Lexical Summary meriri: Bitter, bitterness Original Word: מְרִירִי Strong's Exhaustive Concordance bitter From marar; bitter, i.e. Poisonous -- bitter. see HEBREW marar NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom marar Definition bitter NASB Translation bitter (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [מְרִירִי] adjective bitter; — ׳קֶטֶב מ Deuteronomy 32:24 bitter destruction. (On Job 3:5 see כִּמְרִיר below II. כמר ). Topical Lexicon Semantic Texture of מְרִירִיThe term conveys the idea of a caustic, penetrating bitterness that brings lethal effect. In Deuteronomy 32:24 it is paired with serpentine imagery, portraying a poison that works unseen yet relentlessly. The word therefore stands at the intersection of physical danger and moral warning, portraying both a literal toxin and the spiritual bitterness produced by covenant-breaking. Occurrence and Literary Context Deuteronomy 32:24, part of the “Song of Moses,” is its single attestation: “They will be wasted from hunger, ravaged by pestilence and bitter plague; I will send the fangs of beasts against them, with the venom of vipers that crawl in the dust.” (Berean Standard Bible) The stanza lists escalating judgments for apostasy—hunger, disease, beasts, and finally the venomous bite. מְרִירִי functions as a hinge between pestilence and serpents, stressing how divine retribution penetrates body and soul. Historical Background In the Late Bronze context of Israel’s wilderness wanderings and conquest, poisonous snakes were a familiar menace (Numbers 21:6). The Song of Moses, taught on the plains of Moab, uses that shared experience to etch in Israel’s memory the certainty of covenant sanctions. A single sting could doom an entire camp; so Israel’s breach of faith could doom the nation. Theological Themes 1. Covenant Curses. מְרִירִי embodies the principle that disloyalty invites inward decay. The bitterness is not merely emotional but judicial—God Himself releases it. Intertextual Ripples • Psalm 58:4; Psalm 140:3; Isaiah 59:5 depict venomous tongues, showing how lethal bitterness migrates from reptiles to human speech. Ministry Implications • Preaching: The preacher may employ מְרִירִי to illustrate sin’s hidden toxicity and the necessity of swift repentance. Practical Reflection Moses’ generation needed the graphic warning of serpents; today’s church needs the same vigilance against the subtler poisons of the heart. מְרִירִי reminds God’s people that holiness is not optional: the Lord who judged Israel’s rebellion is the same Lord who, in Christ, provides complete deliverance from every bitter sting. Forms and Transliterations מְרִירִ֑י מרירי mə·rî·rî meriRi mərîrîLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Deuteronomy 32:24 HEB: רֶ֖שֶׁף וְקֶ֣טֶב מְרִירִ֑י וְשֶׁן־ בְּהֵמוֹת֙ NAS: by plague And bitter destruction; KJV: with burning heat, and with bitter destruction: INT: plague destruction and bitter and the teeth of beasts 1 Occurrence |
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