מְרֹדָךְ
Merodak, a Babylonian idol
Definition
Merodak (also spelled Merodach) is the Hebrew name for Marduk, the chief god of the Babylonian pantheon. In the Old Testament, this name appears exclusively in Jeremiah 50:2, where it is used in the context of Babylon's impending judgment. The prophet declares that Bel (another Babylonian deity) is put to shame and Merodak is shattered, symbolizing the defeat of the entire Babylonian religious system. The word functions solely as a proper noun referring to this specific foreign deity, with no other biblical meanings or applications.
Biblical Usage
The word מְרֹדָךְ is used only once in the Hebrew Bible, in Jeremiah 50:2. It is employed in a prophetic oracle of judgment against Babylon. The usage is polemical, announcing the humiliation and breaking of this idol as part of Yahweh's victory over the nations and their false gods. The context is exclusively one of divine judgment on pagan religion.
Etymology
The name is a direct Hebrew transliteration of the Babylonian Akkadian name 'Marduk.' It is of foreign derivation, as indicated in the source data, with no Hebrew root. The name Marduk was the personal name of the patron deity of the city of Babylon, who rose to supremacy in the Mesopotamian pantheon. The alternate spelling in Jeremiah 50:2 (מְרֹדָךְ) differs slightly from the spelling found in 2 Kings 20:12 for the Babylonian king Merodach-baladan (מְרֹאדַךְ בַּלְאָדָן, H4757), but both refer to the same god.
Semantic Range
This term is theologically significant as it represents the apex of pagan idolatry directly confronted by Yahweh's sovereignty. Its single appearance in Jeremiah 50:2 is a powerful statement of God's supremacy over all false gods and the nations that worship them. Understanding this name enriches Bible reading by highlighting the stark contrast between the lifeless idols of powerful empires and the living God of Israel, who holds all history and power in His hands. It underscores themes of God's unique divinity, judgment on pride, and the ultimate futility of idolatry.
In its original setting, Marduk was not a minor deity but the supreme god of the Babylonian Empire, intimately tied to its king, its creation epic (the Enuma Elish), and its political dominance. For a Judean audience in exile or under Babylonian threat, the name 'Merodak' symbolized the oppressive religious and political power of their captors. Jeremiah's prophecy of its shattering would have been a profoundly counter-cultural and hope-filled declaration that Yahweh, not Marduk, controlled the destiny of nations.
Bel (בֵּל, H1078) — Another name for the Babylonian chief god, often used synonymously with Marduk, but sometimes specified as a separate deity (Jeremiah 50:2; 51:44).
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.
Full methodology & sources →