מֶשֶׁךְ
𐤌𐤔𐤊
meshek
H4901 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A possession or acquisition, primarily land or goods that have been acquired, bought, or possessed. In rare contexts, may refer to the act of acquiring or the thing obtained. The word can imply a valued possession or the process of gathering or accumulating possessions.
Semantic Range
possession, acquisition, property, estate, what is acquired, accumulated goods
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root משׁך (mšḵ), meaning 'to draw, pull, drag,' with the noun form מֶשֶׁךְ (meshek) developing the sense of something drawn together or gathered in, and thus, what has been acquired or accumulated—i.e., a possession, acquisition, or estate.
Historical & Contextual Notes
מֶשֶׁךְ (meshek) appears infrequently in the Hebrew Bible. In Genesis 15:2, it is used in the phrase 'ben-meshek beiti' (בֶּן־מֶשֶׁק בֵּיתִי), usually rendered 'heir of my house,' referring to Eliezer of Damascus, and implying someone in charge of the accumulated possessions or estate of a household. The word is further attested in post-biblical Hebrew with meanings of 'possession' or 'acquisition,' sometimes used in the sense of gathered wealth. The semantic connection to sowing (as suggested in Strong's) is not supported by biblical usage; such a sense seems derived more from tangential usages rather than from direct evidence in the Hebrew Bible. English translations often narrow the term to 'heir' or 'steward,' but its underlying connotation relates to 'property' or 'acquisition,' with a focus on accumulated possessions rather than the simple act of inheriting or stewardship. The sense of 'precious' or 'price' is a derived nuance, suggesting value, but is not the primary lexical meaning. There is a terminological distinction between מֶשֶׁךְ (accumulated property or possession) and נַחֲלָה (inherited land/estate), with מֶשֶׁךְ focusing more on acquisition and less on inheritance. Its rare use precludes firm attribution to a specific historical development, but the context in Genesis situates it within familial estate management in the patriarchal period.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from מָשַׁךְ; a sowing; also a possession; precious, price.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
משׁך (m-š-k) — draw, pull, drag (root form; not semantically active in this proper name)
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4901-02 |
וּ/מֶ֥שֶׁךְ | umeshekhe | HC/Ncmsc |
the price | and acquired-possession | 1 |
H4901-01 |
מֶֽשֶׁךְ | meshekhe | HNcmsc |
bag | Meshek | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4901-01 |
Psalms 126:6 | מֶֽשֶׁךְ | meshekhe | HNcmsc |
bag | Meshek |
H4901-02 |
Job 28:18 | וּ/מֶ֥שֶׁךְ | umeshekhe | HC/Ncmsc |
the price | and acquired-possession |