What does מִשְׁתֶּה (mišĕteh) mean in the Bible?
מִשְׁתֶּה (mišĕteh): Metonymic shift from the act of drinking to the social occasion, emphasizing festive communal gathering rather than mere consumption
Hebrew · H4960
מִשְׁתֶּה
Drink , by implication, drinking (the act); also (by implication) a banquet or (generally) feast
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מִשְׁתֶּהH4960
Pronunciationmišĕteh
What does מִשְׁתֶּה (mišĕteh) mean in the Bible?
מִשְׁתֶּה (mišĕteh): Metonymic shift from the act of drinking to the social occasion, emphasizing festive communal gathering rather than mere consumption
Full entry for מִשְׁתֶּה (H4960) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H4960?
The BSB source-word alignment has 46 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include a feast (10), the banquet (6), of feasting (5), . . . (4), banquet (3).
Where does מִשְׁתֶּה (mišĕteh) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 19:3. Its strongest book concentrations include Esther (20), Genesis (5), Daniel (4), Isaiah (3).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Ita feast10×Genesis 19:3, Genesis 26:30, Genesis 29:22, Genesis 40:20
the banquet6×Esther 5:4, Esther 5:5, Esther 5:8, Esther 5:12
of feasting5×Esther 9:17, Esther 9:18, Esther 9:22, Job 1:5
. . .4×1 Samuel 25:36, Esther 7:8, Daniel 1:5, Daniel 1:8
banquet3×Esther 2:18, Isaiah 25:6
feast3×Genesis 21:8, Esther 1:5, Proverbs 15:15
And as they drank2×Esther 5:6, Esther 7:2
and drink2×Ezra 3:7, Daniel 1:10
of the feast2×Judges 14:12, Judges 14:17
a banquet1×Esther 1:9
and feasting1×Esther 9:19
At their feasts1×Isaiah 5:12
feasts1×Job 1:4
from drinking1×Esther 7:7
holding a feast1×1 Samuel 25:36
they were to drink1×Daniel 1:16
where there is feasting1×Jeremiah 16:8
with feasting1×Esther 8:17
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 19:3מִשְׁתֶּ֔הtoa feastNoun - masculine singularGenesis 21:8מִשְׁתֶּ֣הtofeastNoun - masculine singularGenesis 26:30מִשְׁתֶּ֔הtoa feastNoun - masculine singularGenesis 29:22מִשְׁתֶּֽה׃toa feastNoun - masculine singularGenesis 40:20מִשְׁתֶּ֖הtoa feastNoun - masculine singularJudges 14:10מִשְׁתֶּ֔הtoa feastNoun - masculine singularJudges 14:12הַמִּשְׁתֶּה֙toof the feastArticle | Noun - masculine singularJudges 14:17הַמִּשְׁתֶּ֑הtoof the feastArticle | Noun - masculine singular1 Samuel 25:36כְּמִשְׁתֵּ֣הto. . .Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular construct1 Samuel 25:36מִשְׁתֶּ֨הtoholding a feastNoun - masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowGenesis 19:3
Aligned rows46
Books represented13
Genesis5Judges31 Samuel22 Samuel11 Kings1Ezra1Esther20Job2Proverbs1Ecclesiastes1Isaiah3Jeremiah2Daniel4
Source forms
מִשְׁתֶּ֔ה6xmiš·tehGenesis 19:3, Genesis 26:30, Judges 14:10, Esther 1:3
הַמִּשְׁתֶּ֖ה4xham·miš·tehEsther 5:4, Esther 5:5, Esther 5:14, Esther 6:14
מִשְׁתֵּ֣ה4xmiš·têhEsther 1:9, Esther 2:18, Esther 7:8, Isaiah 25:6
מִשְׁתֶּ֖ה4xmiš·tehGenesis 40:20, 1 Kings 3:15, Esther 1:5, Esther 8:17
מִשְׁתֶּ֥ה4xmiš·tehEsther 9:17, Esther 9:18, Proverbs 15:15, Jeremiah 16:8
מִשְׁתֶּ֣ה3xmiš·tehGenesis 21:8, Esther 2:18, Esther 9:22
בְּמִשְׁתֵּ֣ה2xbə·miš·têhEsther 5:6, Esther 7:2
הַמִּשְׁתֶּה֙2xham·miš·tehJudges 14:12, Esther 5:8
Parsing patterns
Noun - masculine singular20xGenesis 19:3, Genesis 21:8, Genesis 26:30, Genesis 29:22
Article | Noun - masculine singular9xJudges 14:12, Judges 14:17, Esther 5:4, Esther 5:5
Noun - masculine singular construct5xEsther 1:9, Esther 2:18, Esther 7:8, Isaiah 25:6
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural3xIsaiah 5:12, Jeremiah 51:39, Daniel 1:16
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular2xEzra 3:7, Esther 9:19
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular2xDaniel 1:5, Daniel 1:8
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct2xEsther 5:6, Esther 7:2
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural1xDaniel 1:10
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Metonymic shift from the act of drinking to the social occasion, emphasizing festive communal gathering rather than mere consumption
Source Gloss
drink , by implication, drinking (the act); also (by implication) a banquet or (generally) feast
Extended definitionSource: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Metonymic shift from the act of drinking to the social occasion, emphasizing festive communal gathering rather than mere consumption
drink, by implication, drinking (the act); also (by implication) a banquet or (generally) feast BDB: feast Usage: banquet, drank, drink, feast((-ed), -ing).
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Eschatological banquet of rich foods and wines prepared by God for all peoples
Continuous celebration and joy contrasted with affliction, emphasizing festive atmosphere
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 46 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
מִשְׁתֶּה is built from this root:
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.