מָרוֹד (ma.rud)
ma.rud
wandering
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 marod describes a state of restlessness or wandering, often carrying the sense of straying from a set path. It appears only three times in the Old Testament, primarily in Lamentations and Isaiah, where it captures the physical and spiritual disorientation of people displaced by judgment.
Lexical sources translate it variously as "wandering," "straying," or even "refugee," highlighting its connection to those who have lost their way or their home. In Lamentations 1:3, for instance, it depicts Jerusalem’s enemies pursuing her while she wanders among the nations, unable to find rest. The word conveys more than just movement; it implies a lack of direction and stability.
Its root suggests a breaking away or a turning aside, reinforcing the image of someone who has drifted from their intended course. This usage underscores the profound sense of loss and uncertainty experienced by those in exile, making marod a poignant term for describing the consequences of spiritual and national upheaval.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word marod paints a picture of deep restlessness, describing those who wander without direction or home. In the Old Testament, it captures the heavy reality of displacement, where people lose their way not just geographically, but spiritually. It reminds us that wandering is often a consequence of broken relationships and lost stability.
For your faith life, this word offers comfort in times of confusion. When you feel untethered or unsure of your path, remember that God sees the weary traveler. He does not abandon those who have strayed but invites them back to a place of rest and belonging.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- homeless people1×
- and/ homelessness<es>/ her1×
- and/ homelessness/ my1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- מְרוּדִ֖ים1×
- וּ/מְרוּדֶ֔י/הָ1×
- וּ/מְרוּדִ֖/י1×
Key Verses
-
Lamentations 1:7
Jerusalem remembers in the days of her affliction and of her miseries all her pleasant things that were from the days of old; when her people fell into the hand of the adversary, and no one helped her. The adversaries saw her. They mocked at her desolations.
This verse highlights Jerusalem's painful memory of losing her stability, reflecting the deep disorientation associated with marod.
-
Isaiah 58:7
Isn’t it to distribute your bread to the hungry, and that you bring the poor who are cast out to your house? When you see the naked, that you cover him; and that you not hide yourself from your own flesh?
The call to help the cast out addresses those who have been pushed to the margins, offering a path back to community.