מָשַׁח
mâshach · H4886 · Hebrew · 71 occurrences
Meanings
-
to spread, to apply, to rub, to oil, to paint, to anoint
Causative action by which humans apply a liquid like oil or paint to an object by pouring or rubbing, for the purpose of cleaning, preserving, beautifying, eating, or for consecrating for religious service
ExamplesGenesis 31:13 ‘I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a memorial stone, where you made a vow to Me; now arise, leave this land, and return to the land of your birth.’”
Exodus 29:2 and unleavened bread and unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers spread with oil; you shall make them of fine wheat flour.
Exodus 29:36 “Each day you shall offer a bull as a sin offering for atonement, and you shall purify the altar when you make atonement for it, and you shall anoint it to consecrate it.
-
to anoint
Causative action by which someone in authority confers the office of priest, king, or prophet on another person, by pouring oil on that person's head
ExamplesExodus 28:41 “Then you shall put them on Aaron your brother and on his sons with him; and you shall anoint them and ordain them and consecrate them, so that they may serve Me as priests.
Exodus 29:7 “Then you shall take the anointing oil and pour it on his head, and anoint him.
Exodus 30:30 “And you shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, so that they may serve as priests to Me.
How it’s used In 8 roles
Every occurrence, grouped by the words it is grammatically related to.
the word studied the word it goes with
Who or what does itSubject
69 occurrences in 22 groups
- Not stated: you (one person) 18
- Not stated: they 9
- Not stated: he, she or it 9
- יְהֹוָהthe LORD, YHWH 4
- וֹhim 4
- Not stated: I 4
- Other words · 14 groups that occur once or twice (16) 16
What it acts on, or what is saidObject
54 occurrences in 25 groups
- וֹhim 18
- ךָּyou 8
- דָּוִדDavid 4
- הֶםthem 4
- נִיme 3
- Other words · 20 groups that occur once or twice (26) 26
With prepositionsPrepositional phrases
43 occurrences in 29 groups
- לto/for+ מֶלֶךְking 18
- עַלon, upon, over, against+ יִשְׂרָאֵלIsrael 8
- בin/on/with+ שֶׁמֶןoil 7
- לto/for+ נָגִידruler 3
- לto/for+ קָדַשׁto consecrate, to sanctify 3
- Other words · 24 groups that occur once or twice (26) 26
With adverbsAdverbs
4 occurrences in 2 groups
- שָׁםthere 3
- בְּלִיwithout, not 1
Words describing itAdjectives, demonstratives, participles
1 occurrences in 1 groups
- נָדַרto make a vow 1
Named alongside itApposition
1 occurrences in 1 groups
- אֵלGod, god 1
What is done to itIt is the object
3 occurrences in 1 groups
- שָׁמַעto hear, to listen, to obey 3
After prepositionsPrepositional phrases
3 occurrences in 2 groups
- לto/for 2
- כlike/as 1
When two words share a role, as in “Paul and Barnabas said”, the verse appears under each, so a section’s counts can add up to more than the number of occurrences.
MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.
Near synonyms 2 words
- סוּךְ çûwk · H5480 · to anoint oneself (with oil), to rub (oil) on oneself, to anoint (someone with oil)
- Both words refer to applying oil or another substance by rubbing, the core sense of anointing. סוּךְ (çûwk, H5480) carries a reflexive nuance (anointing oneself), and מָשַׁח (mâshach, H4886) also has the sense "paint."
- מָרַח mârach · H4799 · to apply
- Both terms describe related physical application actions — laying on a substance versus anointing or painting — overlapping in the sense of applying something to a surface.
In the other Testament 2 words
- χρίω chríō · G5548 · to anoint, to assign, to appoint
- Greek χρίω is the direct translation equivalent of Hebrew מָשַׁח across the semantic range of anointing with oil for consecration.
- ἀλείφω aleíphō · G218 · to anoint
- Greek ἀλείφω specifically denotes oil application for cosmetic/medicinal purposes (perfuming, grooming), whereas Hebrew מָשַׁח encompasses both this domestic sense and the distinct ceremonial/religious anointing of kings, priests, and sacred objects; the cross-linguistic equivalence holds only for the cosmetic/personal-care register, not the sacred-consecration domain.
Semantic domains 2 entries
- Rub002003001016
- The word denotes anointing, an act of rubbing or applying oil to a person or object, as anointing Aaron and his sons for their priestly ordination.
- Role002002002008
- The act of anointing confers a role or office, as anointing Aaron's sons so that they might serve as priests.
Word family 5 words
Words formed from the same root. They share a form, not always a meaning.
Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon H4886. mashach מָשַׁח verb smear, anoint (Late Hebrew id.; originally probably as Arabic…
מָשַׁח verb smear, anoint (Late Hebrew id.; originally probably as Arabic wipe orstroke with the hand (compare RSSemitic i. 215; 2nd ed., 283), anoint, Aramaic מְשַׁח anoint; on משת, id. (?) in Aramaic inscription see CISii.1. No.145, C, 1; Palmyrene משחא oil VogNo.16; Ethiopic anoint, feast, dine DiLex 176; (Assyrian mašâ—u is measure; Aramaic מְשַׁח id.; Arabic measurement, compare DlProl. 178 Frä282)); —
Qal Perfect3masculine singular ׳מ Num 3:25 Num 3:2t.; suffix מְשָֽׁחֲךָ Psa 45:8; 1Sa 10:1; מְשָׁחוֺ2Ch 22:7; 2Ch 22:2 masculine singular מָשַׁחְתָּ Gen 31:13 Gen 31:12t., + 9 t. Perfect; Imperfect3masculine singular יִמְשַׁח Lev 16:32 Lev 16:6t.; 3 masculine plural יִמְשָׁ֑חוּ Amo 6:6, + 13 t. Imperfect; Imperative suffix מְשָׁחֵהוּ 1Sa 16:12; plural מִשְׁחוּ Isa 21:5; Infinitive absolute מָשׁוֺחַ Jer 22:14; construct מְשֹׁחַ Jdg 9:8; Dan 9:24 + Hos 8:3 ᵐ5 We GASm Now; מָשְׁחָה Exo 29:29; suffix מְשׁחֳךָ1Sa 15:1 (Baer); מָשְׁחוֺ Lev 7:36; מָשְׁחָתָם Exo 40:15; Participle plural משְׁחִים Jdg 9:15; passive מָשׁוּחַ 2Sa 3:39 (We suggests derivation from שׁח, defective משׁח (מֻשַׁח), wrongly read as מָשֻׁחַ; or by transposition משׁוח may have been mistaken for an unexampled מוּשַׁח Hoph`al Participle of שׁוח); מָשִׁיחַ 2Sa 1:21 (but read מָשֻׁח (or נמשׁח) Manuscripts We Dr Kit Bu HPS); plural מְשֻׁחִים Exo 29:2 Exo 29:4t; —
1 smear, house with colour (paint) Jer 22:14; shield with oil (anoint) Isa 21:5; 2Sa 1:21 (compare Dr; Gr מָשׁוּחַ כְּלִי weapon anointed; PetersJBL 893, 56 מָשׁוּחַ כְּלֵי weapons of one (the king) anointed); the person, with ointments Amo 6:6; unleavened cakes, with oil Exo 29:2; Lev 2:4; Num 6:15 (P).
2 anoint, as consecration, solemn setting apart to an office, always by the use of oil poured on the head: לנביא as a prophet 1Ki 19:16 (Elisha by Elijah) Isa 61:1; elsewhere of king, with accusative, מֶלֶךְ Jdg 9:8 (E), so Hos 8:3 reading מֶלֶךְ מִמְּשֹׁחַ (for מ ׳מִמַּשָּׂא ᵑ0) We GASm Now; also Hos 7:3 reading יִמְשְׁחוּ (for יְשַׂמְּחוּ ᵑ0) We Now; elsewhere accusative of person 1Sa 16:3, 1Sa 16:12, 1Sa 16:13; 1Ki 1:39; 2Ki 11:12; 2Ki 23:30; 2Ch 22:7; 2Ch 23:11; קָדְשִׁי בְּשֶׁמֶן Psa 89:21 with my holy oil; שָׂשׂוֺן שׁמן Psa 45:8 (figurative); with על, 2Sa 19:11 whom we have anointed over us; לְמֶלֶךְ 1Ki 1:45; 1Ki 5:15; with לְמֶלֶךְ עַל, Jdg 9:15; 2Sa 2:4, 2Sa 2:7; 1Ki 19:15; ישׂראל על over Israel 1Sa 15:1, 1Sa 15:17; 2Sa 5:3 = 1Ch 11:3; 2Sa 5:17; 2Sa 12:7; 1Ki 1:34; 1Ki 19:16; אֶליֿשׂראל 2Ki 9:3, 2Ki 9:6, 2Ki 9:12 (Ehpraimitic source); לנגיד 1Ch 29:22; על 1Sa 9:16; 1Sa 10:1; מֶלֶךְ מָשׁוּחַ 2Sa 3:39 (? see above)
3 anoint, consecrate to religious service:
a. Aaronic priests, only P, with accusative of person Exo 28:41; Exo 29:7; Exo 30:30; Exo 40:13, Exo 40:15 (3 t. in verse); Lev 7:36; Lev 8:12; Lev 16:32; absolute Exo 29:29; הַמְּשֻׁחִים הכהנים Num 3:3.
b. sacred things: מַצֵּבָה Gen 31:13 (E); tabernacle and its sacred vessels Exo 29:36; Exo 30:26; Exo 40:9-10, Exo 40:11; Lev 8:10-11, (all P); קדשׁים קדשׁ Dan 9:24.
Niph`al Perfect3masculine singular נִמְשַׁח 1Ch 14:8; Infinitive הִמָּשַׁח Lev 6:13 Lev 6:3t; — be anointed, ישׂראל כל על למלך 1Ch 14:8; Aaron and his sons Lev 6:13 (P); altar Num 7:10, Num 7:84, Num 7:88.
מְשַׁח noun [masculine] oil (see Biblical Hebrew); — absolute Ezr 6:9; Ezr 7:22.
[מִשְׁכַּב] see שׁכב. [מִשְׁכַּן] see שׁכן.
[מַשְׁרוֺקִית] see שׁרק. [מִשְׁתֶּה] see שׁתּה.
[מַתְּנָא] see נתן.
Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), public domain
Topical studies with this word 2 entries
Meanings adapted from the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament, © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0 and the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew (from the Semantic Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew), © United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0; MACULA Greek Linguistic Datasets, available at https://github.com/Clear-Bible/macula-greek/, licensed CC BY 4.0; MACULA Hebrew Linguistic Datasets © 2022-2024 by Biblica, Inc., CC BY 4.0. Westminster Leningrad Codex (tanach.us). OpenScriptures Hebrew Bible morphology (hb.openscriptures.org), CC BY 4.0.
Sources
eRhema lexical overview, based on the UBS Dictionary of Biblical Hebrew and the UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament (© United Bible Societies, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Macula Hebrew and Greek (Clear Bible, CC BY 4.0); released under CC BY-SA 4.0
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