Word Study for H4171 (מוּר) | Strong's Concordance

mûwr /moor/ Ask about this word

Roota primitive root

Meaningto alter; by implication, to barter, to dispose of

KJV usage(ex-) change, remove.

Idioms & phrasesidiom at all

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of mûwr — 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 mûwr, represented by H4171, is a primitive root meaning to alter. By implication, it can mean to barter, to dispose of, or to change. It appears 14 times across 10 unique verses, often carrying a sense of significant, consequential substitution or exchange.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H4171 is used in several distinct contexts. In legal matters, it describes the forbidden act of exchanging an animal designated for the LORD, as outlined in the law: "He shall not... change it" Leviticus 27:33. The word is also used to illustrate the steadfastness of the righteous, who swears to his own hurt "and changeth not" Psalms 15:4. Prophetically, it describes the apostasy of Israel, who "changed their glory" for worthless idols (Jeremiah 2:11, Psalms 106:20) and, as a consequence, God warns He will "change their glory into shame" Hosea 4:7. It can also convey a dramatic, physical alteration, as in the statement of faith, "Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed" Psalms 46:2.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words expand upon the concept of changing or altering states and conditions:

H2498 châlaph (to alter, change, renew): This word is used alongside H4171 in Leviticus 27:10, forbidding one to "alter it, nor change it." It can also carry the sense of renewal, as in renewing strength Isaiah 40:31, or a simple change of garments Genesis 35:2.
H3235 yâmar (to exchange): This term appears in parallel with H4171 in Jeremiah 2:11, where God asks if a nation has "changed their gods," immediately before stating His people "have changed their glory."
H4185 mûwsh (to withdraw, remove, depart): This word is used in conjunction with H4171 to describe the dispossession of land, where God has "changed the portion" of His people and "removed it" from them Micah 2:4. It often signifies a departure or cessation, as when the book of the law shall not "depart" from the mouth Joshua 1:8.
H5674 ʻâbar (to cross over, pass, alienate): In Ezekiel 48:14, this word is used with H4171 in a command not to "exchange, nor alienate the firstfruits of the land," linking the idea of exchange to the permanent transfer of property.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H4171 is significant, particularly in contexts of worship and covenant.

Covenantal Apostasy: The most potent use of H4171 is to describe Israel's faithlessness. By exchanging God for an idol, they "changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass" Psalms 106:20. This act of substitution is presented as a profound betrayal.
Divine Judgment: As a direct response to sin, God employs change as judgment. In Hosea 4:7, He declares, "therefore will I change their glory into shame." Similarly, the changing of the people's portion is an act of divine discipline Micah 2:4.
Sanctity and Permanence: The word underscores the gravity of altering what is holy. In Leviticus, if a consecrated animal is changed, "both it and the change thereof shall be holy" Leviticus 27:33. This shows that an unauthorized exchange in a sacred context has irreversible spiritual consequences.

Summary

In summary, H4171 is more than a simple word for alteration. It conveys the weighty act of exchange or substitution. It is used in legal codes to forbid the unlawful swapping of holy things, in wisdom literature to praise unwavering character, and in the prophets to condemn the tragic exchange of the true God for false idols. The word illustrates how a change, whether of an oath, a possession, or allegiance, carries significant and often permanent consequences.

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 15 occurrences, inflected in 7 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Hiphil Imperfect 3rd Singular Masculine 7×
Hiphil Infinitive Absolute 2×
Hiphil Perfect 3rd Singular Masculine 2×
Hiphil Consecutive Imperfect 3rd Plural Masculine 1×
Hiphil Imperfect 1st Singular common gender 1×
Hiphil Infinitive Construct 1×
Niphal Perfect 3rd Singular Masculine 1×

Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
common gender: Either gender — the form does not distinguish.
1st: First person — the speaker ("I"/"we").
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Imperfect: Ongoing or repeated action in the past — "was doing".
Perfect: A completed act whose results continue.
Infinitive: The verb as a noun — "to do".
Niphal: Simple passive or reflexive of the Qal.
Hiphil: The causative stem — the subject causes the action.
Consecutive Imperfect: Imperfect with vav — carries narrative forward ("and he…").
Absolute: The independent form of a noun (not bound to another).
Construct: Bound to a following noun — "the X of…".

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 6 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Psalms (3 verses); never once in the other 33.

Leviticus

Psalms

Jeremiah

Ezekiel

Hosea

Micah

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, 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.