← H4638 H4640 →

מַעֲשֶׂה

𐤌𐤏𐤔𐤄

maʻăseh

H4639 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

An act, deed, or activity; the result or outcome of doing. Used to refer to any work, action, or accomplishment by a person, group, or divine agency, including tangible products (objects made), patterns of conduct, or abstract actions. May denote human labor, divine creative acts, achievements, business, craftsmanship, or moral/ritual actions, depending on the context.

Semantic Range

act, deed, action, thing done, work, labor, business, product of activity, accomplishment, undertaking, occupation, skillful craft, conduct, behavior, property, offering, ritual act, act of God (creative work), craftsmanship, handiwork, result of labor

Root / Etymology

From the root עשה ('ayin-shin-he), meaning 'to do, act, make, perform.' מַעֲשֶׂה is a noun form denoting the result or process of doing—i.e., a deed, act, or product derived from 'to do/make.' The noun form focuses on the outcome, whether tangible or intangible.

Historical & Contextual Notes

מַעֲשֶׂה is extremely common in biblical Hebrew and covers a wide range from physical acts and divine works (such as creation in Genesis 2:2-3), to skilled craftsmanship (Exodus 26:6), ritual deeds (Leviticus 18:3), or general conduct and moral actions (Deuteronomy 28:20). The term does not itself specify positive or negative moral valence—context determines whether the act is good or bad. In legal and economic texts, the word refers to business, occupation, or property produced by work. English translations often render it as 'work,' 'deed,' 'act,' 'activity,' 'product,' or 'thing made,' but none capture its range fully. Later in Hebrew literature, it can refer to poetic or narrative compositions, though rarely so in the Hebrew Bible. Distinct from מִלָּה (word/saying) or דָּבָר (thing/matter), which can overlap but emphasize speech or broader matters rather than specific acts or works. In priestly and prophetic contexts, may denote ritual actions, offerings, or the visible results of God’s will. In post-exilic literature, sometimes takes on an even broader scope, including hypothetical or paradigm acts.

Translation Consistency

primary "work" 46 occurrences

'Work' is the most frequent and most versatile natural-English rendering in the P2 data. It covers human labor, craftsmanship, products, accomplishments, and divine creative acts (e.g. "the works of God") while sounding natural in both concrete and abstract contexts. Using 'work' gives consistent, idiomatic translations across the full semantic range of מַעֲשֶׂה.

Alternatives (4 occurrences):
"deeds" (3x) "according to their deeds" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from עָשָׂה; an action (good or bad); generally, a transaction; abstractly, activity; by implication, a product (specifically, a poem) or (generally) property; act, art, [phrase] bakemeat, business, deed, do(-ing), labor, thing made, ware of making, occupation, thing offered, operation, possession, [idiom] well, (handy-, needle-, net-) work(ing, -manship), wrought.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

עשה (Yaasu) — to do, to make, to act

Root עשה to do, to make, to perform, to act
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3299 יַעֲשׂוּ They-will-act
H3300 יַעֲשִׂיאֵל And God-has-made
H4640 מַעֲשַׂי and Yah-has-performed
H4641 מַעֲשֵׂיָה Yahweh has accomplished
H6213 עָשָׂה he did

Word Forms

38 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H4639-22 מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה maaseh HNcmsc work deed of work of 95
H4639-28 מַעֲשֶׂ֔י/ךָ maaseykha HNcmpc/Sp2ms your works your deeds your works 13
H4639-07 הַ/מַּעֲשֶׂ֣ה hamaaseh HTd/Ncmsa the deed the deed the work 12
H4639-11 כְּ/מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה kemaaseh HR/Ncmsc like the work like a deed of like the work of 12
H4639-23 מַעֲשֵֽׂ/הוּ maasehu HNcmsc/Sp3ms his work his deed his work 11
H4639-35 וּ/מַֽעֲשֵׂ֔ה umaaseh HC/Ncmsc and the work and deed-of and work of 10
H4639-21 מַעֲשָׂ֖י/ו maasayv HNcmpc/Sp3ms his works his deeds his works 9
H4639-25 מַעֲשֵׂ֣י maasey HNcmpc works of deeds of works of 8
H4639-27 מַעֲשֵׂי/הֶֽם maaseyhem HNcmpc/Sp3mp their works their deeds their works 8
H4639-03 בְּ/מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה bemaaseh HR/Ncmsc with the work in deed-of in the work of 6

Occurrences in Scripture

235 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H4639-33 Genesis 5:29 מִֽ/מַּעֲשֵׂ֨/נוּ֙ mimaasenu HR/Ncmsc/Sp1cp from our work from our deed from our work
H4639-31 Genesis 20:9 מַעֲשִׂים֙ maasim HNcmpa deeds works deeds
H4639-22 Genesis 40:17 מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה maaseh HNcmsc kinds deed of work of
H4639-07 Genesis 44:15 הַ/מַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה hamaaseh HTd/Ncmsa the deed the deed the work
H4639-29 Genesis 46:33 מַּעֲשֵׂי/כֶֽם maaseykhem HNcmpc/Sp2mp is your occupation your deeds your works
H4639-29 Genesis 47:3 מַּעֲשֵׂי/כֶ֑ם maaseykhem HNcmpc/Sp2mp is your occupation your deeds your works
H4639-32 Exodus 5:4 מִ/מַּֽעֲשָׂ֑י/ו mimaasayv HR/Ncmpc/Sp3ms from their work from his deeds from his deeds
H4639-29 Exodus 5:13 מַעֲשֵׂי/כֶם֙ maaseykhem HNcmpc/Sp2mp your works your deeds your works
H4639-07 Exodus 18:20 הַֽ/מַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה hamaaseh HTd/Ncmsa the work the deed the work
H4639-28 Exodus 23:12 מַעֲשֶׂ֔י/ךָ maaseykha HNcmpc/Sp2ms your-work your deeds your works
H4639-28 Exodus 23:16 מַעֲשֶׂ֔י/ךָ maaseykha HNcmpc/Sp2ms of-your-works your deeds your works
H4639-28 Exodus 23:16 מַעֲשֶׂ֖י/ךָ maaseykha-2 HNcmpc/Sp2ms your-works your deeds your works
H4639-13 Exodus 23:24 כְּ/מַֽעֲשֵׂי/הֶ֑ם kemaaseyhem HR/Ncmpc/Sp3mp according to their deeds according to their doings according to their deeds
H4639-11 Exodus 24:10 כְּ/מַעֲשֵׂה֙ kemaaseh HR/Ncmsc like the work of like a deed of like the work of
H4639-22 Exodus 26:1 מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה maaseh HNcmsc work of deed of work of
H4639-22 Exodus 26:31 מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה maaseh HNcmsc work of deed of work of
H4639-22 Exodus 26:36 מַעֲשֵׂ֖ה maaseh HNcmsc work deed of work of
H4639-22 Exodus 27:4 מַעֲשֵׂ֖ה maaseh HNcmsc of network deed of work of
H4639-22 Exodus 27:16 מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה maaseh HNcmsc work-of deed of work of
H4639-22 Exodus 28:6 מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה maaseh HNcmsc work of deed of work of
H4639-12 Exodus 28:8 כְּ/מַעֲשֵׂ֖/הוּ kemaasehu HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms like its workmanship like his deed like his work
H4639-22 Exodus 28:11 מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה maaseh HNcmsc work of deed of work of
H4639-22 Exodus 28:14 מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה maaseh HNcmsc work deed of work
H4639-22 Exodus 28:15 מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה maaseh HNcmsc work deed of work of
H4639-11 Exodus 28:15 כְּ/מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה kemaaseh HR/Ncmsc like the work like a deed of like the work of
H4639-22 Exodus 28:22 מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה maaseh HNcmsc work deed of work of
H4639-22 Exodus 28:32 מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה maaseh HNcmsc the work deed of work of
H4639-22 Exodus 28:39 מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה maaseh HNcmsc work of deed of work of
H4639-22 Exodus 30:25 מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה maaseh HNcmsc work deed of work of
H4639-22 Exodus 30:35 מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה maaseh HNcmsc work deed of work of
H4639-22 Exodus 32:16 מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה maaseh HNcmsc work deed of work of
H4639-22 Exodus 34:10 מַעֲשֵׂ֤ה maaseh HNcmsc the work deed of work of
H4639-22 Exodus 36:8 מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה maaseh HNcmsc workmanship of deed of work of
H4639-22 Exodus 36:35 מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה maaseh HNcmsc work of deed of work of
H4639-22 Exodus 36:37 מַעֲשֵׂ֖ה maaseh HNcmsc work of deed of work of
H4639-22 Exodus 37:29 מַעֲשֵׂ֖ה maaseh HNcmsc work deed of work of
H4639-22 Exodus 38:4 מַעֲשֵׂ֖ה maaseh HNcmsc of workmanship deed of work of
H4639-22 Exodus 38:18 מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה maaseh HNcmsc work-of deed of work of
H4639-22 Exodus 39:3 מַעֲשֵׂ֖ה maaseh HNcmsc work of deed of work of
H4639-12 Exodus 39:5 כְּ/מַעֲשֵׂ/הוּ֒ kemaasehu HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms like the workmanship of it like his deed like his work
H4639-22 Exodus 39:8 מַעֲשֵׂ֥ה maaseh HNcmsc work deed of work of
H4639-11 Exodus 39:8 כְּ/מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה kemaaseh HR/Ncmsc like the work like a deed of like the work of
H4639-22 Exodus 39:15 מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה maaseh HNcmsc work deed of work of
H4639-22 Exodus 39:22 מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה maaseh HNcmsc work deed of work of
H4639-22 Exodus 39:27 מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה maaseh HNcmsc work deed of work of
H4639-22 Exodus 39:29 מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה maaseh HNcmsc work deed of work of
H4639-11 Leviticus 18:3 כְּ/מַעֲשֵׂ֧ה kemaaseh HR/Ncmsc according to the doings like a deed of like the work of
H4639-34 Leviticus 18:3 וּ/כְ/מַעֲשֵׂ֣ה ukhemaaseh HC/R/Ncmsc and according to the doings and according to the deed of and according to the work of
H4639-22 Numbers 8:4 מַעֲשֵׂ֤ה maaseh HNcmsc work deed of work of
H4639-08 Numbers 16:28 הַֽ/מַּעֲשִׂ֖ים hamaasim HTd/Ncmpa the works the deeds the deeds
← H4638 Hebrew Lexicon H4640 →