מֶשֶׁק
𐤌𐤔𐤒
mesheq
H4943 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A possession—specifically, personal property or wealth—particularly as held or managed by a head of a household. In certain contexts, may denote an inheritance or estate, especially one destined for transmission within a family line. In rare instances, carries the nuance of stewardship over possessions.
Semantic Range
personal property, household estate, inheritance, what is possessed or managed, occasionally—by extension—stewardship or head of an estate
Root / Etymology
From an unused or uncertain root, possibly akin to מָשַׁךְ (to draw, pull) or חָשַׁק (to hold fast, desire), but exact etymological derivation is uncertain. מֶשֶׁק is attested only in later Hebrew (Gen 15:2) and is not constructed elsewhere in the Bible, suggesting it preserves an archaic or possibly dialectal term for 'possession' or 'property.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
מֶשֶׁק occurs only once in the Hebrew Bible (Genesis 15:2), where it describes the 'possession/estate of my house' in Abraham's speech about Eliezer: 'the (מֶשֶׁק) of my household' (ben-mesheq bēti). The precise meaning has been debated: traditional translations render it as 'steward' or 'heir,' but the lexical evidence points more to 'property/possession' in a genitive construct — that is, 'the possessor of my estate.' Ancient versions (LXX, Vulgate) vary, reflecting interpretive uncertainty. The form is otherwise unattested in Biblical Hebrew and does not develop broader technical or administrative usage in later periods. English translations often render the phrase as 'steward' or 'heir,' but these are interpretive; strictly speaking, the word refers to property/estate, not the role. Later Jewish and rabbinic interpretation often read it as functionally 'heir' or 'head of household property,' but this reading comes from the phrase's context and not the word's base meaning. Related terms for possessions or inheritance include נַחֲלָה (naḥalah, 'inheritance'), רְכוּשׁ (rekhush, 'property, goods'), and יְרֻשָּׁה (yerushah, 'heritage'), but מֶשֶׁק in Genesis 15:2 specifically emphasizes what is personally held or managed as an estate at a familial or household level.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from an unused root meaning to hold; possession; [phrase] steward.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
משק (m-š-q) — to possess, to hold property
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4476 | מִמְשָׁק | estate of |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4943-01 |
מֶ֣שֶׁק | mesheq | HNcmsc |
of my household | estate of | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4943-01 |
Genesis 15:2 | מֶ֣שֶׁק | mesheq | HNcmsc |
of my household | estate of |