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H4775

מָרַד

mârad /maw-rad'/ Ask about this word
a primitive root
to rebel
rebel(-lious).

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of mârad — 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 mârad, represented by H4775, is a primitive root that means to rebel. It appears 25 times across 23 unique verses in the Bible, consistently denoting an act of insurrection or defiance against an established authority. The term is applied to both political revolt against human rulers and spiritual rebellion against God.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical narratives, H4775 is used to describe distinct types of rebellion. It frequently refers to political defiance, such as when Hezekiah rebelled against the king of Assyria and refused to serve him 2 Kings 18:7 or when vassal kings rebelled after twelve years of service to Chedorlaomer Genesis 14:4. The word is also used to describe Israel's spiritual unfaithfulness, as God identifies them as a "rebellious nation that hath rebelled against me" Ezekiel 2:3. This act of rebellion is condemned as a direct violation of loyalty to the LORD Numbers 14:9. In a more figurative sense, the term can describe a rebellion against a principle, such as those who rebel against the light Job 24:13.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help to clarify the concept of rebellion:

  • H4784 mârâh (to be... bitter... rebel... disobey): This term often appears with H4775 to emphasize the willful disobedience inherent in rebellion. For example, the people of Israel were described as disobedient and having rebelled against God Nehemiah 9:26.
  • H6586 pâshaʻ (to break away... trespass, apostatize, quarrel; offend, rebel, revolt, transgress): This word signifies a break from just authority and is used to describe those who rebel and transgress against God Ezekiel 20:38.
  • H5493 çûwr (to turn off... depart... rebel... revolt): This highlights rebellion as the act of turning away. In a prayer of confession, rebellion is defined as departing from God's precepts and judgments Daniel 9:5.
  • H5647 ʻâbad (to work... serve): As the direct opposite of rebellion, this word for service often provides a contrasting context. Rebellion is defined as the cessation of service, as when King Jehoiakim served the king of Babylon for three years and then rebelled against him 2 Kings 24:1.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H4775 is significant, framing the relationship between humanity and divine authority.

  • An Act Against Authority: Rebellion is a direct challenge to a rightful sovereign, whether it is Jeroboam rebelling against his lord H113 2 Chronicles 13:6 or the nation of Israel rebelling against the LORD Joshua 22:18.
  • A Component of Sin: To rebel is explicitly listed alongside other grave offenses, such as sinning H2398, committing iniquity H5753, and doing wickedly H7561 Daniel 9:5. This act is associated with casting away God's law and slaying His prophets Nehemiah 9:26.
  • Provokes Divine Judgment: Scripture warns that to rebel against the LORD invites his wrath H7107 Joshua 22:18. As a consequence of the anger H639 of the LORD, Zedekiah's rebellion led to Judah being cast out from God's presence 2 Kings 24:20.
  • Contrasted with Divine Mercy: Even as the people confess "we have rebelled against him," the text immediately contrasts this human failure with God's nature, stating that "To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses" H5547 Daniel 9:9.

Summary

In summary, H4775 is a foundational term for understanding the biblical concept of defiance against legitimate power. It describes both the political act of overthrowing a human king and the profound spiritual act of rejecting God's sovereignty. The word is deeply connected to sin and divine judgment but also serves as a backdrop against which God's mercy and forgiveness are revealed. It illustrates a core conflict in scripture: the tension between human disloyalty and the steadfast authority of God.

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 25 occurrences, inflected in 10 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.

  • יִּמְרֹד
  • תִּמְרֹדוּ
  • מְרָדְ
  • מּוֹרְדִים
  • מָרָדְנוּ
  • מָרַדְתָּ
  • מָרָדוּ
  • יִּמְרְדוּ
  • מֹרְדֵי
  • מָרָד

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.

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 23 verses across 11 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Joshua and 2 Kings (4 verses each); never once in the other 28.

1
Genesis
1
Numbers
4
Joshua
4
2 Kings
2
2 Chronicles
3
Nehemiah
1
Job
1
Isaiah
1
Jeremiah
3
Ezekiel
2
Daniel

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.