midrash

[ Sephardic Hebrew mee-drahsh; Ashkenazic Hebrew mi-drahsh ]

/ Sephardic Hebrew miˈdrɑʃ; Ashkenazic Hebrew ˈmɪ drɑʃ /

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noun, plural mid·ra·shim

[Sephardic Hebrew mee-drah-sheem; Ashkenazic Hebrew mi-draw-shim], /Sephardic Hebrew mi drɑˈʃim; Ashkenazic Hebrew mɪˈdrɔ ʃɪm/, mid·ra·shoth, mid·ra·shot, mid·ra·shos

[Sephardic Hebrew mee-drah-shawt; Ashkenazic Hebrew mi-draw-shohs]. /Sephardic Hebrew mi drɑˈʃɔt; Ashkenazic Hebrew mɪˈdrɔ ʃoʊs/.

an early Jewish interpretation of or commentary on a Biblical text, clarifying or expounding a point of law or developing or illustrating a moral principle.

(initial capital letter) a collection of such interpretations or commentaries, especially those written in the first ten centuries a.d.

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Origin of midrash

First recorded in 1605–15, midrash is from the Hebrew word midrāsh literally, exposition

OTHER WORDS FROM midrash

mid·rash·ic

[mid-rash-ik], /mɪdˈræʃ ɪk/, adjective

Words nearby midrash

mid-ocean ridge, mid off, mid on, midpoint, midrange, midrash, midrib, midriff, mid-rise, midsagittal plane, midsection

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use midrash in a sentence

In 1808 the Beth ha-Midrash was suddenly transformed into the "Samsonschool," still in useful operation.
Jewish Literature and Other Essays|Gustav Karpeles
Hence arises Midrash, exposition, from 171 darash to “investigate” a scriptural passage.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 2|Various
"Legendary exposition" best expresses the full meaning of the word Midrash.
Hebraic Literature; Translations from the Talmud, Midrashim and Kabbala|Various
An ancient Midrash taught that in the Temple there were seventy sacrifices offered for the seventy nations.
Chosen Peoples|Israel Zangwill

British Dictionary definitions for midrash

midrash

/ (ˈmɪdræʃ, Hebrew miˈdraʃ) /

noun plural midrashim (mɪˈdrɔʃɪm, Hebrew midraˈʃim) Judaism

a homily on a scriptural passage derived by traditional Jewish exegetical methods and consisting usually of embellishment of the scriptural narrative

one of a number of collections of such homilies composed between 400 and 1200 ad

Derived forms of midrash

midrashic (mɪdˈræʃɪk), adjective

Word Origin for midrash

C17: from Hebrew: commentary, from darash to search

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012