### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **môwçâd**, represented by `{{H4144}}`, signifies a **foundation**. Derived from יָסַד, it appears 3 times across 3 unique verses in scripture. The term is used to describe the fundamental base of physical creation, such as the earth and mountains, and also serves as a metaphor for the underpinnings of cosmic order.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In its biblical usage, `{{H4144}}` is consistently linked to God's sovereign power over creation. In Proverbs, it describes the act of creation, where God "appointed the **foundations** of the earth" [[Proverbs 8:29]]. It is also used to illustrate the totality of divine judgment, as God's anger kindles a fire that sets on fire "the **foundations** of the mountains" [[Deuteronomy 32:22]]. Figuratively, the word is used to express the consequences of a lack of knowledge and understanding, where "all the **foundations** of the earth are out of course" [[Psalms 82:5]], connecting cosmic stability to moral and judicial integrity.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help illuminate the concept of a foundation and its context:
* `{{H776}}` **'erets** (the earth): The direct object of the verb in two of the three instances of `{{H4144}}`. It refers to the earth as the established realm of creation, whose very foundations are set by God [[Proverbs 8:29]] and can be shaken [[Psalms 82:5]].
* `{{H2022}}` **har** (mountain): This term for a mountain or range of hills is used to describe what seems most permanent, yet their very foundations can be set on fire by divine judgment [[Deuteronomy 32:22]].
* `{{H2710}}` **châqaq** (to appoint, decree): This word is used in [[Proverbs 8:29]] when God **appointed** the foundations of the earth. It implies a deliberate, authoritative act of prescribing and establishing order, like a lawgiver enacting a decree.
* `{{H4131}}` **môwṭ** (to waver, shake, be removed): This verb describes the state of the foundations of the earth when justice fails. It highlights the instability that results from a departure from divine order, as the foundations are "out of course" or shaken [[Psalms 82:5]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H4144}}` is demonstrated in its direct connection to God's creative and judicial authority.
* **Creative Power:** The term establishes God as the master architect who laid the very foundations of the physical world. This is a foundational act of divine ordering, where God "appointed the foundations of the earth" [[Proverbs 8:29]].
* **Moral Order:** The stability of the earth's foundations is metaphorically tied to the execution of justice. When human leaders fail to understand or act justly, the very basis of the world is described as being shaken [[Psalms 82:5]], suggesting that moral chaos has cosmic consequences.
* **Divine Judgment:** The use of `{{H4144}}` in the context of God's anger shows that nothing is beyond His sovereign reach. Even the deepest and most stable parts of creation, the "foundations of the mountains," are subject to the consuming fire of his judgment [[Deuteronomy 32:22]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H4144}}` **môwçâd** is a potent, though infrequent, term. It goes beyond the simple meaning of a physical base to encompass the foundational principles of order, justice, and creation itself. It underscores God's absolute authority as the one who both establishes and can shake the very foundations of the world, reminding readers that the stability of all things ultimately rests in Him.
TRV