מְשֻכָֿה (me.su.khah)
me.su.khah
hedge
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun meshukah refers to a hedge, specifically one made of interwoven branches or thorns. In the ancient Near East, such barriers were essential for protecting crops and livestock from wild animals and wandering people. The word describes a physical boundary constructed to keep things in or out, serving as a tangible line of security.
Scripture uses this concrete image to illustrate spiritual protection and divine judgment. In Isaiah 5:5, God declares He will break down the hedge around His vineyard, symbolizing the removal of His protective care from Israel due to their unfaithfulness. Similarly, Proverbs 15:19 contrasts a lazy person’s path with that of the upright, noting the way of the wicked is like a thorny hedge that blocks progress, while the path of the righteous is clear.
This word highlights how God often uses agricultural metaphors to explain His relationship with His people. The presence or absence of a meshukah signals whether divine favor and protection are active. It reminds readers that security comes not from human effort alone but from God’s intentional guarding, which can be withdrawn if the covenant is broken.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word meshukah describes a practical barrier made of interwoven thorns or branches. In ancient agriculture, this hedge protected valuable crops from wild animals and kept livestock safe within their pasture. It was not merely decorative but served as a necessary line of defense against immediate physical threats.
Scripture uses this concrete image to speak of God’s protective care. When Isaiah describes the removal of the hedge, it signals a withdrawal of divine safeguarding due to unfaithfulness. This reminds us that true security does not come from our own efforts but from God’s intentional guarding. His presence is the ultimate boundary that keeps harm at bay.
Even when we face obstacles, as seen in Proverbs where a sluggard’s path is blocked by thorns, the upright find clear ways forward. We can trust that God establishes boundaries for our good and removes them only when justice requires it. Rest in the knowledge that His protection is real and purposeful.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- hedge/ its1×
- [is] like/ a hedge of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- מְשׂוּכָּת/וֹ֙1×
- כִּ/מְשֻׂ֣כַת1×
Key Verses
-
Isaiah 5:5
Now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will take away its hedge, and it will be eaten up. I will break down its wall, and it will be trampled down.
This verse uses the removal of the hedge to symbolize God withdrawing His protective care from Israel as a consequence of their unfaithfulness.
-
Proverbs 15:19
The way of the sluggard is like a thorn patch, but the path of the upright is a highway.
Here the thorny hedge represents the obstructive and difficult path of the lazy person, contrasting with the clear highway of the upright.