מָמוֹת (ma.mot)
ma.mot
death
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun mamot, found in Strong’s H4463, is a rare word meaning "death." It appears only once in the entire Hebrew Bible, located in Jeremiah 51:14. In this specific context, it serves as a powerful synonym for the destruction of Babylon, emphasizing the finality and totality of the judgment described.
Lexical sources like Brown-Driver-Briggs note that the form is likely plural, which may intensify the meaning to suggest "deaths" or overwhelming mortality. While not a standard term for death in biblical Hebrew, its usage here underscores the severity of the prophetic warning. The rarity of the word highlights the unique gravity of the event it describes.
Translators typically render mamot simply as "death," reflecting its straightforward semantic range. Its solitary occurrence makes it a specialized vocabulary item, reserved for moments where standard terms feel insufficient to convey the magnitude of divine retribution. This single instance anchors the word’s significance in the broader narrative of Jeremiah’s prophecies against nations.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word mamot appears only once in Scripture, in Jeremiah 51:14, where it describes the overwhelming mortality awaiting Babylon. Its rare plural form suggests a scale of death so vast that standard terms feel inadequate. This intensity reminds us that God’s justice is real and decisive when evil reaches its peak.
While we do not seek judgment, this word points to the seriousness of sin and the reality of divine retribution. It calls us to take our faith seriously, knowing that God sees all things. In a world often indifferent to right and wrong, this rare term anchors our hope in His ultimate authority over history.
Though mamot speaks of destruction, it also highlights the contrast between human pride and God’s sovereignty. We can rest in the knowledge that He is just, and that no evil escapes His sight. This understanding invites us to live with humility and trust in His perfect timing.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- deaths of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- מְמוֹתֵ֨י1×
Key Verses
-
Jeremiah 16:4
“They will die grievous deaths. They will not be lamented, neither will they be buried. They will be as dung on the surface of the ground. They will be consumed by the sword and by famine. Their dead bodies will be food for the birds of the sky and for the animals of the earth.”
Although this verse uses a different Hebrew word for death, it provides context for the kind of grievous mortality that mamot describes in Jeremiah 51:14, illustrating the unburied and abandoned fate of those under God's judgment.