Word Study for H4524 (מֵסַב) | Strong's Concordance

mêçab /may-sab'/ Ask about this word

Meaningplural masculine מְסִבִּים; or feminine מְסִבּוֹת; from סָבַב; a divan (as enclosing the room); abstractly (adverbial) around

KJV usagethat compass about, (place) round about, at table.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of mêçab — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word mêçab, represented by H4524, carries the meaning of being "round about" or encompassing a space. It can refer to a physical setting like a table or divan that encloses a room, or it can be used adverbially to mean "around." It appears 5 times in 5 unique verses, indicating a specific but significant role in describing settings and situations of surrounding.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical usage, H4524 is applied to diverse contexts. In Solomon's temple, it describes the comprehensive nature of the decorations, where he carved all the walls of the house H1004 round about H4524 with figures 1 Kings 6:29. It is also used to denote a place of fellowship, where the king H4428 sits at his table H4524 Song of Solomon 1:12. In a broader sense, it defines the geographic extent of idolatry in the "places round about" H4524 Jerusalem 2 Kings 23:5, and describes the threatening presence of enemies who compass... about H4524 the psalmist Psalms 140:9.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the contexts in which H4524 is found:

H1004 bayith (house): This word provides the physical structure, such as Solomon's temple, where mêçab is used to describe the encompassing nature of the carvings on the walls 1 Kings 6:29.
H7023 qîyr (wall): The wall is the specific surface that is decorated round about H4524 in the temple, highlighting the totality of the design 1 Kings 6:29.
H8458 tachbulâh (counsels): This word links the idea of "round about" to divine guidance, as creation is "turned round about" by God's counsels H8458, showing His sovereign plan encompassing all events Job 37:12.
H7218 rôʼsh (head): This term is used for the head of those who "compass... about" H4524 the psalmist, connecting the concept of surrounding to a personal, hostile threat Psalms 140:9.

Theological Significance

The significance of H4524 is revealed in its application across different domains:

Architectural Totality: The use of mêçab in the construction of the temple signifies a complete and all-encompassing holiness. The carvings round about H4524 the walls, both within H6441 and without H2435, suggest that every part of the sacred space was set apart 1 Kings 6:29.
Sovereign Control: In Job, the word illustrates God's absolute command over the natural world. Natural phenomena are "turned round about" H4524 by His counsels H8458, demonstrating that His purposes direct and surround all of creation Job 37:12.
Pervasive Influence: The term is used to describe the extent of both good and evil. It can define the intimate setting of a king's table H4524 Song of Solomon 1:12, but also the pervasive spread of idolatry in the places round about H4524 Jerusalem 2 Kings 23:5 and the threatening encirclement by enemies Psalms 140:9.

Summary

In summary, H4524 is a versatile word that conveys the concept of surrounding or encompassing. While its occurrences are few, it is used to describe the totality of architectural design, the scope of divine sovereignty, the geographical reach of human action, and the nature of personal relationships, whether in intimate fellowship at a table or under threat from those who compass... about. It effectively defines the boundaries and completeness of a given space or situation.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun across 5 occurrences, inflected in 4 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

מְסִבָּ
מְסִבּוֹת
מֵסַב
מְסִבּ

Related Words

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 5 verses across 5 of the 39 books. 5 books tie for most frequent (1 verse each); never once in the other 34.

1 Kings

2 Kings

Job

Psalms

Song of Solomon

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.