מְרָתַיִם
Merathajim, an epithet of Babylon
Definition
מְרָתַיִם (Merathaim) is a prophetic epithet for Babylon, meaning 'double bitterness' or 'double rebellion.' It appears only in Jeremiah 50:21, where God commands an attack against 'the land of Merathaim.' This name is not a geographical location but a symbolic label highlighting Babylon's profound wickedness and the severe judgment it would incur. The term poetically intensifies the nation's character as a source of extreme bitterness and defiance against God.
Biblical Usage
This word is used exclusively in Jeremiah 50:21 within a prophecy of judgment against Babylon. The context is God's declaration of vengeance through the Medes and Persians for Babylon's oppression of Judah and its arrogance. The singular usage as a symbolic name underscores the unique, divinely appointed nature of Babylon's coming punishment.
Etymology
Derived from the dual form of the feminine noun מַר (mar, H4751), meaning 'bitterness.' The dual construction (מְרָתַיִם) intensifies the meaning to 'double bitterness' or 'twofold bitterness.' This likely alludes to both the intense suffering Babylon caused others and the severe judgment it would itself experience.
Semantic Range
This term is theologically significant as a divine commentary on evil empires. It reveals that God poetically names nations according to their moral and spiritual character. Understanding 'Merathaim' enriches the reading of Jeremiah 50–51 by framing Babylon's judgment not as a random political event, but as a direct consequence of its 'double' measure of rebellion and cruelty, assuring justice for God's people.
In its original setting, 'Merathaim' would have been a powerful, taunting wordplay against the mighty Babylonian empire. For the exiled Israelites hearing Jeremiah's prophecy, this symbolic name transformed their oppressor from an invincible power into a nation defined by and doomed for its bitterness, offering hope and a sense of poetic justice.
בָּבֶל (Bâbel, H894) — The standard name for Babylon; מַר (mar, H4751) — The root word meaning 'bitterness,' without the intensive dual form.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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