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מָסַס

𐤌𐤎𐤎

mâçaç

H4549 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To dissolve, melt, or become liquid; by extension, to lose strength or courage, to faint, be discouraged, or be overcome by fear or distress. The verb is used both literally of physical melting or liquefaction, and figuratively of emotional or psychological collapse.

Semantic Range

to melt (physically), to liquefy, to dissolve, to lose courage, to become faint, to be discouraged, to lose resolve, to be overcome with fear or grief, to waste away (with disease), to be loosed

Root / Etymology

From the root מסס (מ-ס-ס), meaning primarily 'to dissolve, melt.' The word is formed from this root, appearing in the niphal and hiphil stems to describe actions of melting, dissolving, or weakening both in literal and metaphorical sense.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In early Israelite and monarchic literature, מָסַס refers both to the physical process of melting (as of wax or metals) and to the emotional state of being deeply afraid or discouraged, often due to the threat of war, divine judgment, or calamity. Narrative texts employ the verb to depict the psychological response of individuals or communities (e.g., 'the hearts melted') in moments of great fear or grief, especially in the face of military threat (e.g., Joshua 2:11, Deuteronomy 1:28). The figurative use became increasingly common in prophetic and later writings, where 'melting' symbolizes the collapse of morale or spirit under duress. English translations often render the term as 'melt,' 'faint,' or 'be discouraged,' but these can obscure the rich figurative imagery in the Hebrew. Unlike synonyms such as חָתַת (ḥātat, 'to be shattered, dismayed'), מָסַס focuses on dissolution of internal strength or resolve rather than simple terror or breaking. The nuance of emotional dissolution is especially prominent in exilic and post-exilic literature. In translation traditions, a later rendering as 'utterly refuse' appears as an idiomatic extension, but the predominant sense throughout the Hebrew Bible is the weakening or dissolution of courage or firmness.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to liquefy; figuratively, to waste (with disease), to faint (with fatigue, fear or grief); discourage, faint, be loosed, melt (away), refuse, [idiom] utterly.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

מסס (m-s-s) — to dissolve, to melt, to become weak

Root מסס to dissolve, to melt, to become weak
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4522 מַס the corvée levy
H4523 מָס for corvée-levy
H4530 מִסָּה overflow of
H8557 תֶּמֶס melting dissolution

Word Forms

12 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H4549-12 יִמַּ֛ס yimas HVNi3ms he make melt he will melt away he will melt 4
H4549-07 וַ/יִּמַּ֣ס vayimas HC/VNw3ms melted and he melted away and it melted 3
H4549-06 נָמֵ֜ס names HVNp3ms it is melted has melted has melted 2
H4549-11 וְ/נָמֵ֖ס venames HC/VNrmsa and-weak and melting one and weak thing 2
H4549-09 וְ/נָמָֽס venamas HC/VNp3ms and it melted and he melted away and he melted away 2
H4549-10 וְ/נָמַ֥סּוּ venamasu HC/VNq3cp and shall melt and they melted away and they melted away 2
H4549-01 הֵמַ֨סּוּ hemasu HVhp3cp have discouraged they caused to melt have discouraged 1
H4549-08 וַ/יִּמַּ֥סּוּ vayimasu HC/VNw3mp and melted and they melted away and they melted away 1
H4549-03 כְּ/הִמֵּ֣ס kehimes HR/VNc as-is-melted as being melted as being melted 1
H4549-05 נָ֭מַסּוּ namasu HVNp3cp melted They melted away they melted away 1

Occurrences in Scripture

21 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H4549-09 Exodus 16:21 וְ/נָמָֽס venamas HC/VNp3ms and it melted and he melted away and it melted
H4549-01 Deuteronomy 1:28 הֵמַ֨סּוּ hemasu HVhp3cp have discouraged they caused to melt have discouraged
H4549-12 Deuteronomy 20:8 יִמַּ֛ס yimas HVNi3ms he make melt he will melt away he will melt
H4549-07 Joshua 2:11 וַ/יִּמַּ֣ס vayimas HC/VNw3ms melted and he melted away and melted
H4549-07 Joshua 5:1 וַ/יִּמַּ֣ס vayimas HC/VNw3ms melted and he melted away and it melted
H4549-07 Joshua 7:5 וַ/יִּמַּ֥ס vayimas HC/VNw3ms and melted and he melted away and it melted away
H4549-08 Judges 15:14 וַ/יִּמַּ֥סּוּ vayimasu HC/VNw3mp and melted and they melted away and they melted away
H4549-11 1 Samuel 15:9 וְ/נָמֵ֖ס venames HC/VNrmsa and-weak and melting one and weak thing
H4549-02 2 Samuel 17:10 הִמֵּ֣ס himes HVNa will melt to melt away will melt
H4549-12 2 Samuel 17:10 יִמָּ֑ס yimas HVNi3ms will utterly melt he will melt away he will melt
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