---
title: מוֹקֵשׁ — a bait · The Tanakh dictionary
description: מוֹקֵשׁ (4170), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 27 times: a bait. BDB 1906: n.m. bait lure snare. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# מוֹקֵשׁ

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«מוֹקֵשׁ» in the Tanakh dictionary: **a bait** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 27 times · **Key:** 4170 · **BDB:** מוֹקֵשׁ

### Glosses

snare (10); snares (9); a.snare (5)

### Meaning (OSHB)

a bait [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4170/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

n.m. bait lure snare [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4170/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** n.m. Pr 12:13 proposes a bait or lure in a fowler’s net; then fig. snare—abs. מוֹקֵשׁ Ex 10:7 + 15 times; cstr. Pr 18:7; 20:25; pl. מוֹקְשִׁים ψ 64:6 Jb 40:24; מֹקְשִׁים ψ 140:6; cstr. מוֹקְשֵי 18:6 + 3 times; מֹקְשֵׁי 2 S 22:6; f. מֹקְשׁוֹת ψ 141:9; bait or lure, in a net for birds Am 3:5; will not pierce nostril of hippopotamus Jb 40:24; elsewhere fig. of what allures and entraps any one to disaster or ruin; Moses a snare to Egyptians Ex 10:7 (J); מוֹקְשֵׁי עָם Jb 34:30, of men who are the ruin of their people; idols and idol-worship a pernicious lure to Israel Ex 23:33 (JE), Dt 7:16 Ju 2:3; 8:27 ψ 106:36; so alliances with Canaanites Ex 34:12 (JE), Jos 23:13 (D); Michal, to David 1 S 18:21; of י׳ as cause of ruin to evildoers Is 8:14; of plots of wicked ψ 64:6; 140:6 (vb. שִׁית; ‖ פַּח, חֲבָלִים, רֶשֶׁת), 141:9 (‖ פַּח); a lure or snare for wicked in their transgressions Pr 29:6 ψ 69:23 (‖ פַּח); consisting in transgressions of lips Pr 12:13, cf. 18:7; 20:25; in wrathfulness 22:25; in fear of man 29:25; מ׳ מָוֶת ψ 18:6 = 2 S 22:6 (‖ חֶבְלֵי שְׁאוֹל), Pr 13:14; 14:27.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 27 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (2 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 0 with the glosses (1 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «מוֹקֵשׁ» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4170/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Job 34:30](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/JOB.34.30/)

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מִ֭מְּלֹךְ אָדָ֥ם חָנֵ֗ף מִמֹּ֥קְשֵׁי עָֽם׃

*Word for word:* from reigning a.person godless from snares of.a.people

*JPS 1917:* That the godless man reign not, that there be none to ensnare the people.

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[2 Samuel 22:6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/2SA.22.6/)

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חֶבְלֵ֥י שְׁא֖וֹל סַבֻּ֑נִי קִדְּמֻ֖נִי מֹֽקְשֵׁי־מָֽוֶת׃

*Word for word:* the.cords of.Sheol they surrounded.me they confronted.me snares of.death

*JPS 1917:* The cords of Sheol surrounded me; the snares of Death confronted me.

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