English · KJV
H4529

מָסָה

mâçâh /maw-saw'/ Ask about this word
Roota primitive root
Meaningto dissolve
KJV usagemake to consume away, (make to) melt, water.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of mâçâh — 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 mâçâh, represented by H4529, is a primitive root defined as to dissolve. It carries the sense of making something consume away, (make to) melt, water. It appears 4 times across 4 unique verses in the Bible, where it describes the dissolving of courage, the effects of divine correction, and God's power over nature.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical usage, H4529 illustrates several distinct situations. It is used metaphorically to describe a loss of courage, as when the Israelite spies "made the heart of the people melt" with their report Joshua 14:8. The word also portrays intense personal sorrow, with the psalmist declaring that due to his groaning, "I water my couch with my tears" Psalms 6:6. It is used to show the consequence of divine judgment, where God's correction for iniquity makes a person's beauty to consume away like a moth Psalms 39:11. Finally, it depicts God's sovereign command over creation, as He "sendeth out his word, and melteth them," causing the waters to flow Psalms 147:18.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the contexts in which H4529 is found:

  • H1832 dimʻâh (tears): This word identifies the source of the "watering" described in Psalms 6:6. Tears are the physical evidence of the emotional dissolving, and God is depicted as seeing them 2 Kings 20:5.
  • H3256 yâçar (to chastise, correct, instruct): This term appears with mâçâh to explain the cause of man's beauty consuming away. It is God's correction for iniquity that leads to this outcome Psalms 39:11.
  • H5140 nâzal (to drip, or shed by trickling; flow): This word describes the direct result of God's melting action in nature. When God's word melteth the ice, the waters are then able to flow Psalms 147:18.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H4529 is seen in its application to both humanity and God.

  • Human Frailty and Emotion: The word highlights human weakness in the face of fear and grief. A heart can melt from a discouraging report Joshua 14:8, and overwhelming sorrow can feel like one is dissolving into tears Psalms 6:6.
  • The Consequence of Divine Correction: H4529 demonstrates the tangible effect of God's discipline. When the Lord rebukes a person for sin, their physical beauty is made to consume away, revealing the fleeting nature of human life compared to God's holiness Psalms 39:11.
  • God's Sovereignty Over Creation: The act of melting illustrates God's effortless power. He does not strive, but simply "sendeth out his word, and melteth them," showing his absolute command over the natural world Psalms 147:18.

Summary

In summary, H4529 is a dynamic word that portrays a process of dissolving in both the emotional and physical realms. It effectively captures the internal experience of courage melting into fear, the profound expression of grief, and the transience of human life under divine correction. At the same time, it serves as a powerful descriptor of God's authority, illustrating how His word alone is sufficient to melt the elements of creation.

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 verb across 4 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.

  • יַמְסֵ
  • תֶּמֶס
  • אַמְסֶה
  • הִמְסִיו

Related Words

Related

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.

H1832 דִּמְעָה feminine of דֶּמַע; weeping; tears. H3256 יָסַר a primitive root; to chastise, literally (with blows) or figuratively (with words); hence, to instruct; bind, chasten, c H5140 נָזַל a primitive root; to drip, or shed by trickling; distil, drop, flood, (cause to) flow(-ing), gush out, melt, pour (down)

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 4 verses across 2 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Psalms (3 verses); never once in the other 37.

1
Joshua
3
Psalms

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.