BIBLE HEBREW WORD STUDY
Mûth — Meaning & Usage in the Bible
Mûth (H4191) is the common Hebrew verb for dying, used both literally for physical death and figuratively for perishing or being killed.
Meaning of the word
Mûth is the standard Hebrew verb meaning 'to die.' It describes the end of physical life, as seen when God warns Adam that eating the forbidden tree will result in death (Genesis 2:17; 3:3). The verb also functions in a causative sense ('to kill'), reflecting how death and killing are tightly linked concepts in Hebrew thought.
The same root appears in expressions of fear, complaint, and crisis. The Israelites at the Red Sea cry out that Moses has brought them into the wilderness to die (Exodus 14:11–12), and at Sinai they beg Moses to intercede because they fear dying if God speaks directly to them (Exodus 20:19). In Ecclesiastes 3:2, mût frames death as part of the ordered seasons of human life: 'a time to die.'
Usage in Scripture
In the earliest narratives of Genesis, mût carries covenantal weight: God's warning of death frames obedience and rebellion (Genesis 2:17; 3:3–4). The serpent's denial — 'You shall not surely die' (3:4) — directly confronts the truth of God's word, making mût theologically central to the fall narrative.
In Exodus, the verb recurs in moments of national crisis and revelation. Israel's fear at Sinai (Exodus 20:19) and their lament at the sea (Exodus 14:11–12) both appeal to mût as the worst imaginable outcome, while Exodus 14:30 uses the related form mēṯ ('dead') to describe the defeated Egyptians. Ecclesiastes 3:2 broadens the usage into a wisdom reflection: death is one of the appointed times within God's ordering of human existence.
The word in detail
- H4191 The verb mûth (H4191) means 'to die,' used literally of physical death and figuratively of perishing. It also has a causative sense, 'to kill,' which is reflected in the way death and killing are intertwined in biblical Hebrew.
Example verses
- Genesis 2:17 God's warning to Adam: eating the forbidden tree will bring certain death (mût). This verse establishes mût as the consequence of disobedience.
- Genesis 3:3 Eve recounts God's command, adding the caution 'lest you die,' showing mût as a present danger tied to obedience.
- Exodus 14:11 Israel uses mût to accuse Moses of leading them to perish in the wilderness, treating death as the worst imaginable outcome.
- Ecclesiastes 3:2 Qoheleth includes 'a time to die' among the divinely appointed seasons of life, giving mût a place within God's ordering of human existence.
Common questions
Is mût only about physical death?
The lexicon entry notes it means 'to die' literally or figuratively, and it can also be used causatively ('to kill'). So it covers physical death, perishing, and killing contexts.
How does mût shape the Genesis fall narrative?
In Genesis 2:17 and 3:3–4, mût is the threatened consequence of eating the forbidden fruit. The serpent's denial that death will follow (3:4) makes the term theologically central to the temptation and fall.