English · KJV
H4803

מָרַט

mâraṭ /maw-rat'/ Ask about this word
Roota primitive root
Meaningto polish; by implication, to make bald (the head), to gall (the shoulder); also, to sharpen
KJV usagebright, furbish, (have his) hair (be) fallen off, peeled, pluck off (hair).

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of mâraṭ — 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 mâraṭ, represented by H4803, is a primitive root with a dual meaning related to making a surface bare, either by polishing or by removing hair. It appears 9 times in 9 unique verses. Its definition includes to polish, to make bald, to gall the shoulder, to sharpen, and to pluck off hair.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H4803 is used in two distinct contexts. Firstly, it describes the removal of hair, which can signify different things: an act of profound grief and astonishment Ezra 9:3, a punishment delivered out of righteous anger Nehemiah 13:25, or a mark of deep humiliation and suffering Isaiah 50:6. It is also used in a neutral sense to describe natural hair loss Leviticus 13:40. Secondly, H4803 depicts the preparation of a weapon, where a sword is "furbished" or polished, making it bright and ready for slaughter Ezekiel 21:9. In a related sense, it describes the physical toll of warfare, where soldiers' shoulders were "peeled" from intense service Ezekiel 29:18.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the contexts in which H4803 is found:

  • H2300 châdad (to be sharp, sharpen): This root, meaning to make sharp or severe, is used in parallel with mâraṭ to describe the preparation of a sword for judgment, emphasizing its deadly readiness Ezekiel 21:9.
  • H2719 chereb (sword): This word for a cutting instrument is the object that is "furbished" by the action of H4803. The furbished sword is an instrument of slaughter and judgment Ezekiel 21:28.
  • H7139 qârach (to make bald): This word, meaning to depilate, appears alongside H4803 to describe the physical effects of a grueling military campaign, where every head was "made bald" and every shoulder was "peeled" Ezekiel 29:18.
  • H8181 sêʻâr (hair): This is the word for hair that is "plucked off" in an act of deep grief and dismay in response to sin Ezra 9:3.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H4803 is revealed in its application.

  • The Readiness of Judgment: When used for a sword, the word signifies a state of readiness for divine action. The furbished, glittering sword is not merely a weapon but a symbol of impending, inescapable judgment prepared for slaughter Ezekiel 21:28.
  • Physical Manifestation of Emotion: The act of plucking out one's hair is a visceral, outward expression of an intense inner state, whether it is Ezra's grief over the people's faithlessness Ezra 9:3 or Nehemiah's anger at disobedience Nehemiah 13:25.
  • The Picture of Humiliation: To have one's hair plucked out by others is a profound insult. This action is part of the suffering described in Isaiah's prophecy, where the servant figure gives his cheeks to his tormentors Isaiah 50:6, illustrating extreme shame and contempt.

Summary

In summary, H4803 is a powerful and descriptive verb that conveys the idea of making something bare. Whether it is polishing a sword to a glittering readiness for battle or plucking out hair in an act of grief or humiliation, the word connects a physical action to a significant purpose or emotional state. It illustrates how a single term can encompass meanings ranging from ceremonial law and personal mourning to prophetic declarations of judgment.

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 14 occurrences, inflected in 7 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.

  • מוֹרָט
  • מְרוּטָה
  • יִמָּרֵט
  • מֹרָטָּה
  • אֶמְרְטָ
  • מָרְטָה
  • מֹרְטִים

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H2300 חָדַד a primitive root; to be (causatively, make) sharp or (figuratively) severe; be fierce, sharpen. H2719 חֶרֶב from חָרַב; drought; also a cutting instrument (from its destructive effect), as a knife, sword, or other sharp implemen H7139 קָרַח a primitive root; to depilate; make (self) bald. H8181 שֵׂעָר or שַׂעַר; (Isaiah 7:20), from שָׂעַר in the sense of dishevelling; hair (as if tossed or bristling); hair(-y), [idiom]

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 9 verses across 5 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Ezekiel (4 verses); never once in the other 34.

2
Leviticus
1
Ezra
1
Nehemiah
1
Isaiah
4
Ezekiel

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.