### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **môwqêd**, represented by `{{H4168}}`, refers to a **fire or fuel** and, by extension, a **conflagration**, **burning**, or **hearth**. This term is rare, appearing only **2 times** in **2 unique verses**, yet it carries a powerful meaning in both instances. It is used to describe both a consuming fire of judgment and a source of intense personal suffering.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In its biblical contexts, `{{H4168}}` illustrates two distinct types of burning. In Isaiah, it is used to describe divine judgment, where sinners and hypocrites in Zion are terrified to "dwell with everlasting **burnings**" [[Isaiah 33:14]]. This is presented alongside a "devouring fire," highlighting a state of inescapable, perpetual judgment. In contrast, the Psalms use it to convey deep personal affliction, where the psalmist laments that his "bones are burned as an **hearth**" [[Psalms 102:3]], symbolizing a body and spirit consumed by anguish.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help clarify the context of these burnings:
* `{{H2400}}` **chaṭṭâʼ** (sinner): This word identifies those who fear the "everlasting burnings" in Zion. Their status as offenders makes them unable to endure the divine fire [[Isaiah 33:14]].
* `{{H5769}}` **ʻôwlâm** (everlasting): This term modifies "burnings" to emphasize their eternal, unending nature. It speaks to a permanent state of judgment, not a temporary fire [[Isaiah 33:14]].
* `{{H6106}}` **ʻetsem** (bones): In the psalmist's lament, it is his very **bones**, the core of his physical being, that are burned like a hearth, showing the depth of his suffering [[Psalms 102:3]].
* `{{H2787}}` **chârar** (burned): This verb describes the action inflicted upon the psalmist's bones. They are not merely near a hearth, but are themselves **burned** as if they were fuel upon it [[Psalms 102:3]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H4168}}` is centered on the consuming nature of fire, both as judgment and as a trial.
* **Divine Justice:** In Isaiah, the "everlasting burnings" represent the unquenchable fire of God's holiness in the presence of sin. The question of who can dwell with this fire is a rhetorical one, emphasizing that sinners `{{H2400}}` and hypocrites `{{H2611}}` cannot [[Isaiah 33:14]].
* **Intense Personal Suffering:** The image of bones burned as a hearth powerfully conveys a state of being completely consumed by grief or affliction. It is a metaphor for a life being reduced to ash and smoke [[Psalms 102:3]].
* **The Fear of God:** The reaction of the sinners in Zion—who are "afraid" `{{H6342}}` and seized by "fearfulness" `{{H7461}}`—demonstrates that the prospect of encountering God's fiery justice inspires terror in the unrighteous [[Isaiah 33:14]].
### Summary
In summary, while `{{H4168}}` is used infrequently, its meaning is potent. It functions as a symbol for a consuming fire, whether it is the external, eternal fire of divine judgment against sinners or the internal, all-consuming fire of personal suffering. The word vividly portrays a state of being utterly burned up, either by God's righteous presence or by the pains of a sorrowful life.
TRV