מוֹצָאָה
a family descent; also a sewer
Definition
The Hebrew noun מוֹצָאָה (môwtsâʼâh) carries two distinct meanings in the Old Testament. Its primary sense is 'a place of going out,' specifically referring to a latrine or sewer, as seen in 2 Kings 10:27 where it describes the 'draught house' (KJV) or public toilet established in the demolished temple of Baal. In a figurative and more significant sense, it denotes 'origin' or 'family descent,' used in Micah 5:2 (Hebrew 5:1) to prophesy the ancient, eternal origins of the Messiah who would come from Bethlehem. This dual usage connects a mundane, physical exit point with a profound concept of lineage and beginning.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only twice in the Old Testament, each time with a different meaning. In 2 Kings 10:27, it is used in a historical narrative context to describe a physical, unclean place (a latrine). In Micah 5:2, it is used in a prophetic context to speak metaphorically of the origins of a ruler. There is no pattern of usage across books, given its rarity, but the two instances clearly demonstrate its semantic range from the concrete to the conceptual.
Etymology
מוֹצָאָה is the feminine form of the more common masculine noun מוֹצָא (H4161, môwtsâʼ), which means 'a going forth,' 'place of going out,' or 'source.' It is derived from the root יָצָא (yātsāʼ, H3318), meaning 'to go out' or 'to come forth.' The connection to H6675 (צוֹאָה, tsôʼâh), meaning 'excrement' or 'filth,' as noted in the margin, clarifies the development of the 'sewer' meaning, specifying a place for what 'goes out.'
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant primarily through its use in Micah 5:2, a key messianic prophecy. Understanding that the Messiah's 'origins' (מוֹצָאָה) are 'from of old, from ancient days' enriches the reading by emphasizing the eternal, pre-existent nature of Christ's kingship, contrasting with a merely human genealogical descent. The word bridges a promise about a specific birthplace (Bethlehem) with a declaration of divine, timeless origin.
In the cultural context of 2 Kings 10:27, turning the temple of Baal into a public latrine was a powerful act of desecration and ridicule, rendering the site permanently ritually unclean and unfit for worship. This demonstrates the ultimate contempt for idolatry in Israelite culture. The 'draught house' was likely a simple public facility, a stark contrast to the modern understanding of private sanitation.
מוֹצָא (môwtsâʼ, H4161) — The masculine base form, more commonly used for 'origin,' 'exit,' or 'source.' יְצִיאָה (yᵉtsîʼâh, H3318) — A related noun from the same root, also meaning 'a going forth' or 'departure.'
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 →