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H4161 · Hebrew · Old Testament
מוֹצָא
motsa
Noun, masculine
going out, exit, source, utterance

Definition

Motsa (H4161) derives from yatsa (to go out) and covers a range of 'going out' meanings: the exit of a place, the source of a spring, the east (direction of sunrise), and most powerfully, what proceeds from the mouth — God's word. 'Man does not live by bread alone but by every utterance [motsa] that proceeds from the mouth of God' (Deuteronomy 8:3).

Usage & Theological Significance

When Deuteronomy 8:3 uses motsa for God's word, it is the living breath that sustains creation. Jesus quotes this against Satan (Matthew 4:4), insisting that life flows from every word that exits God's mouth. Water springs (motsa) that sustain physical life are analogies for the word of God that sustains spiritual life.

Key Bible Verses

Deuteronomy 8:3 Man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word [motsa] that comes from the mouth of the LORD.
2 Kings 2:21 Then he went to the spring of water [motsa] and threw salt in it and said, 'Thus says the LORD, I have healed this water.'
Isaiah 58:11 And the LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water [motsa], whose waters do not fail.
Psalm 19:6 Its rising [motsa] is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them.
Matthew 4:4 Jesus answered, 'It is written: Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'

Related Words

External Resources

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