Hebrew word · H4144

מוֹסָד

mosdei

foundation

Foundations, footings, bases. With 'mountains' it means the roots of the mountains, which were pictured as reaching down into the deep and holding up the earth's surface.

Appears 8 times in 8 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

foundation

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Deuteronomy 32:22

Range of meaning

Foundations, footings, bases. With 'mountains' it means the roots of the mountains, which were pictured as reaching down into the deep and holding up the earth's surface.

Against the English

'Foundations of the mountains' is accurate. Modern readers may picture only the bottom of a hill, but for Israelites these were the supports of the whole world.

Used elsewhere in the period

Psalm 18:7 (2 Samuel 22:8, 'foundations of the heavens'): the foundations of the mountains tremble when God appears. Jonah 2:6: 'to the roots of the mountains I went down', on the way to Sheol. Micah 6:2: the mountains and the 'enduring foundations of the earth' are called as witnesses.

From the study of Jeremiah 31:37

Range of meaning

Foundations, footings, the base something is built on. 'The foundations of the earth' is an image from building: the earth set firm on bases or pillars, deep below the surface and out of human reach.

Against the English

English 'foundations of the earth' is a fair rendering. The original picture is a building: God as architect who laid footings that no person has ever seen.

Used elsewhere in the period

'The pillars of the earth are YHWH's; on them he set the world' (1 Sam 2:8); 'He set the earth on its foundations, it will never be moved' (Ps 104:5); 'the foundations of the earth shook' (Ps 18:7); 'Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?' (Isa 40:21). Other ancient Near Eastern texts also picture the world as a built structure with a founded base and a sky above.

From the study of Micah 6:2

Range of meaning

Foundation or base: of a building, of the mountains (Deut 32:22, "sets on fire the foundations of the mountains"), and of the earth (Isa 24:18; Ps 82:5; Prov 8:29; Jer 31:37). It is related to the verb yāsad, "to lay a foundation".

Against the English

"Foundations" is accurate. A modern reader may picture geology. Ancient Israelites pictured the land as set on deep supports sunk into the waters below (Ps 24:2; 104:5), laid by God at creation.

Used elsewhere in the period

"Foundations of the earth" is a standard phrase in Israelite poetry for the deepest, oldest part of the created order. They are laid by YHWH (Ps 104:5; Job 38:4), cannot be searched out (Jer 31:37), and shake when God judges (Isa 24:18).

Where it appears

Deuteronomy · 1

  1. Deuteronomy 32:22 מוֹסְדֵ֥י [the] foundations of

    For a fire has been kindled by My anger, and it burns to the depths of Sheol; it consumes the earth and its produce, and scorches the foundations of the mountains.

    Here: The footings or roots of the mountains, which Israelites pictured as reaching down into the deep and holding up the world (compare Psalm 18:7).

Psalms · 2

  1. Psalm 18:7 וּמוֹסְדֵ֣י and [the] foundations of

    Then the earth shook and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains trembled; they were shaken because He burned with anger.

    Here: "And the foundations of": the deepest supports of the world. Hebrew pictured them as reaching down into the waters under the earth (compare v. 15, "the foundations of the world were laid bare").

  2. Psalm 82:5 מ֥וֹסְדֵי [the] foundations of

    They do not know or understand; they wander in the darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken.

    Here: 'Foundations of': the footings or base-supports on which the earth was pictured as built, like a building on its foundations (compare Ps 18:7; Isa 24:18; Mic 6:2).

Proverbs · 1

  1. Proverbs 8:29 מ֣וֹסְדֵי [the] foundations of

    when He set a boundary for the sea, so that the waters would not surpass His command, when He marked out the foundations of the earth.

    Here: 'The foundations of'. The earth is pictured as a building set on a laid foundation or on pillars (compare Job 38:4–6). God is the master builder.

Isaiah · 2

  1. Isaiah 24:18 מ֥וֹסְדֵי [the] foundations of

    Whoever flees the sound of panic will fall into the pit, and whoever climbs from the pit will be caught in the snare. For the windows of heaven are open, and the foundations of the earth are shaken.

  2. Isaiah 58:12 מוֹסְדֵ֥י [the] foundations of

    Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins; you will restore the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of the Breach, Restorer of the Streets of Dwelling.

    Here: The base courses of stone a building or wall stands on. Here they are left exposed after the walls above were pulled down.

Jeremiah · 1

  1. Jeremiah 31:37 מֽוֹסְדֵי־ [the] foundations of

    This is what the LORD says: “Only if the heavens above could be measured and the foundations of the earth below searched out would I reject all of Israel’s descendants because of all they have done,” declares the LORD.

    Here: The footings the earth was pictured as resting on, deep under the ground and out of human reach.

Micah · 1

  1. Micah 6:2 מֹ֣סְדֵי [the] foundations of

    Hear, O mountains, the LORD’s indictment, you enduring foundations of the earth. For the LORD has a case against His people, and He will argue it against Israel:

    Here: "Foundations of". It describes the "enduring ones": the deep base on which the earth and its mountains were believed to rest.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.