מָרָד (ma.rad)
ma.rad
rebellious
A:AQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- A:A
Word Overview
The adjective marad describes something or someone as rebellious or in a state of open defiance. In the Hebrew Bible, this term is rare, appearing only twice, and both instances are found in the book of Ezra. It serves to characterize political or social resistance against established authority.
One notable usage applies to a city that has rebelled. This specific context highlights marad as a descriptor for collective insurrection rather than individual moral failing. The word captures the tangible reality of a community refusing to submit to imperial rule, marking a shift from loyalty to active opposition.
Because its occurrences are so limited, the word does not carry a wide range of theological nuances. Instead, it functions as a precise historical label for dissent. Translators typically render it simply as "rebellious" to maintain clarity about the political tension described in these post-exilic records.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word marad appears only twice in Scripture, both times describing a city known for open defiance against established authority. In Ezra, it labels Jerusalem as a place where political resistance had taken root, turning loyalty into active opposition. This rare term reminds us that rebellion is not merely an internal attitude but a tangible rupture in community and trust.
For your faith life, this word highlights the weight of unity. When groups fracture through defiance, the consequences ripple outward, affecting peace and stability. Yet Scripture also records God’s patience with His people even in their stubbornness. The call to submission is not about blind obedience but about preserving the bonds that hold communities together.
Reflect on how your own life might reflect either division or harmony. Where are you called to build walls of reconciliation rather than fortresses of resistance? May your heart seek peace, trusting that God honors those who work toward unity in their relationships and communities.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- rebellious1×
- <the>/ rebellious1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- מָֽרָדָ֗א1×
- מָֽרָדְתָּ֤/א1×
Key Verses
-
Ezra 4:12
Be it known to the king that the Jews who came up from you have come to us to Jerusalem. They are building the rebellious and bad city, and have finished the walls and repaired the foundations.
This verse applies the term to Jerusalem itself, framing the city's construction efforts as an act of political insurrection against imperial authority.
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Ezra 4:15
that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers. You will see in the book of the records, and know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful to kings and provinces, and that they have started rebellions within it in the past. That is why this city was destroyed.
Here the word reinforces the historical pattern of the city’s past rebellions, linking its current actions to a legacy of defiance that led to previous destruction.