מְרֹרָה (me.ro.rah)
me.ro.rah
gall
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 4 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The noun merorah refers to something intensely bitter, specifically identifying gall or poison. In the Hebrew Bible, it denotes the bitter secretion from an animal’s gallbladder, which was recognized as a toxic substance. This concrete physical reality serves as a powerful metaphor for spiritual and emotional suffering, representing a state of deep anguish or hostility.
The word appears in four verses, most notably in Job and Deuteronomy. In Deuteronomy 29:18, it describes the "root that bears gall and wormwood," symbolizing a heart turned away from God that leads to destruction. Similarly, in Job 6:4, Job declares that the arrows of the Almighty are in him, with his spirit drinking in their poison, illustrating how divine judgment can feel like ingesting bitter venom.
Its usage highlights the visceral nature of suffering in biblical thought. By linking physical bitterness with spiritual rebellion or affliction, the text communicates the corrosive effect of sin and pain on the human soul. Translators often render it as "gall" or "poison" to preserve this sharp, unpleasant imagery.
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 word for gall in Scripture, we are confronted with a raw image of bitterness that goes beyond simple taste. It describes something toxic and corrosive, like the venom of a snake or the bitter secretion from an animal's gallbladder. This imagery helps us understand how sin and suffering can feel deeply personal and damaging to our inner being.
In Deuteronomy, this bitterness is linked to a heart turned away from God, described as a root bearing poison that leads to destruction. Similarly, Job uses this powerful metaphor to express the intense anguish he feels under divine judgment. It reminds us that spiritual rebellion or deep affliction can feel like ingesting something harmful, affecting both body and soul.
Yet, recognizing this bitterness allows us to bring our honest pain to God. Whether we are facing the consequences of sin or enduring unexplained suffering, Scripture validates these feelings. We do not need to hide our bitterness; instead, we can trust that God sees the depth of our struggle and offers a path toward healing and restoration.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 4 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- venom of1×
- from/ gall-bladder/ his1×
- bitter things1×
- [are] bitter1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- מִֽ/מְּרֹרָת֥/וֹ1×
- מְרוֹרַ֖ת1×
- מְרֹרֹ֖ת1×
- מְרֹר֑וֹת1×
Key Verses
-
Deuteronomy 32:32
For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, of the fields of Gomorrah. Their grapes are poison grapes. Their clusters are bitter.
This verse uses the imagery of gall to symbolize the destructive nature of idolatry, showing how turning away from God leads to spiritual poison.
-
Job 13:26
For you write bitter things against me, and make me inherit the iniquities of my youth.
Job feels that God's accusations are as bitter and painful as gall, illustrating how divine judgment can feel like a corrosive weight on the soul.