מִרְמָס (mir.mas)
mir.mas
trampling
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 6 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The noun mirmas describes a place or act of trampling, specifically where feet crush something underfoot. In the Hebrew Bible, it appears only six times, mostly in prophetic books like Isaiah, Micah, and Daniel. The word carries a heavy sense of oppression, depicting how powerful nations or enemies reduce people to dust beneath their heels.
Its root relates to the verb ramas, meaning to tread down or trample. This connection emphasizes force and dominance rather than simple walking. When prophets use mirmas, they often picture the vulnerable being crushed by the weight of tyranny, turning human dignity into something stepped on without mercy.
Translators usually render it as "trampling" or "place of trampling." The imagery is visceral and immediate, evoking the physical reality of being overwhelmed. It serves as a stark warning against injustice and a promise that God sees those who are crushed, promising eventual deliverance from such humiliation.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When we encounter the Hebrew word mirmas, we are confronted with a stark image of power crushing vulnerability. In the ancient world, trampling was not just movement; it was an act of total domination, reducing dignity to dust beneath heavy boots or hooves. The prophets used this visceral language to describe how oppressive regimes treated the weak, turning people into something to be stepped on without mercy.
Yet, this imagery carries a profound promise for those who feel overwhelmed by injustice. By naming the reality of being trodden down, Scripture validates the pain of the oppressed and assures us that God sees what is hidden in the shadows. The same God who witnesses these acts of cruelty is committed to deliverance, ensuring that no act of tyranny goes unnoticed or unjudged.
For your faith life, this word reminds you that your worth is not determined by how others treat you. Even when circumstances feel like they are crushing your spirit, you are held by a God who opposes oppression. There is hope in knowing that the weight of the world does not have the final say over your dignity or your future.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 6 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- <into>/ a trampling place3×
- trampling1×
- and/ <into>/ a trampling place of1×
- a trampling place1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- לְ/מִרְמָֽס\׃2×
- מִרְמָֽס\׃1×
- מִרְמָ֖ס1×
- לְ/מִרְמָ֖ס1×
- וּ/לְ/מִרְמַ֖ס1×
Key Verses
-
Isaiah 5:5
Now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will take away its hedge, and it will be eaten up. I will break down its wall, and it will be trampled down.
This verse uses the word to describe God’s own judgment on His people, showing that even divine discipline involves the imagery of breaking down walls and trampling what was once protected.
-
Isaiah 10:6
I will send him against a profane nation, and against the people who anger me I will give him a command to take the plunder and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.
Here the term illustrates how Assyria is used as an instrument of wrath to tread nations down like mire, highlighting the temporary nature of human power against God’s sovereignty.
-
Daniel 8:13
Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain one who spoke, “How long will the vision about the continual burnt offering, and the disobedience that makes desolate, to give both the sanctuary and the army to be trodden under foot be?”
In this apocalyptic vision, the word describes the desecration of the sanctuary and army, emphasizing the spiritual magnitude of oppression when holy things are trodden under foot.
-
Micah 7:10
Then my enemy will see it, and shame will cover her who said to me, “Where is Yahweh your God?” My eyes will see her. Now she will be trodden down like the mire of the streets.
This personal lament uses the image of being trodden like street mire to express the shame faced by enemies, while promising that God will eventually vindicate His people.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does mirmas mean in the Bible?
Why do prophets use the image of trampling?
Is mirmas used in the New Testament?
Every Occurrence (6 verses across 3 books)
Isaiah 4 verses
Now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will take away its hedge, and it will be eaten up. I will break…
Isaiah 7:25All the hills that were cultivated with the hoe, you shall not come there for fear of briers and thorns; but it shall…
Isaiah 10:6I will send him against a profane nation, and against the people who anger me I will give him a command to take the…
Isaiah 28:18Your covenant with death shall be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol shall not stand. When the overflowing scourge…