Bible Word Study
מוֹצָא
môwtsâʼ · Motsa, the name of two Israelites
מוֹצָא
Motsa, the name of two Israelites
Definition
מוֹצָא (Motsa) is a proper noun referring to two distinct individuals in the Old Testament. The primary figure is Motsa, a son of Caleb by his concubine Ephah, mentioned in 1 Chronicles 2:46. The second is a descendant of King Saul through Jonathan, appearing in the genealogies of 1 Chronicles 8:36-37 and 9:42-43. In all biblical occurrences, the word functions solely as a personal name, with no other semantic senses. The name itself is identical to the common noun meaning 'place of going out' or 'source' (H4161), but its application as a name does not carry a distinct narrative meaning in the texts where it appears.
Biblical Usage
The word is used exclusively as a personal name within genealogical lists in the books of Chronicles. All five occurrences (1 Chronicles 2:46; 8:36, 37; 9:42, 43) are found in these extensive family records, which trace the lineages of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. There is no narrative usage or dialogue involving a character named Motsa; his mention serves solely to establish familial descent and continuity within Israel's history.
Etymology
The name מוֹצָא (môwtsâʼ) is derived from the identical common noun (H4161) meaning 'a place or act of going out,' 'source,' 'spring,' or 'exit.' It comes from the root יָצָא (yātsāʼ, H3318), meaning 'to go out' or 'to come forth.' As a personal name, it likely carried a symbolic or hopeful meaning, perhaps alluding to a 'source' of lineage or a 'going forth' of progeny, which is fitting for its context in genealogies.
Semantic Range
In ancient Israelite culture, personal names often held significant meaning, derived from common nouns, verbs, or theological statements. Naming a child Motsa ('source' or 'going out') may have reflected parental hopes regarding the child's role in the family line or destiny. Its use in the royal Saulide genealogy (1 Chronicles 8-9) and the Calebite line (1 Chronicles 2) underscores the importance of preserving detailed family records for establishing tribal identity, inheritance rights, and, for the tribe of Judah, the messianic lineage. No direct synonyms as a proper name. The related common noun is מוֹצָא (môwtsâʼ, H4161) — the source noun meaning 'exit' or 'source' from which the personal name is derived.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]