Original Word: מוֹצָאָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: mowtsa'ah
Pronunciation: mo-tsaw-AH
Phonetic Spelling: (mo-tsaw-aw')
KJV: draught house; going forth
NASB: goings forth
Word Origin: [feminine of H4161 (מוֹצָא מוֹצָא - exits)]

1. a family descent
2. also a sewer

draught house; going forth

Feminine of mowtsa'; a family descent; also a sewer (marg.; compare tsow'ah) -- draught house; going forth.

see HEBREW mowtsa'

see HEBREW tsow'ah

Word Origin
fem. of motsa
Definition
going forth
NASB Translation
goings forth (1).

[מוֺצָאָה] noun feminine only plural:

a. Micah 5:1 מוֺצָאוֺתָיו (compare future ruler out of Bethlehem), his origin.

b. 2 Kings 10:27 Qr מוֺצָאוֺת places of going out to, i.e. a privy (compare Arabic ; German Abtritt), euphemistically for Kt מַחֲרָאוֺת.

Scope of Usage

The term appears only twice in the canonical Old Testament, yet it bridges the themes of cleansing from idolatry and the eternal origin of the Messiah. It can denote either a physical “outflow” or a metaphysical “coming forth,” depending on context.

Occurrences and Translation Nuances

• 2 Kings 10:27—“They demolished the pillar of Baal, tore down the temple of Baal, and made it a latrine—to this day.” Here the word designates a place where waste is expelled, highlighting the contempt with which Jehu’s reform treated Baal worship.
• Micah 5:2—“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come forth for Me One to be ruler over Israel. His origins are from of old, from everlasting.” In this prophetic setting it expresses the timeless “origins” or “goings-forth” of the promised Ruler, underscoring both His historical birth at Bethlehem and His pre-temporal existence.

Historical and Redemptive Context

Jehu’s Purge (2 Kings 10)

Jehu’s zeal against Baal manifests in reducing the god’s temple to a refuse pit. Turning a shrine into a latrine dramatizes the reversal of defiled worship: what once drew apostate Israel now becomes a byword of uncleanness. The unique vocabulary accentuates total repudiation; nothing of Baal’s cult was merely re-purposed—its very memory became synonymous with excrement. This act stands as a paradigmatic judgment against idolatry: idols are not neutral; they must be expelled.

Messianic Promise (Micah 5)

Micah’s oracle contrasts Bethlehem’s obscurity with the cosmic antiquity of the coming Ruler. The same word that in 2 Kings marks what is cast off becomes, in Micah, the majestic description of the Messiah’s eternal procession. The juxtaposition magnifies the Lord’s sovereignty: He can turn disgrace to glory, smallness to greatness, temporal locality to everlasting purpose. Matthew 2:5-6 explicitly cites Micah, affirming Jesus of Nazareth as the fulfillment whose “coming forth” pre-dates creation (cf. John 1:1-3).

Theological Implications

1. Total Cleansing from Idolatry

By transforming Baal’s precinct into a place for refuse, Israel enacts the truth that no compromise with false worship can remain. Genuine reform discards, rather than rehabilitates, spiritual pollutants (see 2 Corinthians 6:16-17).

2. Eternal Pre-Existence of Christ

Micah’s usage contributes to the doctrine of the Son’s eternality. “From everlasting” harmonizes with passages such as Colossians 1:17, confirming that the Child born in Bethlehem is the Ancient of Days.

3. Divine Irony and Reversal

The same word spanning waste and wonder illustrates Scripture’s consistent theme: God humbles the proud and exalts the lowly (Luke 1:52-53).

Practical Ministry Applications

• Idol Demolition: Contemporary believers are called to identify and discard any modern equivalents of Baal’s temple—objects, ideologies, or habits that rival Christ’s supremacy.
• Gospel Proclamation: Micah 5:2 equips evangelists with an Old Testament testimony to Jesus’ deity and messianic credentials.
• Worship Purity: Church leaders can draw on 2 Kings 10:27 when teaching about holiness, emphasizing that renewal often involves radical elimination of defilement.
• Hope for the Small and Obscure: Bethlehem’s role assures Christ’s followers that God delights to use what the world deems insignificant.

Summary

Though rare, the word encapsulates a sweeping narrative arc—from the expulsion of impurity to the advent of the eternal King. It reminds the faithful that God not only removes what is unclean but also brings forth the One whose goings-forth secure redemption for all who trust in Him.

וּמוֹצָאֹתָ֥יו ומוצאתיו לְמֹֽוצָאֹ֖ות למוצאות lə·mō·w·ṣā·’ō·wṯ lemotzaot ləmōwṣā’ōwṯ ū·mō·w·ṣā·’ō·ṯāw umotzaoTav ūmōwṣā’ōṯāwInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts