מֻרְדָּף
persecuted
Definition
The noun מֻרְדָּף (murdâph) refers to a person who is 'persecuted' or 'pursued' with hostile intent. It describes someone who is actively being chased down or oppressed by an aggressor, often in a context of violence or injustice. In its sole biblical occurrence in Isaiah 14:6, it is used to describe the victims of the oppressive king of Babylon, who 'struck the peoples in wrath with unceasing blows' and 'ruled the nations in anger with unrelenting persecution.' The word carries the sense of being the object of relentless, aggressive pursuit.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in Isaiah 14:6. It appears in a prophetic taunt against the king of Babylon, describing his tyrannical rule. The context is one of judicial pronouncement, listing the crimes of the oppressor, with 'the persecuted' (מֻרְדָּף) being his victims. Its singular usage paints a vivid picture of the suffering inflicted by a powerful, unjust ruler upon the vulnerable.
Etymology
מֻרְדָּף is a passive participle derived from the root רָדַף (radaph, H7291), which means 'to pursue, chase, or persecute.' As a passive form, it shifts the focus from the action of chasing to the state of being chased. This root is common in Biblical Hebrew, often used for military pursuit (e.g., Exodus 14:4) or the persecution of the righteous (e.g., Psalm 7:1). The noun form here concretizes the one who suffers this action.
Semantic Range
This word, though used only once, is theologically significant as it gives voice to the victim of oppression in a context of divine judgment. In Isaiah 14, it highlights the injustice that provokes God's response, affirming that God sees and will judge the persecution of the weak. Understanding this Hebrew term enriches the reading of this prophecy by emphasizing the concrete human suffering behind the king's abstract 'rule,' connecting tyranny directly to its victims and grounding God's justice in their experience.
In the ancient Near Eastern context, a ruler's relentless pursuit and subjugation of peoples was a common reality of imperial warfare and domination. The term מֻרְדָּף would evoke the image of populations fleeing from or being crushed by an advancing army, a familiar experience in that era. Its use against Babylon ironically turns the tables, declaring that the ultimate pursuer (the king) will himself be pursued and brought down by a higher power.
רָדַף (radaph, H7291) — the active verb meaning 'to pursue' or 'persecute.' נִרְדָּף (nirdaf, H7291) — another passive participle form, also meaning 'persecuted' or 'pursued,' used more frequently (e.g., Psalm 31:13).
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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