מָס (mas)
mas
despairing
H:AQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:A
Word Overview
The Hebrew adjective mas describes a state of despair, literally meaning "melting" or "collapsing." It conveys the physical sensation of strength giving way under pressure, leaving a person unable to stand. In Scripture, this word appears only once, in Job 6:14.
Job uses it to describe how his friends have failed him. Instead of offering support, their presence has become a burden that drains his remaining energy. The image suggests not just sadness, but a total loss of structural integrity, as if the person is dissolving from within.
This rare usage highlights the depth of Job’s isolation. He does not merely feel sad; he feels like he is falling apart because those who should help him have become sources of further weight. The word captures a profound spiritual and emotional exhaustion that leaves no room for recovery.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word mas describes a state where strength literally melts away under pressure. It is not simply sadness, but a collapse of inner structure. When Job used it, he felt his friends’ presence draining what little energy remained. This rare Hebrew term captures the physical sensation of falling apart because support has turned into weight.
It is okay to admit when you are running on empty. You do not have to pretend to be strong when your spirit is fainting. God sees the exhaustion that no one else notices. He does not ask you to hold yourself together by sheer willpower.
Instead, find rest in His presence. Even when you feel like you are dissolving from within, His love holds you fast. You are never alone in your weakness. Let Him be the strength you cannot find in yourself today.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- [belongs] to <the>/ despairing [person]1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- לַ/מָּ֣ס1×
Key Verses
-
Job 6:14
“To him who is ready to faint, kindness should be shown from his friend; even to him who forsakes the fear of the Almighty.
This verse shows how the absence of true kindness can cause a person to feel their strength melting away under emotional pressure.