Word Study for H4575 (מַעֲדַנָּה)

maʻădannâh /mah-ad-an-naw'/ Ask about this word

Rootby transitive from עָנַד

Meaninga bond, i.e. group

KJV usageinfluence.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of maʻădannâh — 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 maʻădannâh, represented by H4575, is defined as a bond, i.e. group; influence. It is a rare term, appearing only 1 time across 1 unique verse in the entire Bible. Its meaning is derived from its singular, powerful context within a divine speech.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

The sole appearance of H4575 is in the book of Job, where God challenges Job's understanding of creation. In a rhetorical question designed to highlight divine power versus human limitation, God asks, "Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?" Job 38:31. Here, the word refers to the binding force or cohesive influence that holds the Pleiades star cluster together, a celestial phenomenon that is entirely under God's control.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words in its immediate context help clarify the meaning of H4575:

H7194 qâshar (to tie, ... bind): This is the verb used directly with maʻădannâh in Job 38:31. It signifies a strong connection, whether physically binding something as a sign Deuteronomy 6:8 or mentally and emotionally, as when the soul of Jonathan was knit with David's 1 Samuel 18:1.
H6605 pâthach (to open wide ... loose): Used in direct contrast within the same verse, this word means to loosen or set free. It is used elsewhere to describe God putting off one's sackcloth Psalms 30:11 or a fountain being opened for sin Zechariah 13:1.
H4189 môwshᵉkâh (band): This noun is used as a parallel to H4575 in the second half of the verse, referring to the "bands of Orion." Its definition as "something drawing, i.e. (figuratively) a cord; band" reinforces the idea of a cosmic bond.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H4575 is tied directly to its singular use in illustrating God's omnipotence.

Divine Sovereignty: The word is central to God's argument that His power over the cosmos is absolute. Man cannot manipulate the "influences" of the stars, demonstrating that the forces holding the universe together are subject to God alone Job 38:31.
Creative Power: By referencing the "bond" of a star cluster, the term highlights God's role not just as a creator who set things in motion, but as an active sustainer who establishes and maintains the very influences and laws that govern creation.

Summary

In summary, H4575 is a highly specific term whose meaning is entirely shaped by its context in Job 38:31. As the "influences" or "bond" of the Pleiades, it serves as a powerful illustration of God's unchallengeable sovereignty over the universe. While appearing only once, it contributes significantly to one of scripture's most profound declarations of divine power and creative authority.

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 2 occurrences, inflected in 2 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.

מַעֲדַנֹּת
מַעֲדַנּוֹת

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

1 verse, all in Job — and none of the other 38 Old Testament books.

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.