מַשּׂוֹר
𐤌𐤔𐤅𐤓
massôwr
H4883 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A toothed cutting implement, primarily a saw used in woodworking, carpentry, or stonecutting. In biblical usage, refers to a tool with metal teeth designed for dividing wood or possibly stone by a back-and-forth cutting or rasping action.
Semantic Range
saw (tool for cutting wood or stone), toothed cutting instrument, rasp (by extension but not attested in biblical context)
Root / Etymology
The word derives from an unused or otherwise unattested Hebrew root likely related to the concept of 'cutting' or 'sawing', possibly linked to the root מסר (to hand over, deliver) in a sense paralleling Old Arabic, though this is uncertain. The precise root is not attested in other Hebrew forms, so etymology remains uncertain.
Historical & Contextual Notes
מַשּׂוֹר appears rarely in the Hebrew Bible, with clear context referring to a saw as a tool for cutting (2 Samuel 12:31; 1 Chronicles 20:3). These accounts depict its use in labor, including forced labor during wartime. Lexically, מַשּׂוֹר is specific to a physical tool, not a figurative concept. The term is distinct from other cutting tools such as חֶרֶב (sword) or גַּרְזֶן (axe), each having their own domains. English 'saw' is generally a precise translation but cannot convey historically which specific type of ancient saw is intended—wood or stone saw, coarse or fine. Later rabbinic Hebrew employs related forms, associating the tool closely with skilled trades. The word is not used metaphorically in biblical texts. In later Greek or Latin versions, the translation is straightforward but sometimes glossed with terms for more general cutting tools.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from an unused root meaning to rasp; a saw; saw.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
מסר (m-s-r) — to cut, to saw
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4560 | מָסַר | to hand over |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4883-01 |
הַ/מַּשּׂוֹר֙ | hamasor | HTd/Ncmsa |
the saw | the saw | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4883-01 |
Isaiah 10:15 | הַ/מַּשּׂוֹר֙ | hamasor | HTd/Ncmsa |
the saw | the saw |