What does מַצָּה (maṣāh) mean in the Bible?
מַצָּה (maṣāh): Unleavened bread embodies ritual purity and covenant commemoration, opposing fermentation's corruption symbolism.
Hebrew · H4682
מַצָּה
Properly, sweetness ; concretely, sweet (i.e. not soured or bittered with yeast); specifically, an unfermented cake or loaf, or (elliptically) the festival of Passover (because no leaven was then used)
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מַצָּהH4682
Pronunciationmaṣāh
What does מַצָּה (maṣāh) mean in the Bible?
מַצָּה (maṣāh): Unleavened bread embodies ritual purity and covenant commemoration, opposing fermentation's corruption symbolism.
Full entry for מַצָּה (H4682) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H4682?
The BSB source-word alignment has 53 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include unleavened bread (17), of Unleavened Bread (15), unleavened (5), and the unleavened bread (2), and unleavened (2).
Where does מַצָּה (maṣāh) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 19:3. Its strongest book concentrations include Exodus (16), Leviticus (12), Numbers (7), 2 Chronicles (4).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Itunleavened bread17×Genesis 19:3, Exodus 12:15, Exodus 12:18, Exodus 12:20
of Unleavened Bread15×Exodus 23:15, Exodus 29:23, Exodus 34:18, Leviticus 8:2
unleavened5×Exodus 29:2, Leviticus 7:12, Numbers 6:19
and the unleavened bread2×Judges 6:21
and unleavened2×Exodus 29:2, Numbers 6:15
without leaven2×Leviticus 6:16, Leviticus 10:12
along with unleavened1×Exodus 29:2
along with unleavened bread1×Exodus 12:8
and unleavened bread1×Judges 6:19
during which unleavened bread1×Ezekiel 45:21
either unleavened1×Leviticus 2:4
into unleavened1×Exodus 12:39
of unleavened1×Numbers 6:15
or unleavened1×Leviticus 2:4
the Feast of Unleavened Bread1×Exodus 12:17
the unleavened bread1×Judges 6:20
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 19:3וּמַצּ֥וֹתtounleavened breadConjunctive waw | Noun - feminine pluralExodus 12:8וּמַצּ֔וֹתtoalong with unleavened breadConjunctive waw | Noun - feminine pluralExodus 12:15מַצּ֣וֹתtounleavened breadNoun - feminine pluralExodus 12:17הַמַּצּוֹת֒tothe Feast of Unleavened BreadArticle | Noun - feminine pluralExodus 12:18מַצֹּ֑תtounleavened breadNoun - feminine pluralExodus 12:20מַצּֽוֹת׃פtounleavened breadNoun - feminine pluralExodus 12:39מַצּ֖וֹתtointo unleavenedNoun - feminine pluralExodus 13:6מַצֹּ֑תtounleavened breadNoun - feminine pluralExodus 13:7מַצּוֹת֙toUnleavened breadNoun - feminine pluralExodus 23:15הַמַּצּוֹת֮toof Unleavened BreadArticle | Noun - feminine plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowGenesis 19:3
Aligned rows53
Books represented13
Genesis1Exodus16Leviticus12Numbers7Deuteronomy3Joshua1Judges41 Samuel12 Kings11 Chronicles12 Chronicles4Ezra1Ezekiel1
Source forms
מַצּ֖וֹת10xmaṣ·ṣō·wṯExodus 12:39, Exodus 29:2, Leviticus 2:4, Leviticus 7:12
הַמַּצּ֔וֹת3xham·maṣ·ṣō·wṯExodus 29:23, Judges 6:21, 1 Chronicles 23:29
הַמַּצּ֖וֹת3xham·maṣ·ṣō·wṯLeviticus 23:6, 2 Chronicles 30:13, 2 Chronicles 35:17
הַמַּצּ֛וֹת3xham·maṣ·ṣō·wṯDeuteronomy 16:16, 2 Chronicles 8:13, 2 Chronicles 30:21
מַצּוֹת֙3xmaṣ·ṣō·wṯExodus 13:7, Exodus 34:18, Leviticus 7:12
הַמַּצּוֹת֮2xham·maṣ·ṣō·wṯExodus 23:15, Exodus 34:18
מַצָּ֤ה2xmaṣ·ṣāhLeviticus 8:26, Numbers 6:19
מַצּ֣וֹת2xmaṣ·ṣō·wṯExodus 12:15, Joshua 5:11
Parsing patterns
Noun - feminine plural30xExodus 12:15, Exodus 12:18, Exodus 12:20, Exodus 12:39
Article | Noun - feminine plural16xExodus 12:17, Exodus 23:15, Exodus 29:23, Exodus 34:18
Noun - feminine singular4xLeviticus 2:5, Leviticus 8:26, Numbers 6:19
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural2xGenesis 19:3, Exodus 12:8
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine plural1xJudges 6:21
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Unleavened bread embodies ritual purity and covenant commemoration, opposing fermentation's corruption symbolism.
Source Gloss
properly, sweetness ; concretely, sweet (i.e. not soured or bittered with yeast); specifically, an unfermented cake or loaf, or (elliptically) the festival of Passover (because no leaven was then used)
Extended definitionSource: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Unleavened bread embodies ritual purity and covenant commemoration, opposing fermentation's corruption symbolism.
properly, sweetness; concretely, sweet (i.e. not soured or bittered with yeast); specifically, an unfermented cake or loaf, or (elliptically) the festival of Passover (because no leaven was then used) BDB: unleavened bread Usage: unleaved (bread, cake), without leaven.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Word Origins
מַצָּה is built from this root:
מָצַץH4711
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.