What does מָסַס (māsas) mean in the Bible?
מָסַס (māsas): Physical dissolution as metaphor for emotional collapse—melting away under overwhelming fear, grief, or physical suffering
Hebrew · H4549
מָסַס
To liquefy ; figuratively, to waste (with disease), to faint (with fatigue, fear or grief)
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מָסַס H4549
Pronunciation māsas
What does מָסַס (māsas) mean in the Bible?
מָסַס (māsas): Physical dissolution as metaphor for emotional collapse—melting away under overwhelming fear, grief, or physical suffering
Full entry for מָסַס (H4549) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H4549?
The BSB source-word alignment has 21 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include will melt (4), melt (3), melted (3), . . . (1), and waste away (1).
Where does מָסַס (māsas) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Exodus 16:21. Its strongest book concentrations include Isaiah (4), Psalms (4), Joshua (3), 2 Samuel (2).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It will melt 4× Isaiah 13:7, Isaiah 19:1, Ezekiel 21:7, Micah 1:4
melt 3× Deuteronomy 20:8, Psalms 97:5, Nahum 2:10
melted 3× Joshua 2:11, Joshua 5:1, Joshua 7:5
. . . 1× 2 Samuel 17:10
and waste away 1× Psalms 112:10
and worthless 1× 1 Samuel 15:9
as a sickness consumes a man 1× Isaiah 10:18
broke loose 1× Judges 15:14
have made our hearts melt 1× Deuteronomy 1:28
it melted away 1× Exodus 16:21
it melts away 1× Psalms 22:14
melts 1× Psalms 68:2
will flow 1× Isaiah 34:3
will melt with fear 1× 2 Samuel 17:10
Show sample aligned rows
Exodus 16:21 וְנָמָֽס׃ to it melted away Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular Deuteronomy 1:28 הֵמַ֨סּוּ to have made our hearts melt Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural Deuteronomy 20:8 יִמַּ֛ס to melt Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Joshua 2:11 וַיִּמַּ֣ס to melted Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Joshua 5:1 וַיִּמַּ֣ס to melted Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Joshua 7:5 וַיִּמַּ֥ס to melted Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Judges 15:14 וַיִּמַּ֥סּוּ to broke loose Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural 1 Samuel 15:9 וְנָמֵ֖ס to and worthless Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singular 2 Samuel 17:10 הִמֵּ֣ס to will melt with fear Verb - Nifal - Infinitive absolute 2 Samuel 17:10 יִמָּ֑ס to . . . Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Exodus 16:21
Aligned rows 21
Books represented 11
Exodus 1 Deuteronomy 2 Joshua 3 Judges 1 1 Samuel 1 2 Samuel 2 Psalms 4 Isaiah 4 Ezekiel 1 Micah 1 Nahum 1
Source forms
וַיִּמַּ֣ס 2x way·yim·mas Joshua 2:11, Joshua 5:1
הִמֵּ֣ס 1x him·mês 2 Samuel 17:10
הֵמַ֨סּוּ 1x hê·mas·sū Deuteronomy 1:28
וַיִּמַּ֥ס 1x way·yim·mas Joshua 7:5
וַיִּמַּ֥סּוּ 1x way·yim·mas·sū Judges 15:14
וְנָמֵ֖ס 1x wə·nā·mês 1 Samuel 15:9
וְנָמֵ֣ס 1x wə·nā·mês Ezekiel 21:7
וְנָמָ֑ס 1x wə·nā·mās Psalms 112:10
Parsing patterns
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 4x Deuteronomy 20:8, 2 Samuel 17:10, Isaiah 13:7, Isaiah 19:1
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular 3x Exodus 16:21, Psalms 112:10, Ezekiel 21:7
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 3x Joshua 2:11, Joshua 5:1, Joshua 7:5
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural 2x Isaiah 34:3, Micah 1:4
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural 1x Judges 15:14
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singular 1x 1 Samuel 15:9
Preposition-k | Verb - Nifal - Infinitive construct 1x Psalms 68:2
Preposition-k | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct 1x Isaiah 10:18
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Physical dissolution as metaphor for emotional collapse—melting away under overwhelming fear, grief, or physical suffering
Source Gloss
to liquefy ; figuratively, to waste (with disease), to faint (with fatigue, fear or grief)
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Physical dissolution as metaphor for emotional collapse—melting away under overwhelming fear, grief, or physical suffering
to liquefy; figuratively, to waste (with disease), to faint (with fatigue, fear or grief) BDB: dissolve Usage: discourage, faint, be loosed, melt (away), refuse, × utterly.
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 2 Aligned forms 9
Niphal passive or reflexive — the subject receives or experiences the action 8×
Imperfect 2Sam 17:10 · Deut 20:8 · Isa 13:7 · Isa 19:1 4×
Perfect Nah 2:11 · Ps 22:15 · Ps 97:5 3×
Infinitive absolute 2Sam 17:10 1×
Hiphil causative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action 1×
Perfect Deut 1:28 1×
Word Origins
מָסַס is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain