Skip to content
H4127

מוּג

mûwg /moog/ Ask about this word
a primitive root
to melt, i.e. literally (to soften, flow down, disappear), or figuratively (to fear, faint)
consume, dissolve, (be) faint(-hearted), melt (away), make soft.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of mûwg — 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 mûwg, represented by H4127, is a primitive root meaning to melt. It appears 17 times across 17 unique verses in the Bible. While its primary meaning is literal, like softening or flowing down, it is frequently used figuratively to describe the effects of fear and despair, signifying a state of being consumed, dissolved, or faint-hearted.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H4127 is used to illustrate divine power in several contexts. It describes the physical creation reacting to God's presence, as when He utters His voice and "the earth melted" Psalms 46:6 or when at His touch "the mountains quake at him, and the hills melt" Nahum 1:5. Figuratively, it conveys the complete loss of courage and resolve of God's enemies. The inhabitants of Canaan were prophesied to "melt away" before the Israelites Exodus 15:15, a fear so profound that it caused them to "faint because of you" Joshua 2:9.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words expand upon the concepts of melting, fear, and commotion:

  • H1993 hâmâh (to be in great commotion or tumult, to rage): This word describes the raging or uproar that often precedes a "melting" caused by divine power. It is used to describe both raging heathens Psalms 46:6 and the roaring of waves Jeremiah 31:35.
  • H7461 raʻad (a shudder; trembling): This term signifies a physical reaction of fear. It appears alongside mûwg to describe the terror of the mighty men of Moab, where "trembling shall take hold upon them" before Canaan melts away Exodus 15:15.
  • H7493 râʻash (to undulate... particularly through fear; ... quake, shake, tremble): This word for shaking or quaking is often paired with melting to describe the response of creation to God's majesty, as when the mountains "quake at him, and the hills melt" Nahum 1:5.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H4127 is demonstrated in its portrayal of God's absolute sovereignty.

  • Sovereignty Over Creation: The word is used to show that the most stable elements of the natural world, such as mountains and the earth itself, are subject to God's power and can "melt" at His command or presence (Nahum 1:5, Amos 9:5).
  • The Collapse of Human Opposition: Mûwg vividly illustrates the psychological and societal disintegration of those who oppose God. Entire peoples and palaces are said to "dissolve" or "melt away" not by physical force alone, but from the terror of the Lord (Exodus 15:15, Nahum 2:6).
  • Agent of Blessing and Judgment: The term functions in two ways. God can "consume" His people for their iniquities Isaiah 64:7, but He can also use His power to "make soft" the earth with showers to bring forth a blessing Psalms 65:10, showing His power to both deconstruct and prepare for new life.

Summary

In summary, H4127 is much more than a word for a physical change of state. It is a powerful biblical metaphor for dissolution, whether of the solid earth under the feet of God or the courage in the hearts of men. It captures the essence of divine power, capable of making entire nations "faint" in fear Joshua 2:24 and causing established kingdoms to be "dissolved" Isaiah 14:31, while also holding the power to gently soften the earth for blessing. Ultimately, mûwg illustrates the profound truth that in the presence of God, all that seems permanent can disappear.

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 verb across 16 occurrences, inflected in 11 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.

  • נָמֹגוּ
  • נָמוֹג
  • תִּתְמוֹגַגְנָה
  • הִתְמֹגָגוּ
  • נְמֹגִים
  • תְמֹגְגֵ
  • תְּמֹגְגֶ
  • תְּמוּגֵ
  • תָּמוֹג
  • תָּמוּג
  • מוּג

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

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 17 verses across 10 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Psalms (4 verses); never once in the other 29.

1
Exodus
2
Joshua
1
1 Samuel
1
Job
4
Psalms
2
Isaiah
1
Jeremiah
1
Ezekiel
2
Amos
2
Nahum

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.