Lexical Summary Maroth: Maroth Original Word: מָרוֹת Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Maroth Plural of mar feminine; bitter springs; Maroth, a place in Palestine -- Maroth. see HEBREW mar NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originperhaps from marar Definition a place in Judah NASB Translation Maroth (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs מָרוֺת proper name, of a location in (Shephelah of) Judah Micah 1:12; form attested by ᵐ5 ὀδύνας (√ מרר). מַרְזֵחַ see רזח. Topical Lexicon Etymology and Symbolic Overtones Although מָרוֹת (Maroth) identifies a specific Judean settlement, the sound of the name also carries the idea of “bitterness.” Micah employs that double sense artistically, turning a geographic notice into a moral warning: what had once been expected to yield “good” would instead taste bitter under divine judgment. Historical Context During the eighth century B.C., Assyria advanced westward, menacing both Israel and Judah. Micah, a contemporary of Isaiah, catalogues a string of Judahite towns (Micah 1:10–16) that would feel the shock waves of that invasion. Each place name is paired with a pun or word-play that reinforces the prophetic message. In this literary parade, Maroth appears immediately after Moresheth Gath and before Lachish, locating it in the Shephelah, the lowland corridor between the Judean highlands and the Philistine plain. Though the exact site has not been conclusively identified, its placement among nearby communities suggests a vulnerable position along the invasion route. Prophetic Setting in Micah Micah 1:12 states: “For the residents of Maroth pined for good, but calamity came down from the LORD, even to the gate of Jerusalem.” Three elements stand out: 1. Expectation: the village “pined for good,” hoping perhaps for deliverance, trade, or alliances to stem the Assyrian tide. By the time danger reached “the gate of Jerusalem,” Maroth’s hopes had soured. The prophecy therefore ties the local anguish of one rural community to the larger covenant drama unfolding in the capital. Geographical Considerations Archaeological surveys have proposed several sites—most notably Tell Merʿa or Khirbet el-Maʿrūf—but none can be confirmed. What is certain is that Maroth lay on the same ridge route that funneled traffic toward Jerusalem. Its people would have seen refugees streaming eastward, carrying news of towns already leveled. The bitter irony embedded in the name thus played out in real time as the village became a front-row witness to judgment. Theological and Ministry Insights 1. Sovereign Justice: Maroth’s experience reminds readers that no community, however small, sits outside God’s moral governance. The calamity is “from the LORD,” not merely from geopolitical happenstance (Proverbs 21:1). Lessons for Contemporary Believers • Vigilance: Communities today can become complacent, assuming that spiritual decline in “other places” will spare them. Maroth warns that judgment can reach “even to the gate.” Related Biblical Themes and Cross References Ruth 1:20 – Naomi’s self-designation “Mara … for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.” Job 3:20 – Job laments the bitter soul. Isaiah 5:20 – Turning sweet to bitter signals moral inversion. Revelation 8:11 – The star “Wormwood” makes waters bitter in judgment, echoing Maroth’s motif. Forms and Transliterations מָר֑וֹת מרות mā·rō·wṯ maRot mārōwṯLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Micah 1:12 HEB: לְט֖וֹב יוֹשֶׁ֣בֶת מָר֑וֹת כִּֽי־ יָ֤רַד NAS: For the inhabitant of Maroth Becomes KJV: For the inhabitant of Maroth waited carefully INT: good the inhabitant of Maroth Because has come 1 Occurrence |
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