Word Study for H4769 (מַרְבֵּץ)

marbêts /mar-bates'/ Ask about this word

Meaninga reclining place, i.e. fold (for flocks)

KJV usagecouching place, place to lie down.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of marbêts — 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 marbêts, represented by H4769, denotes a reclining place or couching place. Derived from a root meaning to recline, it appears only 2 times in 2 verses. The term specifically refers to a fold for flocks or a place where animals lie down, often in a context of desolation.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In scripture, H4769 is used exclusively within prophecies of divine judgment. In Ezekiel 25:5, God declares that the land of the Ammonites will become a couchingplace for flocks. Similarly, in Zephaniah 2:15, the once-rejoicing and prideful city of Nineveh is prophesied to become a desolation, a place for beasts to lie down in. In both instances, the word marks the transformation of a human-centric location into a domain for animals, signifying complete ruin.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the pastoral and desolate contexts of H4769:

H2416 chay (life or living thing): This word is used for the "beasts" that will inhabit the ruins of the prideful city, making it their resting place Zephaniah 2:15. It points to the type of creatures that take over after human civilization is removed.
H5116 nâveh (dwelling place, fold, habitation): This term is used alongside H4769 in the prophecy against Rabbah, which will become a "stable" Ezekiel 25:5. It shares the concept of a dwelling, but is used for both men and flocks.
H6629 tsôʼn (a flock): This specifies the kind of animals, "flocks" of sheep or goats, that will use the "couchingplace" created from the ruins of the Ammonites Ezekiel 25:5.

Theological Significance

The theological significance of H4769 is tied directly to the theme of divine judgment.

Symbol of Humiliation: The word is used to illustrate the humbling of the proud. A city that said "I am, and there is none beside me" is reduced to a resting spot for wild animals, a stark reversal of its status Zephaniah 2:15.
Execution of Judgment: The transformation of a city or nation into a marbêts serves as the physical evidence of God's judgment enacted. It signifies the end of a people's dominion and the reclamation of the land by a more primitive order.
Place of Overthrow: A marbêts in these prophetic contexts is not a peaceful pasture but a site of former glory that has been completely overthrown, serving as a warning of the consequences of defying God.

Summary

In summary, H4769 is a rare but vivid term in the Old Testament. While its literal meaning is a simple "place to lie down," its biblical application is focused and powerful. It functions as a symbol of utter desolation, used in prophecies to depict the downfall of proud nations and cities, transforming them from centers of human activity into resting places for beasts and flocks.

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.

מַרְבֵּץ
מִרְבַּץ

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 2 verses across 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Ezekiel and Zephaniah (1 verse each); never once in the other 37.

Ezekiel

Zephaniah

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.