction lies in its frequent use with negation to express security. When Psalm 16:8 declares "I shall not be moved," the writer uses mot to affirm that divine presence prevents the inevitable collapse that threatens others. This contrasts sharply with passages like Psalm 46:2, where mountains shaking in the sea represents cosmic chaos and instability.
The word’s root conveys a sense of wavering or falling away from a fixed point. Translators often render it as "slip" when referring to human feet (Deuteronomy 32:35) or "be moved" when describing the earth’s foundations. This range highlights its theological weight: stability is not inherent in creation but is maintained by God, who prevents the faithful from tottering even when their surroundings collapse.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word mot describes the physical sensation of losing balance, whether in a trembling body or shifting ground. It captures that moment when stability fails and we feel ourselves slipping. In the Psalms, this imagery becomes deeply personal. When the writer says his foot is slipping, he is admitting his own weakness and need for support. This honest acknowledgment opens the door to experiencing God’s loving kindness holding him up.
Yet the same word also describes a profound security. The earth may be shaken, but those who trust in Yahweh are like Mount Zion, established so they cannot be moved. This stability does not come from our own strength, which can falter, but from God’s presence at our right hand. It is a reminder that while our circumstances may tremble, our souls can find rest in the One who remains firm.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 22 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- it will be shaken7×
- he will be shaken3×
- I will be shaken2×
- they will shake1×
- they have been shaken1×
- they are shaken1×
- it will shake1×
- it is moved1×
- it has slipped1×
- it has been shaken1×
- certainly <to shake>1×
- and/ it will slip1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- תִּמּֽוֹט\׃2×
- יִמּֽוֹט\׃2×
- יִמּ֑וֹט2×
- תָּמ֣וּט1×
- תִּמּ֑וֹט1×
- תִּ֝מּ֗וֹט1×
- תְּמוּטֶ֑נָה1×
- תָמ֔וּט1×
- נָמ֥וֹטּוּ1×
- מָ֣טָה1×
- מָ֣ט1×
- מ֥וֹט1×
Key Verses
-
Psalms 94:18
When I said, “My foot is slipping!” Your loving kindness, Yahweh, held me up.
This verse uses mot to describe the personal crisis of slipping, highlighting how divine kindness intervenes exactly when human stability fails.
-
Psalms 16:8
I have set Yahweh always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
Here the negation of mot expresses confident security, linking the believer’s unshakeable state directly to keeping Yahweh always before them.
-
Psalms 125:1
A Song of Ascents. Those who trust in Yahweh are as Mount Zion, which can’t be moved, but remains forever.
The metaphor compares those who trust in Yahweh to Mount Zion, using mot to emphasize that spiritual stability is permanent and unmovable.
-
Psalms 82:5
They don’t know, neither do they understand. They walk back and forth in darkness. All the foundations of the earth are shaken.
This occurrence describes the cosmic chaos where all foundations are shaken, contrasting human confusion with the need for divine order.