מַרְאָשָׁה
𐤌𐤓𐤀𐤔𐤄
marʼâshâh
H4761 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A region or domain under the authority of a leader or ruling head; in some contexts, a particular territory or principality, especially as belonging to or allotted to a chief, head of tribe, or other authority figure. The term can refer to a jurisdiction, dominion, or sphere of leadership, not necessarily implying full political independence.
Semantic Range
dominion, principal territory or principality, territory allotted to a chief, region under a head's authority, office or function of headship, collective sphere of leadership
Root / Etymology
Denominative noun from the root רֹאשׁ (rosh, 'head') with the prefix מַ־ (ma-, often forming place or abstract nouns) and the feminine ending -ָה. The root רֹאשׁ carries the core idea of 'head, chief, top'. The word literally means 'place or office of a head/chief', indicating the area or position of rule or authority derived from or belonging to a head or leader.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, מַרְאָשָׁה (mar'âshâh) appears in the context of listing territorial allotments or designating domains assigned to heads of groups or families, such as in 1 Chronicles 8:6, where it refers to territories under the oversight of certain Israelite clan leaders after the exile. The term is relatively rare but reflects the sociopolitical organization of Israelite society, where authority was often vested in prominent individuals or heads of families/tribes, and their 'headships' could be understood both as offices of leadership and the regions or constituencies under their care. This concept differs from terms like מַמְלָכָה (mamlekâh, 'kingdom') or נַחֲלָה (nahălâh, 'inheritance, territory'), which may denote more formal political entities or permanent family territories, whereas מַרְאָשָׁה highlights personal or familial leadership authority. English translations often render the word as 'principality', 'dominion', or 'domain', but these may not fully encompass its sense of a region defined by the leadership of a head rather than by fixed political structure. The idea of dominion or 'headship' as a collective authority is emphasized by its occurrence in the plural.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
denominative from רֹאשׁ; properly, headship, i.e. (plural for collective) dominion; principality.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
ראשׁ (r-ʾ-š) — head, chief, lead, top
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4762 | מַרְאֵשָׁה | to Mareshah |
| H4763 | מְרַאֲשָׁה | his headrests |
| H7217 | רֵאשׁ | be head |
| H7219 | רֹאשׁ | poison-plant |
| H7221 | רִאשָׁה | from your beginnings |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4761-01 |
מַרְאֲשׁ֣וֹתֵי/כֶ֔ם | mareashoteykhem | HNcfpc/Sp2mp |
from your headpieces | your dominions | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4761-01 |
Jeremiah 13:18 | מַרְאֲשׁ֣וֹתֵי/כֶ֔ם | mareashoteykhem | HNcfpc/Sp2mp |
from your headpieces | your dominions |