מַסַּע
𐤌𐤎𐤏
maççaʻ
H4550 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A movement from one place to another, typically used for the acts of setting out, traveling, or the course of a journey, especially in the context of group migrations or stages of travel. The term most frequently describes the progress from one encampment to the next in a multi-stage trip. In narrative and legal contexts, it may denote either the action of setting out or the journey as a collective experience.
Semantic Range
departure, journey, march, stage of a journey, act of setting out, travel, movement between encampments
Root / Etymology
From the root נ-ס-ע (נסע), which means 'to pull up (tent pegs), remove, set out, journey.' מַסַּע is a nominal derivation indicating the action or the event of setting out or traveling. The nominal pattern emphasizes the occurrence or process of moving from place to place rather than the physical distance involved.
Historical & Contextual Notes
מַסַּע appears predominantly in texts detailing the travels of groups—most notably in the itinerary of the Israelites in the wilderness (e.g., Numbers 33), where the journey is understood as a series of stages or departures. The noun is distinct from related terms such as דֶּרֶךְ (derek, path, way), which typically focuses on route or direction, and תְּרוּמָה (terumah, contribution/offering), which shares a root consonant but is conceptually unrelated. English translations often render מַסַּע as 'journey' or 'stage' (as in a stage of travel), but these can obscure the original's focus on the act of departure as well as the liminal status between encampments. The term does not necessarily imply a single day's journey or a defined distance; rather, it emphasizes the movement itself and the transitions between settlement points. In later periods and in post-biblical Hebrew, it retains the sense of travel or journey but can acquire metaphorical dimensions. In contrast to New Testament uses of journey-related terms (which sometimes are rendered as 'travel' or 'journey'), מַסַּע remains rooted in the concrete experience of Israelite migratory encampment, most exemplified in the Exodus and wilderness traditions.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from נָסַע; a departure (from striking the tents), i.e. march (not necessarily a single day's travel); by implication, a station (or point of departure); journey(-ing).
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
נסע (n-s-ʿ) — pull up, remove, set out, journey
Word Forms
6 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4550-03 |
לְ/מַסְעֵי/הֶ֖ם | lemaseeyhem | HR/Ncmpc/Sp3mp |
according to their journeys | for their journey-stages | 4 |
H4550-05 |
מַסְעֵי/הֶֽם | maseeyhem | HNcmpc/Sp3mp |
their journeys | their journey-stages | 3 |
H4550-04 |
מַסְעֵ֥י | maseey | HNcmpc |
journeyings | journey-stages of | 2 |
H4550-06 |
וּ/לְ/מַסַּ֖ע | ulemasa | HC/R/Ncmsa |
and for breaking | and for journey-stage | 1 |
H4550-02 |
לְ/מַסָּעָ֔י/ו | lemasaayv | HR/Ncmpc/Sp3ms |
on his journeys | for his journey-stages | 1 |
H4550-01 |
לְ/מַסַּ֖ע | lemasa | HR/Ncmsa |
on a journey | to a journey-stage | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
12 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4550-02 |
Genesis 13:3 | לְ/מַסָּעָ֔י/ו | lemasaayv | HR/Ncmpc/Sp3ms |
on his journeys | for his journey-stages |
H4550-03 |
Exodus 17:1 | לְ/מַסְעֵי/הֶ֖ם | lemaseeyhem | HR/Ncmpc/Sp3mp |
according to their journeys | for their journey-stages |
H4550-05 |
Exodus 40:36 | מַסְעֵי/הֶֽם | maseeyhem | HNcmpc/Sp3mp |
their journeys | their journey-stages |
H4550-05 |
Exodus 40:38 | מַסְעֵי/הֶֽם | maseeyhem | HNcmpc/Sp3mp |
their journeys | their journey-stages |
H4550-06 |
Numbers 10:2 | וּ/לְ/מַסַּ֖ע | ulemasa | HC/R/Ncmsa |
and for breaking | and for journey-stage |
H4550-03 |
Numbers 10:6 | לְ/מַסְעֵי/הֶֽם | lemaseeyhem | HR/Ncmpc/Sp3mp |
for their journeys | for their journey-stages |
H4550-03 |
Numbers 10:12 | לְ/מַסְעֵי/הֶ֖ם | lemaseeyhem | HR/Ncmpc/Sp3mp |
according to their journeys | for their journey-stages |
H4550-04 |
Numbers 10:28 | מַסְעֵ֥י | maseey | HNcmpc |
journeyings | journey-stages of |
H4550-04 |
Numbers 33:1 | מַסְעֵ֣י | maseey | HNcmpc |
journeys | journey-stages of |
H4550-03 |
Numbers 33:2 | לְ/מַסְעֵי/הֶ֖ם | lemaseeyhem | HR/Ncmpc/Sp3mp |
according to their journeys | for their journey-stages |