Word Study for H4133 (מוֹטָה)

môwṭâh /mo-taw'/ Ask about this word

Rootfeminine of מוֹט

Meaninga pole; by implication, an ox-bow; hence, a yoke (either literal or figurative)

KJV usagebands, heavy, staves, yoke.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of môwṭâh — 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 môwṭâh, represented by H4133, refers to a pole, stave, or yoke. It appears 12 times across 10 unique verses in the Bible. While it can denote a literal pole for carrying, it is most often used figuratively to represent a yoke of bondage, oppression, or a heavy burden.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its literal sense, H4133 is used for the staves used by the Levites to bear the ark of God upon their shoulders 1 Chronicles 15:15. The term is also central to the prophetic conflict between Jeremiah and Hananiah. The LORD commands Jeremiah to make yokes and put them on his neck as a sign Jeremiah 27:2. Later, the prophet Hananiah breaks this yoke from Jeremiah's neck in a symbolic act of false prophecy Jeremiah 28:10. Figuratively, the word signifies oppression, as when God promises to break the yokes of Egypt Ezekiel 30:18 or when He describes a true fast as undoing heavy burdens and breaking every yoke Isaiah 58:6.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the meaning and context of H4133:

H5923 ʻôl (yoke): This word is frequently paired with môwṭâh. While ʻôl is the yoke itself, môwṭâh can refer to the "bands" of the yoke, as seen when God promises to break "the bands of their yoke" (Leviticus 26:13, Ezekiel 34:27).
H7665 shâbar (to burst; break): This verb is consistently used to describe the action taken against the yoke of oppression. God promises he has broken the bands of the yoke (Leviticus 26:13, Ezekiel 34:27), and Hananiah physically brake the yoke from Jeremiah's neck Jeremiah 28:10.
H6677 tsavvâʼr (neck): This word identifies the place where the yoke is borne, emphasizing the theme of subjugation. Jeremiah is told to put the yokes he makes "upon thy neck" Jeremiah 27:2.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H4133 is significant, highlighting themes of bondage, liberation, and judgment.

Symbol of Bondage: The yoke represents the burden of sin and national oppression. God references the "bands of your yoke" when speaking of the deliverance of Israel from being bondmen in Egypt Leviticus 26:13. Isaiah uses it to describe the "heavy burdens" that result from wickedness Isaiah 58:6.
Divine Liberation: God is portrayed as the one who breaks these yokes. He delivers his people by breaking the "bands of their yoke" so they can walk upright Leviticus 26:13. This act demonstrates His power and faithfulness to His people.
Prophetic Judgment: The literal yoke becomes a symbol of divine judgment. After Hananiah breaks the yokes of wood, the LORD declares that He will make "yokes of iron" in their place, signifying a much harsher and unbreakable judgment Jeremiah 28:13.

Summary

In summary, môwṭâh H4133 is a powerful word with both literal and figurative applications. It functions literally as the staves for carrying the holy ark, but its deeper meaning is found in its use as a yoke. It vividly illustrates the crushing weight of oppression and servitude, the complete freedom found in God's deliverance, and the unyielding nature of divine judgment.

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 12 occurrences, inflected in 3 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.

מֹטוֹת
מוֹטָה
מֹטוֹת

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 10 verses across 5 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Jeremiah (4 verses); never once in the other 34.

Leviticus

1 Chronicles

Isaiah

Jeremiah

Ezekiel

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.