מַסָּע (mas.sa)
mas.sa
quarry; missile
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun mass‘a has two distinct meanings that rarely overlap in usage: a projectile like a dart or missile, and the act of quarrying stone. In Job 41:18, it describes the fiery sparks shooting from Leviathan’s nostrils as a "missile," capturing the violent power of the creature. This sense of a thrown object aligns with its root meaning of casting or shooting.
Conversely, in 1 Kings 6:7, the word appears in a unique historical detail about Solomon’s Temple. The text notes that stones were cut at the quarry site itself, so no "quarrying" noise was heard during construction. Here, mass‘a refers to the breaking out of stone from the bedrock. This singular usage highlights the precision and peace of the temple build, contrasting sharply with the violent imagery in Job.
Though rare, appearing only twice in Scripture, the word bridges two very different images: the aggression of a weapon and the quiet labor of building. Translators must carefully choose between "dart" and "quarrying" based on context, as the Hebrew form remains the same for both concepts.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word mas‘a appears only twice in the Hebrew Bible, yet it carries two very different images. In Job, it describes a fiery missile shooting from Leviathan’s nostrils, capturing raw power and aggression. In 1 Kings, it refers to stone prepared at the quarry, highlighting the quiet precision of building Solomon’s Temple.
This duality reminds us that God uses both strength and peace for His purposes. The same word that describes a weapon also describes the foundation of worship. We can trust that whether we face violent challenges or need steady foundations, God is at work in both realms.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- quarry1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- מַסָּ֖ע1×
Key Verses
-
I Kings 6:7
The house, when it was under construction, was built of stone prepared at the quarry; and no hammer or ax or any tool of iron was heard in the house while it was under construction.
This verse uses mas‘a to describe stones prepared at the quarry, emphasizing that no iron tools were heard during construction, which highlights the peace and precision of building the Temple.