מוּד

to shake

Definition

The Hebrew verb מוּד (mûwd) fundamentally means 'to shake' or 'to be agitated.' It can describe a physical shaking, as seen in Psalm 119:120 where the psalmist declares, 'My flesh trembles (מוּד) for fear of you,' expressing a visceral, trembling awe before God. In its single other biblical occurrence, Jeremiah 5:3, it is used metaphorically: 'They have made their faces harder than rock; they have refused to repent.' Here, the form הֵמִירוּ (hêmîrû) is often understood as 'they have refused to change' or 'they have shaken off' restraint, implying a deliberate rejection or casting aside of correction. Thus, the word encompasses both a physical trembling and a metaphorical shaking off of something, like a refusal.

Biblical Usage

This rare verb is used only twice in the Old Testament. In Psalm 119:120, it describes a physical, fearful trembling before God's righteous judgments. In Jeremiah 5:3, it is used in a figurative sense to describe the stubborn, unrepentant people of Judah who have 'shaken off' or rejected God's discipline and correction. Its usage spans both the poetic/wisdom literature (Psalms) and the prophetic literature (Jeremiah).

Etymology

מוּד is a primitive root. Its core meaning relates to movement, specifically a shaking or agitation. Cognates in other Semitic languages support meanings of shaking, quaking, or even measuring (as a measured amount shaken out). The King James Version's translation as 'measure' in Jeremiah 5:3 reflects an older understanding of a derived sense, but modern lexicons and translations generally favor the 'shake/shake off' meaning as primary.

Semantic Range

Though rare, מוּד presents a powerful contrast in its two uses. In Psalm 119:120, the shaking is a proper, reverent response to God's holiness and word—a godly fear. In Jeremiah 5:3, the shaking is an act of sinful defiance, a rejection of God's authority. This juxtaposition highlights the two possible human responses to divine revelation: trembling submission or stubborn rebellion. Understanding this Hebrew word deepens the emotional and volitional weight of these passages.

The metaphorical use of 'shaking off' in Jeremiah 5:3 would resonate in an agricultural society. It evokes the image of an animal shaking off a yoke or a person shaking dust from a garment—a vivid picture of deliberate rejection and a desire to be free from a perceived burden, in this case, God's law.

חָרַד (ḥārad, H2729) — to tremble, quake; often from terror or awe, but can be more general. פָּחַד (pāḥad, H6342) — to fear, dread, be in awe; focuses more on the emotional state than the physical manifestation.

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