מַשָּׂא
𐤌𐤔𐤀
Masa
H4854 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Massa is a proper name referring to a descendant of Ishmael and possibly a tribal group in the Arabian desert regions. The term itself primarily denotes an individual, 'Massa,' one of Ishmael's sons, and by extension can refer to the clan or territory associated with his lineage. The underlying common noun from which the name is derived means 'load, burden, utterance,' but as a proper noun here, it specifically designates a personal or tribal name.
Semantic Range
proper name of a son of Ishmael; eponymous ancestor of an Arabian tribe; associated region or people group; (not in this sense: burden, load, utterance, oracle)
Root / Etymology
Root: נשׂא (n-ś-ʼ), meaning 'to lift, carry, bear.' The form מַשָּׂא is a nominalization from this root and most often means 'load, burden, oracle.' As a proper noun, Massâʼ is directly derived from the same consonantal form but refers to an individual or group rather than an abstract concept.
Historical & Contextual Notes
מַשָּׂא (Massâʼ) appears in Genesis 25:14 and 1 Chronicles 1:30 as a son of Ishmael, indicating his inclusion among the Arabian tribal lists of the Hebrew Bible. The name is likely eponymous for a North Arabian group, possibly dwelling east or southeast of the land of Israel. While the consonants are identical to the common noun meaning 'burden' or 'oracle,' context makes clear when the reference is a proper name. English translations sometimes retain 'Massa' as a transliteration or substitute with generic place or tribal names, but this may obscure the connection to the Ishmaelite genealogy. No known post-exilic or later Judean usage appears to refer to the group as 'Jews'; instead, the word remains characteristically linked to Ishmaelite, and thus non-Israelite, lineage. Contrast with other proper names derived from common nouns in Hebrew (e.g., Dumah from 'silence'). Some translations and traditions erroneously treat מַשָּׂא as 'oracle' in prophetic headings—a different usage of the same word form not applicable to this proper name sense.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
the same as מַשָּׂא; burden; Massa, a son of Ishmael; Massa.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
נשא (n-ś-ʾ) — to lift, to carry, to bear
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4853 | מַשָּׂא | in the burden |
| H4856 | מַשֹּׂא | and lifting-up-of |
| H4858 | מַשָּׂאָה | rising mass |
| H4859 | מַשָּׁאָה | loans |
| H4864 | מַשְׂאֵת | raised portion |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4854-02 |
וּ/מַשָּֽׂא | umasa | HC/Np |
and Massa | and Massa | and Masa | 1 |
H4854-01 |
מַשָּׂ֖א | masa | HNp |
Massa | burden of | Masa | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4854-02 |
Genesis 25:14 | וּ/מַשָּֽׂא | umasa | HC/Np |
and Massa | and Massa | and Masa |
H4854-01 |
1 Chronicles 1:30 | מַשָּׂ֖א | masa | HNp |
Massa | burden of | Masa |