### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **Mârâʼ**, represented by `{{H4755}}`, is the feminine form for bitter and is used as a symbolic name. It appears just **1 time** in **1 unique verse** in the Bible, specifically as the name Naomi adopts to reflect her suffering.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The single use of `{{H4755}}` occurs when Naomi returns to her homeland. She declares to the people, "Call me not Naomi, call me **Mara**: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me" [[Ruth 1:20]]. In this context, the name is not a given name but a chosen one, a direct expression of the immense sorrow and loss she has endured. The name **Mârâʼ** becomes a public testimony of her bitter circumstances.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words in the original text clarify the meaning and context of **Mârâʼ**:
* `{{H4843}}` **mârar** (to be... bitter): This is the root from which **Mârâʼ** derives its meaning. Naomi uses this exact word to explain her new name, stating the Almighty "hath dealt very bitterly" with her [[Ruth 1:20]]. It is used elsewhere to describe lives made "bitter" by bondage [[Exodus 1:14]] and a soul that is "grieved" [[1 Samuel 30:6]].
* `{{H7121}}` **qârâʼ** (to call out to... give name): This is the action word used for the naming itself. Naomi instructs the people, "**call** me Mara" [[Ruth 1:20]]. This verb is frequently used for the act of naming, such as when it is said "his name shall be **called** Wonderful, Counsellor" [[Isaiah 9:6]].
* `{{H559}}` **ʼâmar** (to say... declare): This word signifies Naomi's verbal declaration of her identity. The verse begins, "And she **said** unto them" [[Ruth 1:20]], establishing her statement as a formal announcement of her new reality.
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H4755}}` is concentrated in its singular, powerful use:
* **A Name Reflecting Experience:** **Mârâʼ** demonstrates how a name can define a person's state of being in relation to God. It is a raw expression of personal suffering, transforming an identity from "Naomi" (pleasantness) to **Mârâʼ** (bitterness).
* **Articulating Grief:** The name serves as a vessel for profound grief and sorrow. The root word is associated with the bitterness of a nation in affliction [[Lamentations 1:4]] and the deep mourning for a pierced son [[Zechariah 12:10]], situating Naomi's personal pain within a larger biblical theme of suffering.
* **Theological Confession:** By choosing the name **Mârâʼ**, Naomi makes a direct theological statement. She attributes her circumstances to the sovereign hand of God, declaring that "the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me" [[Ruth 1:20]], framing her suffering as an act of divine dealing.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H4755}}` is a deeply personal and symbolic name. Though used only once, **Mârâʼ** provides a poignant biblical example of how a name can be chosen to articulate an experience of profound bitterness and loss. It powerfully illustrates an individual's attempt to make sense of their suffering by renaming themselves in accordance with what they perceive to be God's actions in their life.
TRV