Lexical Summary
mohar: Bridal price, dowry
Original Word:מֹהַר
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:mohar
Pronunciation:mo'-har
Phonetic Spelling:(mo'-har)
KJV: dowry
NASB:dowry, bridal payment
Word Origin:[fromH4117 (מָהַר - bartered)]
1. a price (for a wife)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
dowry
Frommahar; a price (for a wife) -- dowry.
see HEBREWmahar
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom an unused word
Definitionpurchase price (of a wife)
NASB Translationbridal payment (1), dowry (2).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
of wife
Late Hebrewid.; Arabic
RSK 78 f; RSProph. iv. n. 13 Nöl.c. StaGeschichte. i. 381 DrDeuteronomy 22:23 and references; Aramaic ,
; — absoluteGenesis 34:12 (J; "" )1 Samuel 18:25; constructExodus 22:16 (E).
Topical Lexicon
Meaning and ScopeStrong’s Hebrew 4119, mohar, denotes the “bride-price,” the tangible payment given by a prospective bridegroom (or his family) to the bride’s father as part of the marriage arrangements. While it frequently took the form of silver, livestock, or costly service, Scripture treats it primarily as an act of covenantal commitment rather than a mere commercial transaction.
Occurrences in the Old Testament
•Genesis 34:12 – Shechem offers an extraordinarily high mohar in an attempt to legitimize his union with Dinah: “Impose upon me a great payment and gift, and I will give whatever you ask”.
•Exodus 22:17 – The Mosaic law mandates the mohar even when premarital relations have occurred: “If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, the man must pay an amount equal to the bride-price for virgins”.
•1 Samuel 18:25 – Saul replaces a monetary mohar with a dangerous military task: “The king desires no other dowry than a hundred Philistine foreskins, to take vengeance on the king’s enemies”.
Cultural and Legal Background
1. Family Honor and Protection: In patriarchal society the mohar recognized the father’s loss of household labor and the transfer of guardianship. It served both to honor the bride and to protect her should she later be repudiated (compareDeuteronomy 22:29).
2. Covenant Formality: By paying the mohar the groom publicly pledged fidelity, much as modern wedding vows do. Failure to pay could nullify the contract.
3. Compensation and Deterrence: The requirement inExodus 22:17 discouraged premarital exploitation. Even if the father refused the match, the offender was obligated to pay, underscoring the sanctity of virginity and family rights.
Theological Themes
• Sanctity of Marriage: Every occurrence of mohar underscores that marriage is not casual but covenantal, rooted in accountable promises (cf.Malachi 2:14).
• Redemption Motif: The notion of a costly payment prefigures the redemptive pattern fulfilled in the New Testament, where Christ “loved the church and gave Himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25).
• Kingship and Warfare: Saul’s demand in1 Samuel 18:25 shows how the bride-price could be leveraged politically, contrasting human manipulation with God’s sovereign choice of David.
Christological and New Covenant Implications
The mohar supplies rich typology:
1. Price Paid for a Bride: Just as a groom secured his bride with a costly gift, Christ secures His people with His own blood (1 Peter 1:18-19).
2. Voluntary Yet Binding: The voluntary nature of the payment inGenesis 34 highlights Christ’s willing self-offering (John 10:18).
3. Protective Provision: The bride-price safeguarded the woman’s future; similarly, believers are “sealed for the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30).
Practical Application for Ministry Today
• Marriage Counseling: Emphasize the gravity of marital promises. A wedding is not merely celebratory but covenantal, warranting sacrificial commitment.
• Sexual Ethics: TeachExodus 22:17 as a precedent for protecting purity and holding men accountable.
• Evangelism and Discipleship: Use the mohar motif to illustrate substitutionary atonement, helping seekers grasp why salvation cannot be earned but must be received as the Bridegroom’s costly gift.
Related Biblical Parallels
Though the term mohar is absent, the concept reappears:
• Rebekah’s jewelry from Abraham’s servant (Genesis 24:53).
• Hosea’s purchase of Gomer (Hosea 3:2) as a living parable of redeeming love.
• The heavenly wedding imagery inRevelation 19:7-9, where the Lamb’s sacrifice functions as the ultimate bride-price.
Summary
M̌ohar frames marriage as a solemn, accountable covenant requiring costly, tangible commitment. In redemptive history it foreshadows the Gospel, where the Lord Jesus—the greater Bridegroom—pays the supreme price to claim, honor, and secure His bride forever.
Forms and Transliterations
בְּמֹ֔הַר במהר כְּמֹ֖הַר כמהר מֹ֣הַר מהר bə·mō·har beMohar bəmōhar kə·mō·har keMohar kəmōhar mō·har Mohar mōhar
Links
Interlinear Greek •
Interlinear Hebrew •
Strong's Numbers •
Englishman's Greek Concordance •
Englishman's Hebrew Concordance •
Parallel Texts
