מְשִׁסָּה (me.shis.sah)
me.shis.sah
plunder
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 6 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The noun meshisshah refers to booty, spoil, or plunder taken after a military victory. In the Hebrew Bible it describes the tangible goods seized from defeated enemies, ranging from livestock and silver to personal possessions. The word appears six times in Scripture, concentrated heavily in prophetic literature such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Zephaniah.
These prophets frequently use meshisshah to describe the consequences of divine judgment against Judah and its neighbors. When nations turn away from God, their wealth does not remain secure; instead, it becomes loot for invaders. For instance, Zephaniah 1:13 describes how their houses will become plunder (meshisshah), illustrating that material security is fragile when spiritual fidelity is absent.
The term carries a stark theological weight. It reminds readers that earthly riches are temporary and subject to the sovereignty of God over history. Rather than viewing wealth as an inherent blessing, the text frames it as something that can be stripped away in moments of crisis. This perspective encourages trust in divine provision rather than reliance on accumulated assets.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word meshisshah describes the tangible goods seized from defeated enemies, ranging from livestock and silver to personal possessions. In the prophetic literature of Isaiah and Zephaniah, this term carries a stark theological weight regarding divine judgment. It reminds readers that earthly riches are temporary and subject to the sovereignty of God over history.
When nations turn away from God, their wealth does not remain secure; instead, it becomes loot for invaders. This perspective encourages trust in divine provision rather than reliance on accumulated assets. Material security is fragile when spiritual fidelity is absent, as seen in Zephaniah 1:13 where houses become plunder.
Ultimately, this word invites us to examine what we truly hold dear. It challenges the assumption that wealth is an inherent blessing or a guarantee of safety. Instead, it frames material possessions as something that can be stripped away in moments of crisis, pointing us toward a more enduring hope.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 6 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- <into>/ plunder2×
- to/ plunder1×
- plunder1×
- and/ <into>/ plunder1×
- <into>/ plunder<s>1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- לִ/מְשִׁסָּ֔ה2×
- מְשִׁסָּ֖ה1×
- לִ/מְשִׁסָּ֧ה1×
- לִ/מְשִׁסּ֖וֹת1×
- וְ/לִ/מְשִׁסָּ֖ה1×
Key Verses
-
Zephaniah 1:13
Their wealth will become a plunder, and their houses a desolation. Yes, they will build houses, but won’t inhabit them. They will plant vineyards, but won’t drink their wine.
This verse illustrates the fragility of material security by describing how wealth becomes plunder and houses become desolation when spiritual fidelity is absent.
-
Isaiah 42:24
Who gave Jacob as plunder, and Israel to the robbers? Didn’t Yahweh, he against whom we have sinned? For they would not walk in his ways, and they disobeyed his law.
Here the term explains the cause of Israel's captivity, linking their status as plunder directly to their disobedience of God's law.
-
II Kings 21:14
I will cast off the remnant of my inheritance and deliver them into the hands of their enemies. They will become a prey and a plunder to all their enemies,
The passage uses this word to describe the consequence of being cast off by God, where the remnant becomes prey and plunder to their enemies.