מֹשֶׁכֶת (mo.she.khah)
mo.she.khah
cord
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 mošeketh refers simply to a cord or rope. It appears only once in the entire Old Testament, within the dramatic speech of God in Job 38:31. In this context, it is part of a rhetorical question asking if one can bind together the chains of the Pleiades or loosen the cords of Orion.
Its meaning is straightforward and physical, denoting a twisted bundle of fibers used for tying or binding. The word does not carry abstract theological weight on its own; rather, it serves as a concrete image in Job’s dialogue about the limits of human power compared to divine authority over the cosmos.
Translators typically render this rare term as "chains" or "cords," depending on whether they wish to emphasize the binding nature of the stars. The singular usage highlights the specific tool involved in cosmic order, reminding readers that the structures holding the heavens together are as tangible and subject to God’s will as any rope in a human hand.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word mošeketh appears only once in Scripture, in Job 38:31. God uses it to describe the cords that hold the stars in place. This rare term reminds us that the vast universe is not chaotic but ordered by His command.
When life feels unstable, this image offers comfort. The same power that secures the heavens also holds your days together. You do not need to understand every detail of creation to trust the One who designed it.
This single verse invites humility. We cannot bind the stars, yet we can rest in the hands that do. Your faith rests on a Creator who maintains both the cosmos and your heart with equal care.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- [the] chains of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- מֹשְׁכ֖וֹת1×
Key Verses
-
Job 38:31
“Can you bind the cluster of the Pleiades, or loosen the cords of Orion?
This verse uses the word to illustrate God's exclusive authority over cosmic order, contrasting human limitation with divine power.