### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **mashsheh**, represented by `{{H4874}}`, refers to a **debt**. It appears **1 time** across **1 unique verse** in the Bible. Derived from the root word for lending, `{{H5383}}`, it is used within a specific legal phrase to identify a **creditor**.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The sole appearance of `{{H4874}}` is in [[Deuteronomy 15:2]], within the laws concerning the year of release. The verse outlines the required practice for every creditor to release the debt owed by a neighbour or brother. Here, the term is part of a compound phrase, {H1167}{H4874}{H3027}, which together signifies "Every **creditor**". This act of financial forgiveness is not optional but a commandment, as the verse concludes that this period "is called the LORD'S release" [[Deuteronomy 15:2]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words illuminate the concept of debt and its release:
* `{{H5383}}` **nâshâh** (to lend or (by reciprocity) borrow on security or interest): This is the root verb from which `{{H4874}}` is derived, establishing the core idea of a loan. It is used to describe a **creditor** who has come to take a widow's sons as bondmen [[2 Kings 4:1]].
* `{{H1167}}` **baʻal** (a master; hence, a husband, or (figuratively) owner): This word denotes ownership or mastery and is used directly with `{{H4874}}` to define the **creditor** as the owner of the debt [[Deuteronomy 15:2]].
* `{{H5065}}` **nâgas** (to drive... exact(-or), oppress(-or)): This describes the action a creditor is forbidden from taking during the year of release. The law states the creditor "shall not **exact** it of his neighbour" [[Deuteronomy 15:2]], linking debt collection with potential oppression.
* `{{H8059}}` **shᵉmiṭṭâh** (remission (of debt) or suspension of labor); release): This term defines the entire event in which `{{H4874}}` is mentioned. The law concerns the "manner of the **release**" [[Deuteronomy 15:2]], providing the direct context for the cancellation of debts.
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H4874}}` is tied directly to the principles of social justice and divine authority in the Law.
* **Divine Command over Commerce:** The use of `{{H4874}}` within the law of release shows that financial dealings are under God's jurisdiction. The cancellation of the debt is mandated because it is "the LORD'S release" [[Deuteronomy 15:2]].
* **Protection of the Community:** The law prevents the cycle of debt from permanently impoverishing members of the community, specifically a "neighbour" `{{H7453}}` or a "brother" `{{H251}}`, reinforcing the importance of kinship and mutual support.
* **Sabbath Principle Extended:** The concept of the `shmittah` `{{H8059}}`, where debts `{{H4874}}` are released, extends the Sabbath idea of rest to the economic sphere, preventing relentless extraction (`nagas`, `{{H5065}}`) and reminding the people that ultimate ownership belongs to the LORD `{{H3068}}`.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H4874}}` **mashsheh** is a highly specific term for "debt" that appears only once to define the role of a "creditor" within the law of the Sabbatical release. Its significance lies not in its frequency, but in its context: it anchors a key command about economic justice, forgiveness, and the recognition of the LORD's ultimate authority over all aspects of life, including financial obligations between brothers.
TRV