Lexical Summary maad: To slip, totter, shake, waver Original Word: מָעַד Strong's Exhaustive Concordance make to shake, slide, slip A primitive root; to waver -- make to shake, slide, slip. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to slip, slide, totter, shake NASB Translation shake (1), slip (2), slipped (2), unsteady (1), wavering (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [מָעַד] verb slip, slide, totter, shake (only Hebrew); — Qal Perfect3plural מָֽעֲדוּ 2 Samuel 22:37 = Psalm 18:37; Imperfect3feminine singular תִּמְעַד Psalm 37:31; אֶמְעָ֑ד Psalm 26:1; Participle plural construct מוֺעֲדֵי Job 12:5; — slip, subject feet, (figurative) 2 Samuel 22:37 = Psalm 18:37; Job 12:5; subject אֲשֻׁרָיו Psalm 37:31; compare Psalm 26:1. Pu`al Participle מוּעָ֑דֶת ( = ׳מְמוּ Ges§ 53s; or old Qal Passive participle, — compare Ba NB 273; — but passive not needed here, read perhaps ׳מוֺ Qal Participle active see SchwZAW x, 1890, 176); — ׳רֶגֶל מ Proverbs 25:19 (simile of untrustworthiness). Hiph`il Perfect וְהִמְעַדְתָּ֫ (so read for HCT והעמדת, compare Sm Co Da Berthol) Ezekiel 29:7; cause to shake object כָּלמָֿתְנַיִם, i.e. make them totter; compare Imperative הַמְעַ֑ד (object id.) Psalm 69:24. Topical Lexicon Central Motif: Stability Versus Slippage The verb מָעַד pictures a foot that is either set firm or suddenly gives way. Scripture employs it to contrast the steadfast protection God grants His people with the instability that befalls the careless or the wicked. Across narrative, wisdom, and psalmody, the term becomes a vivid metaphor for moral perseverance, covenant fidelity, and divine guardianship. Distribution in Scripture 1. David’s victory hymn (2 Samuel 22:37; echoed in Psalm 18:36) celebrates the LORD’s battlefield intervention: “You broaden the path beneath me so that my ankles do not give way.” Covenantal Assurance of Firm Footing Throughout the Psalms the image underscores God’s protective covenant love. The warrior-king (2 Samuel 22) and the worshiping pilgrim (Psalm 26) both ground their confidence not in personal prowess but in divine enlargement of their path. The verb therefore functions as shorthand for the promise first implied in Deuteronomy 8:4—that God preserves His people’s feet in wilderness and war, worship and work. Warnings Against Presumption and Apostasy Job 12:5 exposes how quickly security can breed contempt. Those “at ease” forget their own fragility; their mockery becomes its own slippery slope. Likewise Psalm 69:23 shows that persistent rebellion invites judicial hardening, where God removes stabilizing grace and the adversary’s footing collapses. The verb thus serves as both comfort and caution: sure footing is a gift, not a given. Corporate and Personal Worship Liturgically, the vocabulary of slipping frames the worshiper’s self-examination. Psalm 26 couples “without wavering” with “I have walked with integrity,” making moral transparency prerequisite to approaching the altar. In congregational life the term fosters an atmosphere where accountability and assurance coexist: God secures, yet believers guard their hearts (Proverbs 4:26). Pastoral and Discipleship Applications • Spiritual Warfare: Leaders counsel strugglers to anchor in God’s widening of their path rather than in self-reliance. Echoes in the Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ In His wilderness temptation Jesus stands where Israel stumbled, His feet unmoved. His promise in John 10:28 that no one will snatch His sheep from His hand parallels the Old Testament assurance of unslipping feet. Gethsemane further reveals that the path secured by the Father may still lead through suffering, yet never through abandonment. New Testament Continuity The apostolic writings extend the theme: “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling” (Jude 24) and “Whoever thinks he is standing firm must take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12). These passages mirror the dual note of security and vigilance found in מָעַד, binding the Testaments into a single exhortation: God keeps, therefore keep watch. Conclusion מָעַד weaves its way through Scripture as a subtle but potent reminder that every steadfast step is grace bestowed. Whether cried from the battlefield, the ash heap, or the sanctuary, the word invites God’s people to trust the One who enlarges their path and ensures that their feet—physical and spiritual—do not slip. Forms and Transliterations אֶמְעָֽד׃ אמעד׃ הַמְעַֽד׃ המעד׃ לְמ֣וֹעֲדֵי למועדי מָ֝עֲד֗וּ מָעֲד֖וּ מעדו תִמְעַ֣ד תמעד ’em‘āḏ ’em·‘āḏ emAd ham‘aḏ ham·‘aḏ hamAd lə·mō·w·‘ă·ḏê leMoadei ləmōw‘ăḏê mā‘ăḏū mā·‘ă·ḏū maaDu ṯim‘aḏ ṯim·‘aḏ timAdLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 2 Samuel 22:37 HEB: תַּחְתֵּ֑נִי וְלֹ֥א מָעֲד֖וּ קַרְסֻלָּֽי׃ NAS: me, And my feet have not slipped. KJV: under me; so that my feet did not slip. INT: under have not slipped and my feet Job 12:5 Psalm 18:36 Psalm 26:1 Psalm 37:31 Psalm 69:23 6 Occurrences |
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