Word Study for H4924 (מַשְׁמָן)

mashmân /mash-mawn'/ Ask about this word

Meaningfat, i.e. (literally and abstractly) fatness; but usually (figuratively and concretely) a rich dish, a fertile field, a robust man

KJV usagefat (one, -ness, -test, -test place).

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of mashmân — 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 mashmân, represented by H4924, is a term for fat or fatness. It appears 7 times in 7 unique verses. Derived from a root meaning fat, it is used both literally and figuratively to describe a rich dish, a fertile field, or a robust man.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In scripture, H4924 often signifies blessing and prosperity. Isaac's blessing promises Jacob "the fatness of the earth" Genesis 27:28, a sign of agricultural abundance. This same concept is repeated in the blessing to Esau Genesis 27:39. In Nehemiah, the people are told to "eat the fat" as part of a holy celebration Nehemiah 8:10. Conversely, the term is used in the context of judgment. The Lord sends "leanness" among the "fat ones" Isaiah 10:16, and the "glory of Jacob" is diminished when the "fatness of his flesh shall wax lean" Isaiah 17:4. It can also refer to the most powerful or robust men, as when God's wrath "slew the fattest of them" Psalms 78:31.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words expand upon the concepts of abundance and decline:

H7332 râzôwn (leanness, scant): This word is used in direct opposition to H4924. In a prophecy of judgment, God sends leanness among the "fat ones" Isaiah 10:16.
H7230 rôb (abundance): This term is used alongside H4924 to emphasize the scale of a blessing, promising "the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine" Genesis 27:28.
H4477 mamtaq (something sweet): Paired with H4924 in the context of celebration, where the command is to "eat the fat, and drink the sweet" Nehemiah 8:10.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H4924 is tied to its representation of physical and material conditions.

Tangible Blessing: The concept of "fatness" serves as a physical sign of God's favor and provision. It represents a fertile, productive land given as a blessing Genesis 27:28.
Human Strength and Status: The word is used to describe strong, robust men ("the fattest of them") who are prominent in their community Psalms 78:31. It can also denote the richest or most desirable areas, the "fattest places of the province" Daniel 11:24.
Conditional Prosperity: Scripture uses the removal of "fatness" to illustrate divine judgment. The strength and glory of a people can be made thin and lean, showing that prosperity is dependent on their relationship with God Isaiah 17:4.

Summary

In summary, H4924 is a multifaceted word that extends beyond its literal meaning of fat. It is a powerful biblical symbol for prosperity, fertility, and strength. Whether describing the richness of the earth, the heartiness of a feast, or the robustness of a person, mashmân consistently points to a state of abundance. Its presence signifies divine blessing, while its removal serves as a stark picture of judgment.

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 and an adjective across 7 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.

מִשְׁמַנֵּי
שְׁמַנֵּי
מַשְׁמַנִּים
מִשְׁמַן

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 7 verses across 5 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Genesis and Isaiah (2 verses each); never once in the other 34.

Genesis

Nehemiah

Psalms

Isaiah

Daniel

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.