מַשֶּׁה
𐤌𐤔𐤄
mashsheh
H4874 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Concrete obligation or sum owed, particularly a debt or outstanding obligation to another; refers to the amount that is lent and must be repaid. Used primarily in the context of personal or communal financial obligations, especially in legal or transactional settings. The term denotes both the abstract condition of indebtedness and the specific thing (money, goods) lent out that creates the debt.
Semantic Range
debt, lent sum, outstanding obligation, thing lent, contractual obligation
Root / Etymology
From the root נשה (n-sh-h), which bears the core meaning 'to lend, to claim a debt, to forget.' מַשֶּׁה is a substantive formed from this root, designating the thing lent, i.e., the debt itself. The underlying action is the act of lending, while the noun names the resulting obligation.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In its handful of appearances (notably Deuteronomy 15:2–3), מַשֶּׁה refers to the written or recognized debt between parties. It overlaps semantically with חוֹב (ḥov, 'obligation, debt'), but מַשֶּׁה more specifically emphasizes the lent sum or note itself, rather than the abstract concept of indebtedness. In ancient Israelite society, the retention or remission of such debts was a central issue in laws about the release year (shmita). Most English translations render it simply as 'debt,' sometimes as 'creditor,' though the Hebrew distinguishes between the person (נֹשֶׁה, nosheh) and the obligation (מַשֶּׁה, mashsheh). The term is rare and highly context-dependent, being used only in post-settlement legal texts, reflecting developed concepts of personal and communal finance.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from נָשָׁה; a debt; [phrase] creditor.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
נשה (n-š-h) — to lend, to claim a debt, to exact, to forget
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3449 | יִשִּׁיָּה | And Yahweh-will-lend |
| H4519 | מְנַשֶּׁה | in Forget-causer |
| H4520 | מְנַשִּׁי | the Manassite |
| H4855 | מַשָּׁא | the loan |
| H4860 | מַשָּׁאוֹן | in treachery |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4874-01 |
מַשֵּׁ֣ה | masheh | HNcmsc |
loan/lending | debt-of | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4874-01 |
Deuteronomy 15:2 | מַשֵּׁ֣ה | masheh | HNcmsc |
loan/lending | debt-of |