What does מַשָּׂא (massāʾ) mean in the Bible?
מַשָּׂא (massāʾ): Literal weight becomes prophetic weight: burden evolves from physical load to oracular utterance or doom-laden proclamation.
Hebrew · H4853
מַשָּׂא
A burden ; specifically, tribute , or (abstractly) porterage ; figuratively, an utterance , chiefly a doom , especially singing ; mental, desire
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מַשָּׂא H4853
Pronunciation massāʾ
What does מַשָּׂא (massāʾ) mean in the Bible?
מַשָּׂא (massāʾ): Literal weight becomes prophetic weight: burden evolves from physical load to oracular utterance or doom-laden proclamation.
Full entry for מַשָּׂא (H4853) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H4853?
The BSB source-word alignment has 66 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include [This is] the burden (14), the burden (6), burden (5), This is the burden (4), a load (3).
Where does מַשָּׂא (massāʾ) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Exodus 23:5. Its strongest book concentrations include Isaiah (14), Jeremiah (12), Numbers (11), 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 It [This is] the burden 14× Isaiah 13:1, Isaiah 15:1, Isaiah 17:1, Isaiah 19:1
the burden 6× Numbers 11:11, Numbers 11:17, Proverbs 30:1, Proverbs 31:1
burden 5× 2 Samuel 19:35, 2 Kings 9:25, Isaiah 14:28, Jeremiah 23:33
This is the burden 4× Jeremiah 23:34, Jeremiah 23:38, Nahum 1:1
a load 3× Isaiah 46:1, Jeremiah 17:21, Jeremiah 17:27
to carry 3× Numbers 4:27, Numbers 4:31, Numbers 4:32
- 2× 1 Chronicles 15:22, Jeremiah 23:38
a burden 2× 2 Samuel 15:33, Job 7:20
load 2× Nehemiah 13:19, Jeremiah 17:24
and burden 1× Numbers 4:49
and carrying 1× Numbers 4:47
and the load 1× Isaiah 22:25
and transport 1× Numbers 4:24
and what he is to carry 1× Numbers 4:19
are the transportation duties 1× Numbers 4:15
as tribute 1× 2 Chronicles 17:11
burdens 1× Deuteronomy 1:12
camel loads 1× 2 Kings 8:9
can carry 1× 2 Kings 5:17
carried around 1× 2 Chronicles 35:3
carry a load 1× Jeremiah 17:22
is the burden 1× Jeremiah 23:33
its load 1× Exodus 23:5
of goods 1× Nehemiah 13:15
of music 1× 1 Chronicles 15:27
of the music 1× 1 Chronicles 15:22
pronouncements 1× 2 Chronicles 24:27
The burdens 1× Lamentations 2:14
their transport duties 1× Numbers 4:27
they are a burden 1× Psalms 38:4
they could carry away 1× 2 Chronicles 20:25
to the burden 1× Jeremiah 23:36
under the oppression 1× Hosea 8:10
which uplifted 1× Ezekiel 24:25
Show sample aligned rows
Exodus 23:5 מַשָּׂא֔וֹ to its load Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Numbers 4:15 מַשָּׂ֥א to are the transportation duties Noun - masculine singular construct Numbers 4:19 מַשָּׂאֽוֹ׃ to and what he is to carry Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Numbers 4:24 וּלְמַשָּֽׂא׃ to and transport Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular Numbers 4:27 מַשָּׂאָ֔ם to their transport duties Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural Numbers 4:27 מַשָּׂאָֽם׃ to to carry Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural Numbers 4:31 מַשָּׂאָ֔ם to to carry Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural Numbers 4:32 מַשָּׂאָֽם׃ to to carry Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural Numbers 4:47 מַשָּׂ֖א to and carrying Noun - masculine singular Numbers 4:49 מַשָּׂא֑וֹ to and burden Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Exodus 23:5
Aligned rows 66
Books represented 20
Exodus 1 Numbers 11 Deuteronomy 1 2 Samuel 2 2 Kings 3 1 Chronicles 3 2 Chronicles 4 Nehemiah 2 Job 1 Psalms 1 Proverbs 2 Isaiah 14 Jeremiah 12 Lamentations 1 Ezekiel 2 Hosea 1 Nahum 1 Habakkuk 1 Zechariah 2 Malachi 1
Source forms
מַשָּׂ֖א 17x maś·śā Numbers 4:47, 2 Kings 8:9, 2 Chronicles 35:3, Nehemiah 13:19
מַשָּׂ֥א 5x maś·śā Numbers 4:15, 2 Kings 5:17, Jeremiah 23:38, Zechariah 12:1
מַשָּׂ֣א 4x maś·śā Jeremiah 23:34, Jeremiah 23:38, Ezekiel 24:25
מַשָּׂ֑א 3x maś·śā 2 Chronicles 17:11, 2 Chronicles 20:25, Isaiah 46:2
הַמַּשָּׂ֖א 2x ham·maś·śā 2 Kings 9:25, 1 Chronicles 15:27
הַמַּשָּׂ֣א 2x ham·maś·śā 2 Chronicles 24:27, Isaiah 22:25
לְמַשָּֽׂא׃ 2x lə·maś·śā 2 Samuel 15:33, Job 7:20
מַשָּׂ֔א 2x maś·śā Nehemiah 13:15, Jeremiah 23:33
Parsing patterns
Noun - masculine singular construct 23x Numbers 4:15, Numbers 11:11, 2 Kings 5:17, 2 Kings 8:9
Noun - masculine singular 15x Numbers 4:47, 2 Chronicles 17:11, 2 Chronicles 20:25, 2 Chronicles 35:3
Article | Noun - masculine singular 9x 2 Kings 9:25, 1 Chronicles 15:27, 2 Chronicles 24:27, Proverbs 30:1
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine plural 4x Numbers 4:27, Numbers 4:31, Numbers 4:32
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular 3x Exodus 23:5, Numbers 4:19, Numbers 4:49
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular 3x 2 Samuel 15:33, 2 Samuel 19:35, Job 7:20
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct 1x Jeremiah 23:36
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine plural 1x Deuteronomy 1:12
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Literal weight becomes prophetic weight: burden evolves from physical load to oracular utterance or doom-laden proclamation.
Source Gloss
a burden ; specifically, tribute , or (abstractly) porterage ; figuratively, an utterance , chiefly a doom , especially singing ; mental, desire
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Literal weight becomes prophetic weight: burden evolves from physical load to oracular utterance or doom-laden proclamation.
a burden; specifically, tribute, or (abstractly) porterage; figuratively, an utterance, chiefly a doom, especially singing; mental, desire BDB: load Usage: burden, carry away, prophecy, × they set, song, tribute.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
An oracle or prophetic pronouncement of weight.
Showing 1 selected witness from 65 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
מַשָּׂא is built from this root:
Why This Word Matters
The term signals the seriousness and divine origin of the message. Isaiah 13:1-8
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.
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