Word Study for H4035 (מְגוּרָה)

mᵉgûwrâh /meg-oo-raw'/ Ask about this word

Meaninga fright; also a granary

KJV usagebarn, fear.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of mᵉgûwrâh — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word mᵉgûwrâh, represented by H4035, holds a dual meaning as either "a fright" and "fear," or "a granary" and "barn." It appears only 3 times across 3 unique verses in the Bible, making each usage significant. This rare term uniquely bridges the concepts of internal human dread and the physical place of storage and provision.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the scriptures, H4035 is used to illustrate two distinct concepts. As "fear," it appears in Psalms as a personal affliction from which one can be rescued. The psalmist declares that after seeking the Lord, he was "delivered me from all my fears" Psalms 34:4. In contrast, Isaiah presents it as a form of divine judgment, where God promises to "bring their fears upon them" as a direct consequence for their disobedience and for doing evil Isaiah 66:4. The word's second meaning, "barn," is found in Haggai 2:19, where it is used in a literal, agricultural question: "Is the seed yet in the barn?" This usage occurs within a promise of future blessing from God, contrasting an empty storehouse with impending abundance.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words clarify the contexts in which H4035 appears:

H1875 dârash (to seek or ask): This action is presented as the antidote to fear. The psalmist "sought the LORD" and was delivered from his fears H4035 Psalms 34:4.
H5337 nâtsal (to snatch away, deliver): This word describes God's direct intervention. He is the one who can deliver a person from their fears Psalms 34:4 and the righteous from all their afflictions Psalms 34:19.
H8586 taʻălûwl (delusion): This is directly paired with H4035 in Isaiah's prophecy of judgment. God declares He will choose the people's "delusions" and bring their "fears" upon them for their refusal to hear Him Isaiah 66:4.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H4035 lies in its contrasting applications, revealing truths about God's character and His interaction with humanity.

Fear as a Consequence or Condition: The word shows that fear can be a natural human condition from which God offers deliverance Psalms 34:4. It can also be a tool of divine judgment, brought upon those who refuse to hear God's call Isaiah 66:4.
The Path to Deliverance: The context of deliverance from "fears" H4035 is centered on human action. One must first seek H1875 the Lord, who then hears H6030 and delivers H5337. Inaction or disobedience leads to the opposite outcome.
Provision vs. Punishment: The dual meaning of the word creates a powerful theological contrast. Disobedience brings "fears" Isaiah 66:4, while faithfulness is met with the promise of blessing, symbolized by a full "barn" H4035 where there was once lack Haggai 2:19.

Summary

In summary, H4035 is more than a simple word for "fear" or "barn." Its rare usage across scripture highlights a fundamental principle: the relationship between humanity's response to God and the resulting outcome. It powerfully contrasts divine deliverance and blessing with divine judgment, showing that God can rescue from fear but will also bring fears upon the disobedient. This single term encapsulates both the source of human anxiety and the promise of divine provision.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun across 3 occurrences, inflected in 2 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

מְגוּרֹתָ
מְּגוּרָה

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 3 verses across 3 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Psalms, Isaiah, and Haggai (1 verse each); never once in the other 36.

Psalms

Isaiah

Haggai

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.