Lexical Summary
madad: To measure
Original Word:מָדַד
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:madad
Pronunciation:mah-dad'
Phonetic Spelling:(maw-dad')
KJV: measure, mete, stretch self
NASB:measured, measure, continues, stretched, surveyed
Word Origin:[a primitive root]
1. (by implication) to measure (as if by stretching a line)
2. (figuratively) to be extended
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
measure, mete, stretch self
A primitive root: properly, to stretch; by implication, to measure (as if by stretching a line); figuratively, to be extended -- measure, mete, stretch self.
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. root
Definitionto measure
NASB Translationcontinues (1), measure (9), measured (41), stretched (1), surveyed (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
53 (Late Hebrew
id.; Phoenician ; Arabic
extend, stretch,
a corn-measure, etc.; Assyrian
madâdu,
measure; Jewish-Aramaic noun
measure, proportion, rule); —
Perfect ()Isaiah 40:12 9t. Ezekiel; suffixEzekiel 42:15,20; 1singularIsaiah 65:7; consecutiveDeuteronomy 21:2;Ezekiel 43:10; consecutiveNumbers 35:5;ImperfectRuth 3:15 22t. Ezekiel; 2masculine singularEzekiel 45:3;Exodus 16:18;Ezekiel 47:18;InfinitiveZechariah 2:6; —measure, chiefly literal (usually followed by accusativeof thing; object omittedExodus 16:18;Deuteronomy 21:2;Ezekiel 40:35, compareEzekiel 47:18 (but see Co); followed by accusative of measureRuth 3:15;Ezekiel 42:19;Ezekiel 47:3,4 (twice in verse);Ezekiel 47:5); —
Numbers 35:5 (P),Deuteronomy 21:2 (D),Ezekiel 40:5,6,8,20 32t.Ezekiel 40-47Zechariah 2:6.
Exodus 16:18 (P),Ruth 3:15.
Isaiah 40:12 (of ); of requitalIsaiah 65:7.
ImperfectHosea 2:1;Jeremiah 33:22;Jeremiah 31:37; —be measured, of sand of seaHosea 2:1;Jeremiah 33:22; of heavensJeremiah 31:37.
Perfect consecutiveJob 7:4 (compare Ges§ 52. 2. R. l);Imperfect2 Samuel 8:2;2 Samuel 8:2;Psalm 60:8;Psalm 108:8; —
extend, continue (= make extentor continuation), subjectJob 7:4.
measure, measure off, , of apportioning Moabites to death and life, followed by suffix2 Samuel 8:2; also object2 Samuel 8:2; metaphor of conquest, followed by accusative,Psalm 60:8 =Psalm 108:8 ("" ).
ImperfectHabakkuk 3:6 (subject God, object ),measured (namely, with eye) Hi AV RV, but dubious; , , henceshook Ew Ke Or and others (from √ [ =] , but read then rather , although not elsewhere in this conjugation; We, plausibly, √ , compareNahum 1:5).
followed by ;1 Kings 17:21measured (= extended, stretched)himself upon the boy.
Topical Lexicon
Concept and ScopeThe Hebrew verb מָדַד conveys the act of measuring, meting out, or stretching a line. Throughout the Old Testament it describes both human activity (surveying land, weighing resources) and the divine prerogative to assign boundaries, judge, and bless. The verb’s approximately fifty-two occurrences reveal an integrated theology of measurement: God ordains precise limits for creation, covenant land, worship, and destiny, and He calls His people to respect those limits in faith and obedience.
Measuring the Promised Land
1. Inheritance and stewardship
•Numbers 35:5 details the Levitical cities: “You are also to measure… two thousand cubits on the east side… with the city in the center.” Accurate measurement protects the Levites’ provision and the surrounding tribes’ holdings.
•Joshua 18:8-10 records tribes “mapping the land and writing a description… and Joshua cast lots… at Shiloh,” linking measurement with divine allotment.
2. Justice within the land
•Deuteronomy 21:2 commands elders and judges to “measure the distance from the slain man to the neighboring cities,” ensuring corporate responsibility for innocent blood. Measurement becomes a practical tool for maintaining covenant righteousness.
•Psalm 60:6 parallels: “I will parcel out Shechem and measure out the Valley of Succoth.” The Lord Himself distributes territory, guaranteeing that every promise to Abraham’s seed is exact and irrevocable.
Divine Sovereignty over Creation
Job’s wisdom poetry applies מָדַד to the universe itself:
•Job 28:25—“When He fixed the weight of the wind and established the measure of the waters.”
•Job 38:5—“Who fixed its measurements? Surely you know!”
Isaiah echoes this cosmic perspective: “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand… or weighed the mountains on scales?” (Isaiah 40:12). The verb therefore underscores the Creator’s meticulous governance of natural forces, offering comfort that the world is neither random nor chaotic.
Measurement as Instrument of Judgment
1. National reckoning
•2 Samuel 8:2 portrays David subduing Moab: “He measured them off with a cord. Two thirds were put to death, and one third was allowed to live.” The king’s literal measuring line becomes the rod of discipline for hostile nations, prefiguring Messiah’s righteous rule (comparePsalm 2).
2. Conditional permanence
•Jeremiah 31:37 pronounces an unfathomable standard: “Only if the heavens above can be measured… will I reject all the descendants of Israel.” The impossibility of such measurement highlights the steadfastness of God’s covenant love, even while warning of exile for disobedience (Jeremiah 31:35-36).
Temple and Worship
1. Solomonic precedent
1 Kings describes the careful dimensions of the first temple (though מָדַד does not appear there, the concept of precise measurement pervades the narrative). The verb itself surfaces prominently in Ezekiel’s visionary temple:
2. Ezekiel’s visionary tour
•Ezekiel 40—47 contains more than twenty uses, beginning with “a man… with a measuring rod of flax” (Ezekiel 40:3). Every door, alcove, wall, and courtyard is meticulously measured, signaling a future worship order of purity and perfection after exile. Measurement assures that nothing unholy intrudes and that each worshiper knows his place.
3. Post-exilic reassurance
•Zechariah 1:16: “My house will be rebuilt within it, and a measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem.”
•Zechariah 2:1-2 shows a man sent “to measure Jerusalem,” promising expansive safety: “Jerusalem will be a city without walls… because of the multitude of people and livestock within it” (Zechariah 2:4). The measuring line thus becomes a pledge of restoration and future glory.
Human Craft and Idolatry
Isaiah warns that measurement can be corrupted: “The carpenter stretches a line; he marks it out with a stylus… and shapes it into the form of a man” (Isaiah 44:13). Here מָדַד exposes the folly of idolatry—exact craftsmanship employed in service of lies. By contrast, the true God fashions people by His own measure (Genesis 1:26-27) and forbids them to make gods after their own measurements.
Eschatological Hope
Revelation 11:1-2 (Greek counterpart) depicts a measuring rod for the temple of God, echoing Ezekiel and Zechariah. The Old Testament usage of מָדַד lays the groundwork for this final vision: the Lord will again mark off His sanctuary, protect His worshipers, and judge the nations. Every cubit prefigures the consummate order of the new heavens and new earth where righteousness dwells (2 Peter 3:13).
Theology of Boundaries
1. Order reflects God’s character. Precise limits reveal divine wisdom (Proverbs 8:27-31) and faithfulness (Psalm 147:4).
2. Boundaries protect life and foster justice. The measured cities of refuge (Numbers 35) and distances to crime scenes (Deuteronomy 21) safeguard both the innocent and the accused.
3. Measurement anticipates fulfillment. Promises “measured” to Abraham’s offspring culminate in Messiah, who “was cut off” but guarantees that “the land will be measured out as an inheritance” (Ezekiel 47:13-14).
Ministry Implications
• Stewardship: Believers honor God by managing time, resources, and spiritual gifts within ordained limits (Ephesians 5:15-16;1 Peter 4:10).
• Accountability: Just as the Lord “measures” the nations, He will “weigh the spirits” (Proverbs 21:2). Pastoral leaders must therefore exercise wise assessment of doctrine and conduct (1 Timothy 4:16).
• Hope: The God who measures seas and sanctuaries also numbers our hairs (Luke 12:7). His precision fuels assurance that not one promise will fail (Joshua 21:45).
Summary
מָדַד weaves through Scripture as a tapestry of divine precision—from the allocation of tribal land, through the assessment of nations, to the architectural details of the future temple. Whether wielded by prophets, kings, or angelic surveyors, the measuring line ultimately rests in the hand of the sovereign Lord, who alone defines reality, establishes justice, and secures redemption’s boundaries for His people.
Forms and Transliterations
אֲמַדֵּֽד׃ אמדד׃ וַֽיְמַדְּדֵ֤ם וַיְמַדֵּ֤ד וַיְמֹ֣דֶד וַיִּתְמֹדֵ֤ד וַיָּ֙מָד֙ וַיָּ֛מָד וַיָּ֜מָד וַיָּ֣מָד וַיָּ֣מָד ׀ וַיָּ֤מָד וַיָּ֥מָד וַיָּ֧מָד וַיָּ֨מָד וַיָּמֹ֣דּוּ וּמְדָד֖וֹ וּמַדֹּתִ֧י וּמַדֹּתֶ֞ם וּמָדְד֖וּ וּמָדְדוּ֙ וּמָדַ֖ד וּמָדַ֣ד וּמָדַ֤ד וימד וימדד וימדדם וימדו ויתמדד ומדד ומדדו ומדתי ומדתם יִמַּ֖ד יִמַּ֤דּוּ ימד ימדו לָמֹד֙ למד מְדָד֗וֹ מָדַ֖ד מָדַ֛ד מָדַ֥ד מָדַ֨ד מָדָ֑ד מדד מדדו תָּמ֔וֹד תָּמֹ֑דּוּ תמדו תמוד ’ă·mad·dêḏ ’ămaddêḏ amadDed lā·mōḏ laMod lāmōḏ mā·ḏaḏ mā·ḏāḏ maDad māḏaḏ māḏāḏ mə·ḏā·ḏōw medaDo məḏāḏōw tā·mō·wḏ tā·mōd·dū taMod taModdu tāmōddū tāmōwḏ ū·mā·ḏaḏ ū·mā·ḏə·ḏū ū·mad·dō·ṯem ū·mad·dō·ṯî ū·mə·ḏā·ḏōw umaDad ūmāḏaḏ umaddoTem ūmaddōṯem umaddoTi ūmaddōṯî umadeDu ūmāḏəḏū umedaDo ūməḏāḏōw vaiYamod vaiyaModdu vaiyitmoDed vaymadDed vaymaddeDem vayModed way·mad·də·ḏêm way·mad·dêḏ way·mō·ḏeḏ way·yā·māḏ way·yā·mōd·dū way·yiṯ·mō·ḏêḏ waymaddêḏ waymaddəḏêm waymōḏeḏ wayyāmāḏ wayyāmōddū wayyiṯmōḏêḏ yim·maḏ yim·mad·dū yimMad yimmaḏ yimMaddu yimmaddū
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