מִדְרָךְ
a treading, i.e. a place for stepping on
Definition
The noun מִדְרָךְ (midrâk) refers to a place or space for treading, specifically the area where a foot is set down. It denotes a 'foot-breadth' or a 'step,' indicating a small, measured unit of ground. Its sole biblical occurrence in Deuteronomy 2:5 uses it to describe territory that God forbade Israel from taking, emphasizing that not even a minimal foothold was to be claimed. The word focuses on the physical space occupied by the foot in the act of stepping or standing.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in Deuteronomy 2:5. It appears in the context of God's command to Israel as they journey toward the Promised Land. Moses instructs the people not to contend with the descendants of Esau, for God will not give them "even so much as a foot-breadth" of their land. The usage underscores the completeness of the prohibition—not even the smallest unit of territory was permissible to take.
Etymology
מִדְרָךְ is a masculine noun derived from the root דָּרַךְ (dārak, H1869), meaning 'to tread, to march, to bend (a bow).' It is formed using the מִ- (mi-) prefix, which often indicates a place or instrument. Thus, it literally means 'a place of treading.' Cognate words include דֶּרֶךְ (derek, H1870), meaning 'way, road, journey,' showing a shared semantic field related to paths and movement.
Semantic Range
Though used only once, this word carries theological weight in its context. It highlights God's sovereign allocation of land and His faithfulness to promises made to other nations (the descendants of Esau). The prohibition against taking "even a foot-breadth" teaches respect for divine boundaries and the holiness of God's covenantal commitments, even to peoples outside of Israel. It underscores that all territory is under God's ultimate jurisdiction and distribution.
In the ancient Near East, land ownership and territorial boundaries were of paramount importance, often tied to family inheritance and divine patronage. The concept of a 'foot-breadth' represented the smallest conceivable claim to land—essentially, the space taken by one's foot when standing. This made it a powerful idiom for expressing total exclusion from any territorial right or possession.
דֶּרֶךְ (derek, H1870) — a road, path, or journey, rather than the specific place a foot lands. פַּעַם (paʿam, H6471) — a step, foot, or time, often referring to the movement or occurrence rather than the space occupied. רֶגֶל (regel, H7272) — the foot itself as a body part, not the space it occupies.
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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