### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **môrek**, represented by `{{H4816}}`, denotes **faintness** or fear that stems from softness. It appears only **1 time** in **1 unique verse** in the Bible, making its single usage highly specific. The term describes a profound and debilitating sense of terror.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The sole appearance of `{{H4816}}` is in [[Leviticus 26:36]], as a component of the curses for disobedience. God declares, "And upon them that are left alive of you I will send a **faintness** into their hearts in the lands of their enemies." This state of fear is so overwhelming that the sound of a shaken leaf will cause them to flee as if from a sword, ultimately falling even when no one is pursuing them.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words in [[Leviticus 26:36]] clarify the context of this **faintness**:
* `{{H3824}}` **lêbâb** (the heart): This specifies the location of the faintness, indicating an internal and deep-seated terror, not just a surface-level fright. It is described as the "most interior organ."
* `{{H341}}` **ʼôyêb** (enemy, foe): This word establishes the setting of hostility and exile where the **faintness** takes root, occurring in "the lands of their enemies."
* `{{H5127}}` **nûwç** (to flit, vanish away, flee): This describes the action prompted by the fear; a panicked flight from a perceived, but not actual, threat.
* `{{H7291}}` **râdaph** (to run after, chase, pursue): This highlights the irony of their flight, as they flee and fall when there is none that "pursueth."
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H4816}}` is centered on the nature of divine judgment.
* **Fear as a Divine Instrument:** The **faintness** is not a naturally occurring emotion but is actively sent by God ("I will send a faintness") as a direct consequence of covenant breaking [[Leviticus 26:36]].
* **Internal Collapse:** By placing the **faintness** in the "hearts" `{{H3824}}`, the text emphasizes a psychological and spiritual collapse. The punishment is internal, causing a state of constant dread.
* **Perception of Threat:** The curse makes those afflicted so fearful that the "sound of a shaken leaf" (`{{H6963}}`, `{{H5086}}`) is enough to "chase" `{{H7291}}` them. They flee from a phantom "sword" `{{H2719}}` and "fall when none pursueth," illustrating that the fear itself becomes the destructive force.
### Summary
In summary, **môrek** `{{H4816}}` provides a potent, albeit singular, depiction of fear as a form of divine judgment. It is not merely an emotion but a state of being—a "faintness" of heart—that leads to self-destruction in the absence of a physical threat. This one verse powerfully illustrates how the consequence of turning from God can manifest as an internal terror that dismantles a person from within.
TRV