Original Word: מָוֶת
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: maveth
Pronunciation: MAH-veth
Phonetic Spelling: (maw'-veth)
KJV: (be) dead((-ly)), death, die(-d)
NASB: death, died, die, dies, dead, deadly
Word Origin: [from H4191 (מוּת - die)]
1. death (natural or violent)
2. (concretely) the dead, their place or state (hades)
3. (figuratively) pestilence, ruin
From muwth; death (natural or violent); concretely, the dead, their place or state (hades); figuratively, pestilence, ruin -- (be) dead((-ly)), death, die(-d).
see HEBREW muwth
1 death, opposed to life, Deuteronomy 30:15,19; 2 Samuel 15:21; כל האדם ׳מ the death of all men (that all go to) Numbers 16:29 (J), as distinguished from violent death; ׳יוֺם מ day of death Genesis 27:2 (J) Judges 13:7; 1 Samuel 15:35 +; ׳שְׁנַת מ Isaiah 6:1; Isaiah 14:28; ׳עד מ Numbers 35:25,28,32; Joshua 20:6 (P), 1 Kings 11:40; ׳לפני מ Genesis 27:7,10; Genesis 50:16 (JE); ׳אחרי מ Genesis 26:18 (J), Genesis 25:11; Leviticus 16:1; Numbers 35:28 (P), Deuteronomy 31:27,29 (D) +; ׳בכור מ Job 18:13 firstborn of death (deadly disease); of flies Ecclesiastes 10:1, unclean animals Leviticus 11:31,32 (P).
2 death by violence as a penalty : ׳מִשְׁמַּט מ + לְ or בְּ person: a case of death to, or in a man, guilty of capital crime Deuteronomy 19:6; Deuteronomy 21:22; Jeremiah 26:11,16; ׳חֵטְא מ Deuteronomy 22:26; ׳מ (י)בנ 1 Samuel 20:31; 1 Samuel 26:16; 2 Samuel 12:5; ׳אישׁ מ 2 Samuel 19:29; ׳אנשׁי מ 1 Kings 2:26; ׳מַלְאֲכֵי מ Proverbs 16:14 messengers of death; במותָיו Isaiah 53:9 in his (martyr-) death (see BrMP 359).
3 state of death or place of death ("" שׁאול) Isaiah 28:15,18; Isaiah 38:18; Hosea 13:14; Habakkuk 2:5; Psalm 6:6; Psalm 49:15; Songs 8:6; Proverbs 5:5; Proverbs 7:27; ("" אבדון) Job 28:22; ׳שׁערי מ gates of death Psalm 9:14; Psalm 107:18; Job 38:17.
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מָוֶת (mavet) appears about one hundred fifty-five times across the Law, Prophets, and Writings. It denotes physical cessation of life, the threat or sentence of death, the realm or power of death, and metaphorical or spiritual death. The word often stands in poetic parallelism with שְׁאוֹל (Sheol) and is frequently personified. Usage ranges from the ordinary record of an individual’s demise (Genesis 25:8) to profound theological affirmations that the Lord rules over death and life (1 Samuel 2:6).
Physical Death as the Universal Appointment
Human mortality after the fall is woven through Scripture. "The day you eat of it, you will surely die" (Genesis 2:17) frames the biblical narrative. Patriarchal obituaries echo the certainty of the event (Genesis 25:8; Genesis 35:29). Ecclesiastes reflects, "A time to be born and a time to die" (Ecclesiastes 3:2). Death is the boundary of earthly existence and the continual reminder of humanity’s need for divine salvation.
Death as Judicial Penalty
Mavet marks the covenant sanction for sin. The Law assigns capital punishment for murder (Exodus 21:12) and certain covenant violations, underscoring that "the wages of sin is death" (typologically Romans 6:23). Deuteronomy 30:15-20 sets before Israel "life and prosperity, death and destruction," pressing covenant obedience. Prophetic indictments speak of "the way of death" chosen by rebels (Jeremiah 21:8).
Personification of Death
Poetic books treat death as an active force. Job laments, "Abaddon and Death say, ‘We have heard a rumor of it with our ears’" (Job 28:22). Psalm 49:14 pictures the wicked as "sheep appointed to Sheol; Death will shepherd them." Song of Solomon 8:6 sets love in contest with a grim rival: "Love is as strong as death." Hosea 13:14 addresses the foe directly: "Where, O Death, are your plagues?" Such texts anticipate a final confrontation in which God alone prevails.
The Shadow of Death
The compound צַלְמָוֶת (tsalmavet, "shadow of death") intensifies the peril. "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil" (Psalm 23:4). Job speaks of a land "as dark as the shadow of death" (Job 10:21-22). The expression captures extreme danger, deep gloom, or terminal crisis, yet even there the covenant God is present to shepherd His own.
Divine Sovereignty over Death
"The LORD brings death and gives life; He brings down to Sheol and raises up" (1 Samuel 2:6). Psalms extol His saving power: "Our God is a God of salvation; the Lord GOD delivers us from death" (Psalm 68:20). Hezekiah’s healing illustrates personal deliverance (2 Kings 20:1-6). The Passover and sacrificial system portray substitutionary death, pointing beyond animal victims to a greater Redeemer.
Wisdom Literature and the Two Paths
Proverbs warns, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death" (Proverbs 14:12; 16:25). The adulteress’s house "sinks down to death" (Proverbs 7:27). By contrast, "In the path of righteousness is life, but another path leads to death" (Proverbs 12:28). Death functions as both consequence and destination for folly and sin.
Prophetic Warnings and Promises
Isaiah confronts Judah’s leaders who made "a covenant with death" (Isaiah 28:15, 18), exposing futile alliances. Ezekiel reveals the Lord’s heart: "I take no pleasure in the death of anyone... Repent and live!" (Ezekiel 18:32; 33:11). The climactic promise resounds: "He will swallow up death forever" (Isaiah 25:8), echoed by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:54.
Messianic Fulfillment and Eschatological Triumph
Hosea 13:14’s pledge, "I will redeem them from Death," finds realization in the Messiah’s atoning death and resurrection. The New Testament cites the verse to proclaim victory: "Death has been swallowed up in victory" (1 Corinthians 15:54-55). מָוֶת becomes the very means by which the Savior secures life for many (Isaiah 53:12; Hebrews 2:14).
Ministry Implications
1. Pastoral Care: Psalm 116:15 reassures grieving saints, "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints." Comfort is grounded in God’s valuation of His people even in death.
2. Evangelism: The stark alternatives of life and death (Deuteronomy 30:19) urge clear gospel proclamation.
3. Hope of Resurrection: Believers face death without despair, confident that the Lord "delivers my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling" (Psalm 116:8) and will ultimately abolish the last enemy.
4. Ethical Living: Awareness of death fosters wisdom (Psalm 90:12) and holy urgency (Ecclesiastes 12:1-7).
5. Worship: Assurance of divine sovereignty over death fuels praise—"You rescued me from the jaws of death" (Psalm 30:3).
Summary
מָוֶת threads through Scripture as enemy, penalty, and mystery, yet always under God’s dominion. From Eden’s warning to Isaiah’s promise and Hosea’s taunt, the Old Testament prepares the reader for the gospel’s declaration that death is conquered through the risen Christ. The believer now lives in reverent realism about mortality, confident expectation of bodily resurrection, and joyful service until "the dead in Christ will rise" and "there will be no more death" (1 Thessalonians 4:16; Revelation 21:4).
Genesis 25:11
HEB: וַיְהִ֗י אַחֲרֵי֙ מ֣וֹת אַבְרָהָ֔ם וַיְבָ֥רֶךְ
NAS: about after the death of Abraham,
KJV: And it came to pass after the death of Abraham,
INT: came after the death of Abraham blessed
Genesis 26:18
HEB: פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים אַחֲרֵ֖י מ֣וֹת אַבְרָהָ֑ם וַיִּקְרָ֤א
NAS: them up after the death of Abraham;
KJV: them after the death of Abraham:
INT: the Philistines after the death of Abraham gave
Genesis 27:2
HEB: יָדַ֖עְתִּי י֥וֹם מוֹתִֽי׃
NAS: the day of my death.
KJV: I know not the day of my death:
INT: know the day of my death
Genesis 27:7
HEB: יְהוָ֖ה לִפְנֵ֥י מוֹתִֽי׃
NAS: of the LORD before my death.'
KJV: the LORD before my death.
INT: of the LORD before my death
Genesis 27:10
HEB: יְבָרֶכְךָ֖ לִפְנֵ֥י מוֹתֽוֹ׃
NAS: you before his death.
KJV: he may bless thee before his death.
INT: may bless before his death
Genesis 50:16
HEB: צִוָּ֔ה לִפְנֵ֥י מוֹת֖וֹ לֵאמֹֽר׃
NAS: charged before he died, saying,
KJV: did command before he died, saying,
INT: charged before died saying
Exodus 10:17
HEB: רַ֖ק אֶת־ הַמָּ֥וֶת הַזֶּֽה׃
NAS: remove this death from me.
KJV: that he may take away from me this death only.
INT: and but death this
Leviticus 11:31
HEB: הַנֹּגֵ֧עַ בָּהֶ֛ם בְּמֹתָ֖ם יִטְמָ֥א עַד־
NAS: touches them when they are dead becomes unclean
KJV: whosoever doth touch them, when they be dead, shall be unclean
INT: whoever touches are dead becomes until
Leviticus 11:32
HEB: עָלָיו֩ מֵהֶ֨ם ׀ בְּמֹתָ֜ם יִטְמָ֗א מִכָּל־
NAS: one of them may fall when they are dead becomes
KJV: And upon whatsoever [any] of them, when they are dead, doth fall,
INT: and they are dead becomes any
Leviticus 16:1
HEB: מֹשֶׁ֔ה אַחֲרֵ֣י מ֔וֹת שְׁנֵ֖י בְּנֵ֣י
NAS: after the death of the two
KJV: after the death of the two
INT: Moses after the death of the two sons
Numbers 6:7
HEB: יִטַּמָּ֥א לָהֶ֖ם בְּמֹתָ֑ם כִּ֛י נֵ֥זֶר
NAS: or for his sister, when they die, because
KJV: or for his sister, when they die: because the consecration
INT: shall not make die because his separation
Numbers 16:29
HEB: אִם־ כְּמ֤וֹת כָּל־ הָֽאָדָם֙
NAS: these men die the death of all men
KJV: If these men die the common death of all men,
INT: If the death of all men
Numbers 23:10
HEB: תָּמֹ֤ת נַפְשִׁי֙ מ֣וֹת יְשָׁרִ֔ים וּתְהִ֥י
NAS: Let me die the death of the upright,
KJV: Let me die the death of the righteous,
INT: crying any the death of the upright become
Numbers 26:10
HEB: וְאֶת־ קֹ֖רַח בְּמ֣וֹת הָעֵדָ֑ה בַּאֲכֹ֣ל
NAS: when that company died, when the fire
KJV: when that company died, what time the fire
INT: with Korah died company devoured
Numbers 33:39
HEB: וּמְאַ֖ת שָׁנָ֑ה בְּמֹת֖וֹ בְּהֹ֥ר הָהָֽר׃
NAS: years old when he died on Mount Hor.
KJV: years old when he died in mount Hor.
INT: hundred years died Hor Mount
Numbers 35:25
HEB: בָּ֗הּ עַד־ מוֹת֙ הַכֹּהֵ֣ן הַגָּדֹ֔ל
NAS: in it until the death of the high
KJV: and he shall abide in it unto the death of the high
INT: shall live until the death priest of the high
Numbers 35:28
HEB: יֵשֵׁ֔ב עַד־ מ֖וֹת הַכֹּהֵ֣ן הַגָּדֹ֑ל
NAS: until the death of the high
KJV: of his refuge until the death of the high
INT: have remained until the death priest of the high
Numbers 35:28
HEB: הַגָּדֹ֑ל וְאַחֲרֵ֥י מוֹת֙ הַכֹּהֵ֣ן הַגָּדֹ֔ל
NAS: But after the death of the high
KJV: but after the death of the high
INT: of the high after the death priest of the high
Numbers 35:32
HEB: בָּאָ֔רֶץ עַד־ מ֖וֹת הַכֹּהֵֽן׃
NAS: before the death of the priest.
KJV: in the land, until the death of the priest.
INT: the land before the death of the priest
Deuteronomy 19:6
HEB: אֵ֣ין מִשְׁפַּט־ מָ֔וֶת כִּ֠י לֹ֣א
NAS: though he was not deserving of death, since
KJV: whereas he [was] not worthy of death, inasmuch as
INT: was not deserving of death since had not
Deuteronomy 21:22
HEB: חֵ֛טְא מִשְׁפַּט־ מָ֖וֶת וְהוּמָ֑ת וְתָלִ֥יתָ
NAS: worthy of death and he is put to death,
KJV: worthy of death, and he be to be put to death,
INT: A sin worthy of death is put hang
Deuteronomy 22:26
HEB: ק) חֵ֣טְא מָ֑וֶת כִּ֡י כַּאֲשֶׁר֩
NAS: in the girl worthy of death, for just
KJV: no sin [worthy] of death: for as when a man
INT: damsel sin of death for after
Deuteronomy 30:15
HEB: הַטּ֑וֹב וְאֶת־ הַמָּ֖וֶת וְאֶת־ הָרָֽע׃
NAS: and prosperity, and death and adversity;
KJV: life and good, and death and evil;
INT: life and prosperity and death and adversity
Deuteronomy 30:19
HEB: הָאָרֶץ֒ הַחַיִּ֤ים וְהַמָּ֙וֶת֙ נָתַ֣תִּי לְפָנֶ֔יךָ
NAS: you life and death, the blessing
KJV: you life and death, blessing
INT: and earth life and death have set before
155 Occurrences
Strong's Hebrew 4194
155 Occurrences
bam·mā·weṯ — 2 Occ.
bə·mō·wṯ — 5 Occ.
bə·mō·ṯām — 3 Occ.
bə·mō·ṯāw — 1 Occ.
bə·mō·ṯōw — 4 Occ.
ḵam·mā·weṯ — 2 Occ.
hak·kə·mō·wṯ — 1 Occ.
ham·mā·weṯ — 10 Occ.
ham·mā·wə·ṯāh — 1 Occ.
kam·mā·weṯ — 1 Occ.
kə·mō·wṯ — 3 Occ.
lam·mā·weṯ — 10 Occ.
lə·mā·weṯ — 1 Occ.
lə·mō·w·ṯām — 1 Occ.
lə·mō·w·ṯōw — 1 Occ.
mā·weṯ — 50 Occ.
mim·mā·weṯ — 10 Occ.
mō·wṯ — 22 Occ.
mō·w·ṯāh — 1 Occ.
mō·w·ṯê — 1 Occ.
mō·w·ṯî — 5 Occ.
mō·w·ṯōw — 10 Occ.
mu·ṯān — 1 Occ.
ū·ḇə·mō·wṯ — 1 Occ.
ū·ḇə·mō·w·ṯām — 1 Occ.
wā·mā·weṯ — 2 Occ.
wə·ham·mā·weṯ — 1 Occ.
wə·lam·mā·weṯ — 1 Occ.
ḇə·mō·w·ṯōw — 3 Occ.