מָשָׁה
𐤌𐤔𐤄
mâshâh
H4871 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To draw out or pull out, especially from water, indicating the act of lifting or extracting something from a liquid or a difficult context. In narrative use, most famously describes drawing a person from water (e.g., infant Moses from the Nile), but broadly also conveys pulling out or rescuing from danger.
Semantic Range
draw out (from water), extract, pull out, rescue or remove from danger (figurative extension)
Root / Etymology
The verb מָשָׁה is derived from the root משׁה (m-sh-h), which at the root level conveys the concept 'to draw out' or 'to extract.' The form is a Qal verb, typically used in active voice in narrative contexts. The etymological connection to other Semitic languages is limited and the root is relatively rare outside of Hebrew.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, מָשָׁה is most prominently used in Exodus 2:10 to describe Pharaoh's daughter drawing the infant Moses out of the Nile, which becomes the narrative explanation for the name Moses (although the actual Egyptian etymology of the name differs). The root occurs infrequently, with a primary association to rescue or removal from water. The verb is, however, not exclusive to water, and can be used more generally for extraction. Unlike other verbs such as נצל ('to deliver, snatch away') or שלף ('to pull out,' often with weapons), מָשָׁה is more specific and evocative of a deliberate, tangible act of drawing out. Later tradition (and English translations) sometimes overextend the figurative sense of 'rescue,' but the primary biblical image remains quite concrete. The term does not carry theological or cultic nuance in itself. In post-biblical Hebrew, this root is rarely used, and other verbs become primary for the concept of rescue or deliverance.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to pull out (literally or figuratively); draw(out).
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
משׁה (m-š-h) — draw out, extract, pull out
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4871-02 |
יַֽמְשֵׁ֖/נִי | yamesheni | HVhi3ms/Sp1cs |
He took me | he will draw me out | 2 |
H4871-01 |
מְשִׁיתִֽ/הוּ | meshitihu | HVqp1cs/Sp3ms |
I drew him out | I drew him out | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4871-01 |
Exodus 2:10 | מְשִׁיתִֽ/הוּ | meshitihu | HVqp1cs/Sp3ms |
I drew him out | I drew him out |
H4871-02 |
2 Samuel 22:17 | יַֽמְשֵׁ֖/נִי | yamesheni | HVhi3ms/Sp1cs |
He took me | he will draw me out |
H4871-02 |
Psalms 18:17 | יַֽ֝מְשֵׁ֗/נִי | yamesheni | HVhi3ms/Sp1cs |
he will draw me | he will draw me out |