Lexical Summary morag: Threshing sledge Original Word: מוֹרַג Strong's Exhaustive Concordance threshing instrument Or morag {mo-rag'}; from an unused root meaning to triturate; a threshing sledge -- threshing instrument. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof foreign origin Definition a threshing sled NASB Translation threshing sledge (1), threshing sledges (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs מוֺרֶג noun masculineIsaiah 41:15 threshing-sledge (Late Hebrew id.; ᵑ7 id., South Arabic  ,  , Frä133, compare BaZA ii.117 (loan-word in Arabic = ploughshare); modern  Dozyii. 623, and  WetzstZ.für Ethnol. 1873, 270 ff., AnderlindZPV ix. 41 f. (ploughshare and harrow,)); — absolute ׳מ Isaiah 41:15; plural מֹרִגִּים 2 Samuel 24:22 (+ כְּלֵי הַבָּקָר); מוֺרִגִּים 1 Chronicles 21:23; — threshing-sledges of Araunah, given by him to David for wood of sacrifice 2 Samuel 24:22 = 1 Chronicles 21:23; figurative of Israel as instrument of ׳י's judgment Isaiah 41:15. On form of threshing-sledge (modern; slightly turned up in front, and set with sharp stones or pieces of iron), and threshing-rollers, see BenzArchaeology 209 f. NowArchaeology i.232f. DrAmos, 227f. מוֺרָד see ירד. I. מוֺרָה see יָרֵא. p 432, 434 Topical Lexicon Overview The Hebrew term מוֹרַג (morag) denotes a threshing sledge—a heavy, wooden platform studded with sharp stones or metal that was dragged over sheaves of grain to separate kernels from husks. While rare in Scripture, its vivid agricultural imagery carries theological weight, linking ordinary fieldwork with worship, judgment, and promise. Physical Description and Agricultural Function In ancient Israel and the broader Near East, the threshing sledge consisted of planks lashed together, their underside embedded with basalt, flint, or iron blades. Pulled by oxen across a threshing floor, it crushed straw and loosened grain, which was then winnowed. The instrument symbolized both productivity and decisive separation—images later pressed into prophetic service. Occurrences in Scripture • 2 Samuel 24:22 and 1 Chronicles 21:23 (parallel narratives). Araunah (Ornan) offers King David “oxen for the burnt offering and threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood” (2 Samuel 24:22). Here, the morag provides fuel for an altar erected on the very floor where God stayed His judgment. The sledge that once broke grain now feeds sacrificial fire, pointing to repentance and atonement. • Isaiah 41:15. Addressing a beleaguered Israel, the Lord promises, “I will make you into a threshing sledge, new and sharp, with many teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush them; you will reduce the hills to chaff”. The morag becomes a metaphor for a renewed, empowered people who will level obstacles and scatter oppressors under divine direction. Historical Background Threshing floors were communal spaces, often on elevated, windy sites for effective winnowing. The episode at Araunah’s floor—later the site of Solomon’s temple—anchors the morag in Israel’s cultic history. Archaeology has uncovered similar sledges across the Levant, confirming the practicality assumed by the biblical writers. Theological and Prophetic Significance 1. Instrument of Atonement. By burning the wooden sledge beneath David’s sacrifice, judgment yields to mercy. The spot where the plague stopped foreshadows the temple altar, where substitutionary offerings would regularly take place. 2. Instrument of Judgment and Victory. Isaiah transforms the farm tool into a symbol of triumphant power: God turns His people into a “new and sharp” morag, underscoring both renewal (“new”) and effectiveness (“many teeth”). The image anticipates eschatological vindication when the faithful, strengthened by the Lord, prevail over mountainous obstacles (compare Zechariah 4:7). 3. Instrument of Separation. Threshing divides grain from chaff. Likewise, divine judgment distinguishes the righteous from the wicked. The morag therefore prefigures John the Baptist’s announcement that the coming Messiah will gather wheat into the barn and burn the chaff with unquenchable fire (Matthew 3:12). Practical Ministry Applications • Preaching on Repentance. The immediacy with which David uses available materials—including the morag—to address sin highlights genuine repentance: swift, costly, and thorough. • Encouragement in Spiritual Warfare. Isaiah’s depiction emboldens believers to view themselves as God’s sharpened instruments, capable of overcoming entrenched strongholds when aligned with His purpose. • Discipleship and Sanctification. As threshing separates grain, the Christian life involves God’s refining work, removing what is worthless to reveal what is useful for His kingdom (Hebrews 12:11). Related Concepts Threshing floor, winnowing fork, chaff, altar, sacrifice, judgment, renewal. Key Reflections for Teaching and Study 1. Ordinary tools become holy when surrendered to God’s use. Forms and Transliterations וְהַמֹּרִגִּ֛ים וְהַמּוֹרִגִּ֧ים והמורגים והמרגים לְמוֹרַג֙ למורג lə·mō·w·raḡ lemoRag ləmōwraḡ vehammorigGim wə·ham·mō·rig·gîm wə·ham·mō·w·rig·gîm wəhammōriggîm wəhammōwriggîmLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 2 Samuel 24:22 HEB: הַבָּקָ֣ר לָעֹלָ֔ה וְהַמֹּרִגִּ֛ים וּכְלֵ֥י הַבָּקָ֖ר NAS: for the burnt offering, the threshing sledges and the yokes KJV: for burnt sacrifice, and threshing instruments and [other] instruments INT: the oxen the burnt the threshing and the yokes of the oxen 1 Chronicles 21:23 Isaiah 41:15 3 Occurrences |
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