מַחְסֵיָה
𐤌𐤇𐤎𐤉𐤄
Macheseyah
H4271 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A personal name meaning 'Yahweh is a refuge' or 'Yahweh is protection.' The name is attested in lists of Israelite individuals and denotes someone whose full trust or security is found in Yahweh. The semantic range centers on the idea of divine protection or shelter associated with the deity," Yahweh."
Semantic Range
personal name meaning 'Yahweh is a refuge'; connotes trust, protection, security in the divine; appears as the name of an individual in genealogical lists
Root / Etymology
Compound of the noun מַחֲסֶה (maḥăseh, 'refuge, shelter') and the shortened theophoric divine name יָהּ (Yah, short for Yahweh). Thus, the name means 'Yah(weh) is a refuge.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
מַחְסֵיָה appears in post-exilic genealogical lists (e.g., Nehemiah 11:5) as the name of an Israelite individual. The name is characteristic of the theophoric naming pattern common in the late monarchic and Persian periods, reflecting personal piety and trust in Israel’s deity. It illustrates the trend of expressing theological beliefs or hopes within personal names in this era. In some English translations, מַחְסֵיָה has been rendered as 'Maaseiah,' likely due to textual confusion or orthographic similarity, but it is a distinct name with a specific meaning emphasizing Yahweh as a source of refuge. The usage is solely as a personal name; it does not appear as a common noun or title. Other names share the 'Yah' suffix, but this one is unique in linking specifically to the concept of 'refuge.'
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from מַחֲסֶה and יָהּ; refuge of (i.e. in) Jah; Machsejah, an Israelite; Maaseiah.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
חסה (ḥ-s-h) — to seek refuge, to take shelter, to trust for safety
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H2620 | חָסָה | she sought refuge |
| H2621 | חֹסָה | Protected One |
| H2622 | חָסוּת | and the refuge-trust |
| H4268 | מַחֲסֶה | place of refuge |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4271-01 |
מַחְסֵיָה֒ | macheseyah | HNp |
Mahseiah | Yah-Is-Refuge | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4271-01 |
Jeremiah 32:12 | מַחְסֵיָה֒ | macheseyah | HNp |
Mahseiah | Yah-Is-Refuge |
H4271-01 |
Jeremiah 51:59 | מַחְסֵיָה֒ | macheseyah | HNp |
Mahseiah | Yah-Is-Refuge |