What does מָשַׁשׁ (māšaš) mean in the Bible?
מָשַׁשׁ (māšaš): Tactile exploration implying uncertainty or blindness; to search by touch when vision fails
Hebrew · H4959
מָשַׁשׁ
To feel of ; by implication, to grope
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מָשַׁשׁ H4959
Pronunciation māšaš
What does מָשַׁשׁ (māšaš) mean in the Bible?
מָשַׁשׁ (māšaš): Tactile exploration implying uncertainty or blindness; to search by touch when vision fails
Full entry for מָשַׁשׁ (H4959) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H4959?
The BSB source-word alignment has 9 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include - (1), a palpable (1), and grope (1), grope about (1), searched (1).
Where does מָשַׁשׁ (māšaš) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 27:12. Its strongest book concentrations include Genesis (4), Deuteronomy (2), Job (2), Exodus (1).
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 - 1× Deuteronomy 28:29
a palpable 1× Exodus 10:21
and grope 1× Job 5:14
grope about 1× Deuteronomy 28:29
searched 1× Genesis 31:34
They grope 1× Job 12:25
touches me 1× Genesis 27:12
who touched him 1× Genesis 27:22
You have searched 1× Genesis 31:37
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 27:12 יְמֻשֵּׁ֙נִי֙ to touches me Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | first person common singular Genesis 27:22 וַיְמֻשֵּׁ֑הוּ to who touched him Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular Genesis 31:34 וַיְמַשֵּׁ֥שׁ to searched Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Genesis 31:37 מִשַּׁ֣שְׁתָּ to You have searched Verb - Piel - Perfect - second person masculine singular Exodus 10:21 וְיָמֵ֖שׁ to a palpable Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular Deuteronomy 28:29 מְמַשֵּׁ֣שׁ to grope about Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular Deuteronomy 28:29 יְמַשֵּׁ֤שׁ to - Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Job 5:14 יְֽמַשְׁשׁ֥וּ to and grope Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural Job 12:25 יְמַֽשְׁשׁוּ־ to They grope Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 27:12
Aligned rows 9
Books represented 4
Genesis 4 Exodus 1 Deuteronomy 2 Job 2
Source forms
וְיָמֵ֖שׁ 1x wə·yā·mêš Exodus 10:21
וַיְמֻשֵּׁ֑הוּ 1x way·muš·šê·hū Genesis 27:22
וַיְמַשֵּׁ֥שׁ 1x way·maš·šêš Genesis 31:34
יְמֻשֵּׁ֙נִי֙ 1x yə·muš·šê·nî Genesis 27:12
יְמַשֵּׁ֤שׁ 1x yə·maš·šêš Deuteronomy 28:29
יְֽמַשְׁשׁ֥וּ 1x yə·maš·šū Job 5:14
יְמַֽשְׁשׁוּ־ 1x yə·maš·šū- Job 12:25
מְמַשֵּׁ֣שׁ 1x mə·maš·šêš Deuteronomy 28:29
Parsing patterns
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural 2x Job 5:14, Job 12:25
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singular 1x Exodus 10:21
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular 1x Genesis 31:34
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular 1x Genesis 27:22
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 1x Deuteronomy 28:29
Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular 1x Deuteronomy 28:29
Verb - Piel - Perfect - second person masculine singular 1x Genesis 31:37
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | first person common singular 1x Genesis 27:12
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Tactile exploration implying uncertainty or blindness; to search by touch when vision fails
Strong's H4959
Lexical occurrences 9 verses Word forms 1 form 5 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Isaiah 59:9-15 Source Gloss
to feel of ; by implication, to grope
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Tactile exploration implying uncertainty or blindness; to search by touch when vision fails
to feel of; by implication, to grope BDB: feel Usage: feel, grope, search.
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 1 Aligned forms 5
Piel intensive active — emphasizes thoroughness or repeated action 5×
Imperfect Job 5:14 · Job 12:25 · Deut 28:29 3×
Participle active Deut 28:29 1×
Perfect Gen 31:37 1×
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Metaphorical groping in darkness, seeking way forward without light
Showing 1 selected witness from 9 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
מָשַׁשׁ is a primitive root - no further derivation.
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