מוֹרָד (mo.rad)
mo.rad
descent
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 6 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The noun morad describes a physical downward slope or steep descent. It appears six times in the Hebrew Bible, primarily in geographical lists within Joshua and prophetic texts in Micah and Jeremiah. In these contexts, it refers to the actual terrain—a hillside or incline that marks a boundary or defines a region’s topography.
The word carries a specific technical nuance related to construction. Lexical sources note its use for "hanging work" or bevelled masonry, suggesting stone cut at an angle to fit a slope. This dual meaning connects the natural landscape with human engineering, where builders matched their stonework to the land’s downward grade.
Its occurrence in Joshua 15:59 among Judah’s border towns illustrates this concrete usage. The term grounds abstract boundaries in tangible earth, reminding readers that biblical geography is defined by real slopes and constructed walls alike.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word morad points to a physical descent, a downward slope or steep incline. In the biblical text, it often marks real geographical boundaries in the land of Israel, such as the descent at Beth Horon where Joshua 10:11 describes hailstones falling on fleeing armies. It also appears in descriptions of Solomon’s temple, referring to hanging work or bevelled masonry that fit the angle of a slope.
For your faith, this word reminds us that God works within the concrete realities of our lives. The terrain of our journey includes both ascents and descents. Just as builders cut stones to fit a downward grade, God shapes us through the difficult slopes we encounter. These moments are not random; they are part of a larger design where even the steepest paths have purpose.
When you face a season that feels like a steep decline, remember that the same God who ordered the landscape of Israel is present in your current situation. The descent is real, but it is also a place where divine intervention can occur, as seen in the battles and constructions recorded in Scripture. You are not walking alone on this slope.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 6 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- at the/ descent2×
- on/ a slope1×
- on/ [the] descent of1×
- hanging1×
- [were] at/ [the] descent of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- בַּ/מּוֹרָ֑ד2×
- מוֹרָֽד\׃1×
- בְּ/מוֹרָֽד\׃1×
- בְּ/מוֹרַ֤ד1×
- בְּ/מוֹרַ֣ד1×
Key Verses
-
Joshua 10:11
As they fled from before Israel, while they were at the descent of Beth Horon, Yahweh hurled down great stones from the sky on them to Azekah, and they died. There were more who died from the hailstones than those whom the children of Israel killed with the sword.
This verse uses morad to locate a specific geographical descent where God hurled hailstones, showing the word’s role in marking places of divine intervention.
-
I Kings 7:29
and on the panels that were between the ledges were lions, oxen, and cherubim; and on the ledges there was a pedestal above; and beneath the lions and oxen were wreaths of hanging work.
Here morad refers to hanging work or angled masonry in Solomon’s temple, highlighting its technical use for construction that fits a slope.
-
Micah 1:4
The mountains melt under him, and the valleys split apart like wax before the fire, like waters that are poured down a steep place.
The prophet uses the image of waters pouring down a steep place (morad) to describe the overwhelming power of God’s judgment.