Lexical Summary muts: To shake, to be agitated, to be moved Original Word: מוּץ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance extortioner A primitive root; to press, i.e. (figuratively) to oppress -- extortioner. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originsee mets. Brown-Driver-Briggs מֵץ noun masculine squeezer, i.e. extortioner, oppressor, only הַמֵּץ Isaiah 16:4. Topical Lexicon Term Overview מוּץ (muṣ) denotes a violent oppressor, spoiler, or destroyer—the agent who drives others into flight. Its lone biblical occurrence (Isaiah 16:4) concentrates all canonical data into one vivid scene, allowing the term to stand as a theological emblem of every force that crushes the helpless and threatens covenant community. Context in Isaiah 16 The oracle against Moab (Isaiah 15–16) pictures Moabites fleeing southward toward Edom and westward toward Judah as the armies of Assyria sweep through Trans-Jordan. Isaiah pleads with the house of David to extend asylum: “Let the fugitives stay with you; be their shelter from the destroyer” (Isaiah 16:4a). Here מוּץ is the encroaching Assyrian power personified—real, imminent, and ruthless. The verse binds together three actors: the refugees, the Davidic kingdom offered as refuge, and the destroyer from whom protection is sought. Theological Motifs 1. Refuge in Zion: Scripture consistently frames Jerusalem as the place where the oppressed find safety (Psalm 46:1; Zechariah 8:23). By urging Judah to harbor Moab, Isaiah shows that divine hospitality overcomes national enmity. Historical Backdrop Mid-eighth-century B.C. Moab was a vassal to Assyria. When Moab, Philistia, Damascus, and Samaria contemplated rebellion, Assyria replied with overwhelming force (circa 734–732 B.C.). Cities such as Ar and Kir lost men “upon the high places” (Isaiah 15:2), and survivors streamed toward Judah’s borders. The term מוּץ likely painted Assyria’s shock-and-awe tactics: siege, deportation, heavy tribute—economic and existential extortion. Messianic and Eschatological Resonance Verse 5 immediately follows with a Davidic promise: “A throne will be established in loving devotion, and a judge will sit on it in faithfulness” (Isaiah 16:5). The obliteration of מוּץ paves the way for the righteous reign of Messiah. Revelation 19:11-16 reprises the theme: Christ appears to “strike the nations” and end all oppressive rule. Thus the solitary noun becomes a cipher for every antichrist tyrant finally overthrown by the true Son of David. Practical Ministry Implications • Advocacy: Churches must act as safe houses for migrants, war-victims, or anyone pursued by a modern מוּץ—whether a violent regime, a trafficker, or systemic injustice. Related Biblical Imagery • “Spoiler” (שָׁדַד, shadad) in Isaiah 33:1 echoes the threat of מוּץ and promises reciprocal judgment. Key Takeaways מוּץ embodies every force that expels and afflicts. Isaiah 16:4 compresses the narrative arc of Scripture: violent oppression rises, God commands His people to shelter victims, and He Himself guarantees the final downfall of the destroyer through the everlasting throne of David’s Son. Forms and Transliterations הַמֵּץ֙ המץ ham·mêṣ hammêṣ hamMetzLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Isaiah 16:4 HEB: כִּֽי־ אָפֵ֤ס הַמֵּץ֙ כָּ֣לָה שֹׁ֔ד KJV: of the spoiler: for the extortioner is at an end, INT: for has come the extortioner has ceased destruction 1 Occurrence |
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