מוֹרַג (mo.rag)
mo.rag
threshing sled
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun morag refers to a heavy sled used for threshing grain, a critical tool in ancient agriculture. Unlike modern machines, this device relied on animal power and gravity to separate wheat from chaff. The sled typically had sharp stones or metal blades set into its base, which crushed the stalks as it was dragged across the harvested field by oxen.
This image carries significant weight in Scripture, appearing in passages like Isaiah 41:15 where the prophet describes a warrior with threshing teeth. Here, the morag symbolizes overwhelming divine power and judgment. The metaphor suggests that God’s agents will process nations with the same thoroughness and inevitability as a threshing sled breaks down grain, leaving no part of the enemy’s strength intact.
The word appears only three times in the Hebrew Bible, making its usage sparse but potent. Its presence in Isaiah highlights how agricultural realities were transformed into vivid theological imagery. The morag represents not just a farming implement, but an instrument of decisive action that separates the valuable from the worthless through forceful, unavoidable pressure.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word morag describes a heavy sled fitted with sharp stones or blades, dragged by oxen to crush grain stalks and separate the wheat from the chaff. In ancient Israel, this was not merely a farming tool but a symbol of thorough processing. What seems like a harsh agricultural image actually points to a God who deals with our lives with decisive clarity. He does not leave things half-done or ambiguous.
When Isaiah uses this metaphor, he assures us that God’s power is sufficient to handle even the largest obstacles. Just as the sled breaks down hard stalks into manageable parts, God can dismantle the mountains of fear, confusion, or sin in your life. This imagery reminds us that His work in us is effective and complete. He separates what is valuable from what is not, preparing us for a purpose that endures.
You can trust that this same thorough care applies to your personal journey. The pressure you feel is not random; it is part of a process that leads to clarity and strength. God’s action is reliable, ensuring that what remains in your life is pure and useful for His glory.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ the/ threshing-sledges2×
- <into>/ a threshing-sledge1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- לְ/מוֹרַג֙1×
- וְ/הַ/מּוֹרִגִּ֧ים1×
- וְ/הַ/מֹּרִגִּ֛ים1×
Key Verses
-
Isaiah 41:15
Behold, I have made you into a new sharp threshing instrument with teeth. You will thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and will make the hills like chaff.
This verse transforms the agricultural tool into a metaphor for divine power, showing how God uses decisive force to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles like mountains.
-
II Samuel 24:22
Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take and offer up what seems good to him. Behold, the cattle for the burnt offering, and the threshing sledges and the yokes of the oxen for the wood.
Here the threshing sled is offered as fuel for a burnt offering, illustrating how even tools of labor can be surrendered to God in worship and sacrifice.
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I Chronicles 21:23
Ornan said to David, “Take it for yourself, and let my lord the king do that which is good in his eyes. Behold, I give the oxen for burnt offerings, and the threshing instruments for wood, and the wheat for the meal offering. I give it all.”
Ornan’s generous gift of these instruments highlights the value placed on providing everything needed for proper worship, reflecting a heart willing to give fully to the Lord.