מוֹטָה
a pole; by implication, an ox-bow; hence, a yoke (either literal or figurative)
Definition
The Hebrew word מוֹטָה (môwṭâh) primarily refers to a wooden pole or bar, such as those used to carry the Ark of the Covenant (1 Chronicles 15:15). By extension, it denotes the yoke or crossbar placed on the necks of oxen for plowing or pulling loads. Figuratively, it powerfully symbolizes oppression, bondage, or a burdensome political or spiritual authority, as seen when God promises to break the 'bars of your yoke' from slavery in Egypt (Leviticus 26:13) and in calls to remove the 'yoke' of injustice (Isaiah 58:6, 9). In the prophetic books, it becomes a concrete object representing submission to foreign rule, as when Jeremiah wears a wooden yoke (Jeremiah 27:2).
Biblical Usage
מוֹטָה is used 10 times in the Old Testament, appearing in narrative, legal, and prophetic contexts. Its literal sense as a carrying pole is found in 1 Chronicles 15:15. Its figurative use for oppressive bondage is central in Leviticus 26:13 and Isaiah 58:6, 9. The most concentrated usage is in Jeremiah 27-28, where a physical yoke becomes a prophetic sign-act representing the yoke of Babylonian rule that Judah must bear, highlighting themes of submission and false prophecy (Jeremiah 27:2; 28:10, 12, 13).
Etymology
מוֹטָה is the feminine form of the noun מוֹט (H4132, môṭ), meaning a 'shaking' or 'slipping' (as of the foot). The derived meaning likely developed from the idea of a pole that can be shaken or moved (like a carrying pole) to the more specific bar or yoke fastened to animals. It shares a root with verbs meaning to totter or slip, connecting to the concept of something borne or a burden.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as a key metaphor for liberation and servitude. It encapsulates God's act of deliverance from slavery (Leviticus 26:13) and defines true worship as loosing the 'bands of the yoke' to free the oppressed (Isaiah 58:6). In Jeremiah, understanding the yoke is crucial for grasping God's sovereign judgment on nations and the danger of false promises of easy deliverance (Jeremiah 28). The Hebrew enriches reading by showing how physical objects (poles, yokes) anchor profound spiritual truths about freedom, sin, and God's authority.
In ancient Israel, a yoke was a common agricultural tool, a wooden frame joining two oxen to pull a plow or cart. This made it a universally understood symbol of hard labor, subjugation, and control. When prophets like Jeremiah used a physical yoke (Jeremiah 27:2), it was a dramatic visual aid far more impactful to an agrarian society than to most modern readers. The 'pole' for carrying the Ark signified the sacred, non-contact transport of God's presence (1 Chronicles 15:15).
עֹל (ʿōl, H5923) — The more common word for 'yoke,' focusing on the burden or service itself, often used for political subjugation. מוֹטָה can specify the physical bar. / סֻבָּל (subbāl, H5447) — A 'burden' or load carried, often figurative for a prophecy or oracle; less specific to the apparatus of a yoke.
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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