מרט
Version Date: August 29, 2026
This article considers the verbs מרט and ירט by examining the fifteen verses in which they appear. It concludes that
There are certain verses that make the meanings of מרט rather plain. Lev 13:40-41, involving the form ימרט, refers to a man becoming bald. Thus, the meaning of מרט in this passage must be "to be bald." Additionally, the meaning "to be polished" can be inferred from Eze 21:9-11(14-16) and Eze 21:28(33). Note that polishing could be seen as removing imperfections from the surface of the metal so as to be very smooth. Since all instances involve something bare from which either hair is missing or imperfections are missing, a general definition of the verb is "to be bare."
In all previously mentioned instances, the verb מרט does not have an object and is used with passive meaning. This verb is also used at the active voice in Ezr 9:3, Ne 13:25, and Is 50:6. It is plain that in Ezr 9:3 the verb refers to something that was removed. Therefore, in view of Ezr 9:3, the meaning of the verb מרט at the active voice must be "to take out (so as to make bare)." If understood figuratively, this meaning applies also to the remaining two verses in which מרט has the active voice, as shown below.
It could be noticed that the usage of מרט resembles that of certain English verbs of related meaning. The verbs "to shave" and "to mow" have an object when in the active voice, for one shaves hair and one mows grass. In the passive voice, however, a person is shaved or a lawn is mowed. So also מרט in the active voice is about taking out something, but in the passive voice refers to something bare.
Note that the passive voice does not fit well the form מורט of Is 18:2, 7. Indeed, for a passive participle, the form מרוט would be expected instead. For example, the feminine passive participle of מרט is spelled מרוטה in Eze 21:9(14), Eze 21:28(33), and Eze 29:18. Additionally, a passive meaning of "bare" or "smooth" would not fit well the context of ממשך "caused to be drawn out." However, the meanings "bare" or "smooth" are obtained in Is 18:2, 7 if מורט is derived from the verb מרט. This is because without an object מורט has to be taken with passive meaning. Therefore, since the form מורט does not fit well the passage when derived from מרט, it should be derived instead from ירט. In the context of ממשך "caused to be drawn out," the meaning of מורט should be similar. Deriving מורט from ירט, it would follow that the approximate meaning of ירט is "to draw out." Applying this meaning, the text ועל ידי רשעים ירטני of Job 16:11 is translated, "and he pulled me out into the hands of the wicked," the translation resembling Ps 28:3. Note that Ps 28:3 is in the context of a prayer for protection, Ps 28:3 stating the reason protection was needed. The approximate meaning "to draw out" of ירט could be applied also to Nu 22:32 as follows. First, note that Nu 22:32 is in the context of Balaam displeasing the Lord by going to Moab. Balaam had heard from the Lord that he was not supposed to go there. So, when he asked again about it, the Lord tested him by saying that he could go. Instead of clarifying whether he really was supposed to go, for previously he had been told not to go, Balaam "snatched" this word from the Lord and rushed to go. So, כי ירט הדרך לנגדי "for the journey was 'pulled out' in my presence," could be translated more precisely "for the journey was snatched out in my presence." Then, the verb ירט would appear to mean "to snatch out."
The verb meanings introduced above are applied as follows. Both Lev 13:40 and Lev 13:41 include the phrase ימרט ראשו "his head becomes bare," that is, "he loses his hair." In 1Ki 7:45, נחשת ממרט is translated "polished bronze," or more precisely, assuming the hophal stem, "bronze caused to be polished." The hophal stem could indicate that Hiram was not involved personally in the polishing of the bronze. In Eze 21:9(14), note the phrase חרב הוחדה וגם מרוטה "a sword sharpened and also polished." In Eze 21:10(15), למען היה לה ברק מרטה "it is polished to flash like lightning." Eze 21:11(16) has two occurrences of the verb: ויתן אתה למרטה לתפש בכף היא הוחדה חרב והיא מרטה לתת אותה ביד הורג "And it was given to be polished; it is to be grasped in the hand. It is a sharpened sword, and it is polished to be given in the hand of the slayer." Similarly, Eze 21:28(33) has, חרב פתוחה לטבח מרוטה להכיל למען ברק "a sword is drawn for slaughter, polished to penetrate, to flash like lightning"; since להכיל has no object, it was taken with the passive meaning "to cause to be contained," that is, "to penetrate." In Eze 29:18, the phrase וכל כתף מרוטה is translated, "and every shoulder was rubbed bare"; the meanings "to be rubbed bare" and "to be polished" are applications of the more general meaning "to be bare," as discussed above.
In the context of much grief, Ezr 9:3 has, ואמרטה משער ראשי וזקני "and I plucked some of the hair from my head and my beard." Ne 13:25 uses the verb מרט figuratively when it states that Nehemiah took out some people from a group: ואמרטם ואשביעם באלהים "and I took them out, and I made them swear by God." Apparently, the text indicates that Nehemiah took them out to speak to them privately. The alternative interpretation that Nehemiah pulled some of their hair fits neither the law nor the Hebrew text, as the object of the verb is "them" not their hair. Though the text is in the immediate context of ואכה מהם "and I struck some of them," the verb "to struck" indicates a punishment that did not have to be physical. However, if it was physical, it must have been in conformity with the law (De 25:2-3). The verb מרט is figuratively used also in Is 50:6 in the phrase ולחיי למרטים פני "and my cheeks to those who took out my face," that is, "and my cheeks to those who disfigured my face."
The instances involving the verb ירט are as follows. In Nu 22:32, the text includes, כי ירט הדרך לנגדי "for the journey was snatched out in my presence." This translation could be explained as follows. It was pointless for Balaam to go to Balak, since God was not allowing him to do what Balak was asking for. Therefore, since Balaam asked God again about it, it follows that he wanted to go and that he was hoping that somehow he would be allowed to go. Thus, when God seemed to give him permission (he was actually testing Balaam), he hurried to take advantage of it (see 1Ki 20:33 for a somewhat similar situation). In Job 16:11, the text has, ועל ידי רשעים ירטני "and he snatched me out into the hands of the wicked." In Is 18:2, גוי ממשך ומורט means "a nation drawn out and snatched out." Is 18:7 includes the similar phrase עם ממשך ומורט "a people drawn out and snatched out." Note that עם "people" is in apposition to שי ליהוה צבאות "gift to the LORD of hosts." Thus, the text refers to persons given as a gift to the Lord, that is, people who come to know him; they are given by the Father to the Son (Jn 6:37, 44). The phrase "a people drawn out and snatched out" can be explained by verses such as Jer 31:3, Hos 11:4, and Jn 6:44; these state plainly that God draws people to himself. They have to be drawn out because of their spiritual captivity (e.g. 2Ti 2:26).
ירט--List of Verses
(Nu 22:32) ויאמר אליו מלאך יהוה על מה הכית את אתנך זה שלוש רגלים הנה אנכי יצאתי לשטן כי ירט הדרך לנגדי
(Job 16:11) יסגירני אל אל עויל ועל ידי רשעים ירטני
(Is 18:2) השלח בים צירים ובכלי גמא על פני מים לכו מלאכים קלים אל גוי ממשך ומורט אל עם נורא מן הוא והלאה גוי קו קו ומבוסה אשר בזאו נהרים ארצו
(Is 18:7) בעת ההיא יובל שי ליהוה צבאות עם ממשך ומורט ומעם נורא מן הוא והלאה גוי קו קו ומבוסה אשר בזאו נהרים ארצו אל מקום שם יהוה צבאות הר ציון
מרט--List of Verses
(Lev 13:40) ואיש כי ימרט ראשו קרח הוא טהור הוא
(Lev 13:41) ואם מפאת פניו ימרט ראשו גבח הוא טהור הוא
(1Ki 7:45) ואת הסירות ואת היעים ואת המזרקות ואת כל הכלים האהל אשר עשה חירם למלך שלמה בית יהוה נחשת ממרט
(Ezr 9:3) וכשמעי את הדבר הזה קרעתי את בגדי ומעילי ואמרטה משער ראשי וזקני ואשבה משומם
(Ne 13:25) ואריב עמם ואקללם ואכה מהם אנשים ואמרטם ואשביעם באלהים אם תתנו בנתיכם לבניהם ואם תשאו מבנתיהם לבניכם ולכם
(Is 50:6) גוי נתתי למכים ולחיי למרטים פני לא הסתרתי מכלמות ורק
(Eze 21:9) (21:14) בן אדם הנבא ואמרת כה אמר אדני אמר חרב חרב הוחדה וגם מרוטה
(Eze 21:10) (21:15) למען טבח טבח הוחדה למען היה לה ברק מרטה או נשיש שבט בני מאסת כל עץ
(Eze 21:11) (21:16) ויתן אתה למרטה לתפש בכף היא הוחדה חרב והיא מרטה לתת אותה ביד הורג
(Eze 21:28) (21:33) ואתה בן אדם הנבא ואמרת כה אמר אדני יהוה אל בני עמון ואל חרפתם ואמרת חרב חרב פתוחה לטבח מרוטה להכיל למען ברק
(Eze 29:18) בן אדם נבוכדראצר מלך בבל העביד את חילו עבדה גדלה אל צר כל ראש מקרח וכל כתף מרוטה ושכר לא היה לו ולחילו מצר על העבדה אשר עבד עליה