Word Study for H4937 (מִשְׁעֵן)

mishʻên /mish-ane'/ Ask about this word

Rootor מִשְׁעָן · from שָׁעַן

Meaninga support (concretely), i.e. (figuratively) a protector or sustenance

KJV usagestay.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of mishʻên — 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 mishʻên, represented by H4937, is defined as a support, protector, or sustenance; a stay. Though it appears only 5 times across 3 unique verses, its usage provides a powerful metaphor for divine reliance and provision. It signifies both concrete, life-sustaining resources and the abstract concept of a secure protector.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H4937 is used in two distinct contexts. In both 2 Samuel 22:19 and Psalms 18:18, the psalmist declares that in the face of calamity, "the LORD was my stay." Here, the word conveys the idea of God as a reliable, personal protector in a time of crisis. In contrast, Isaiah 3:1 describes an act of judgment where the LORD of hosts takes away "the stay and the staff" from Jerusalem and Judah. The passage then specifies this includes "the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water," linking the term directly to essential sustenance.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the meaning of mishʻên:

H3068 Yᵉhôvâh: This is the Jewish national name of God, Jehovah, the Lord. He is identified as the one who acts as the stay for his people Psalms 18:18.
H4938 mishʻênâh: The feminine form of H4937, meaning staff or sustenance. It appears alongside stay in Isaiah 3:1 and can refer to a comforting staff Psalms 23:4 or a dangerously unreliable support, such as Egypt being a "staff of this broken reed" Isaiah 36:6.
H6923 qâdam: Meaning to precede or meet, this word is used to describe how enemies "prevented" the psalmist in the day of his calamity (2 Samuel 22:19, Psalms 18:18), creating the context in which the LORD was needed as a stay.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H4937 is centered on the nature of reliance and divine sovereignty.

The LORD as a Refuge: The word is used figuratively to portray God as the ultimate protector. When calamity comes, the LORD H3068 Himself becomes the stay for the righteous, providing stability when all else fails Psalms 18:18.
Sustenance as a Divine Judgment: Isaiah 3:1 demonstrates that God is the source of all physical support. The removal of the "stay of bread" and "stay of water" is a direct act of divine judgment, showing that God's provision should not be taken for granted.
A Contrast in Trust: The concept of a stay forces a choice between relying on the eternal God or on temporary, worldly supports. While a physical "staff" H4938 like Egypt might fail, the LORD as a stay is always dependable.

Summary

In summary, H4937 serves as a concise and potent term for support. It encompasses both the physical sustenance required for life, such as bread and water, and the spiritual and protective support found only in God. Through its limited but powerful appearances, mishʻên teaches a fundamental lesson: the LORD is the only truly reliable stay in a world of calamity and uncertainty.

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 2 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.

מִשְׁעָן
מִשְׁעַן

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 3 verses across 3 of the 39 books. Most frequent in 2 Samuel, Psalms, and Isaiah (1 verse each); never once in the other 36.

2 Samuel

Psalms

Isaiah

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.