מִשְׁתֶּה (H4960) — Hebrew Lexicon

מִשְׁתֶּה

𐤌𐤔𐤕𐤄

mishteh

H4960 noun

SILEX Entry

Root שתה to drink, imbibe

Definition

A drinking event—especially a social gathering centered around the consumption of wine or other fermented beverage; by extension, a banquet or festive meal where drinking is a primary feature. In the Hebrew Bible, the term regularly denotes formal or ritualized feasts, often associated with celebrations, communal gatherings, or significant social occasions such as weddings, royal festivities, or seasonal observances.

Semantic Range

drinking gathering, banquet, feast focused on drinking, wine party, drinking festival

Root / Etymology

From the root שׁתה (to drink). Derived as a noun formation denoting the act or event of drinking, especially in a communal or celebratory setting. While the root שׁתה simply means 'to drink,' מִשְׁתֶּה developed into a term emphasizing the event itself rather than the act.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the biblical period, מִשְׁתֶּה refers not just to drinking in the everyday sense but specifically to structured gatherings where drinking—particularly of wine—was central. Examples include festive occasions like the feast at the house of Job's children (Job 1:4, 1:13), or at royal courts (Esther 1-7), and wedding celebrations. In some contexts, מִשְׁתֶּה bears a sense of exclusivity or privilege, as such banquets were typically accessible to elites or special guests. Compared to related terms such as חָג (ḥag, 'festival'), מִשְׁתֶּה is more narrowly concerned with the act of drinking or the banquet itself, rather than larger communal or religious festivals. Later translation traditions, and especially English versions, often render the term as 'feast' or 'banquet'; however, these renderings may obscure the original emphasis on drinking as a central component. Over time, while the core meaning of 'drinking gathering' persists, the boundaries between 'feast,' 'banquet,' and 'drinking party' become somewhat fluid in postbiblical usage.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from שָׁתָה; drink, by implication, drinking (the act); also (by implication) a banquet or (generally) feast; banquet, drank, drink, feast((-ed), -ing).

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Root Family

שתה (š-t-h) — to drink, imbibe

Strong's	Lemma	SIBI-P1
H4961	מִשְׁתֶּה	the drinking-banquet
H8354	שָׁתָה	I will drink
H8355	שְׁתָה	they drank
H8358	שְׁתִי	drunkenness
H8360	שְׁתִיָּה	and the drinking

Word Forms

9 distinct forms

SIDANCE	Surface	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1	Occurrences
`H4960-06`	מִשְׁתֶּ֔ה	misheteh	`HNcmsa`	a feast	drinking feast	25
`H4960-02`	הַ/מִּשְׁתֶּה֙	hamisheteh	`HTd/Ncmsa`	the banquet	the drinking-feast	9
`H4960-07`	מִשְׁתֵּי/הֶ֑ם	misheteyhem	`HNcmsc/Sp3mp`	at their feasts	their drinking-feast	3
`H4960-05`	מִשְׁתָּ֔י/ו	mishetayv	`HNcmsc/Sp3ms`	his drinking	his drinking-feast	2
`H4960-01`	בְּ/מִשְׁתֵּ֣ה	bemisheteh	`HR/Ncmsc`	at-drinking	in a drinking-feast	2
`H4960-09`	וּ/מִשְׁתֶּ֖ה	umisheteh	`HC/Ncmsa`	and feasting	and drinking-feast	2
`H4960-08`	מִשְׁתֵּי/כֶ֑ם	misheteykhem	`HNcmsc/Sp2mp`	your drink	your drinking-feast	1
`H4960-03`	כְּ/מִשְׁתֵּ֣ה	kemisheteh	`HR/Ncmsc`	like the feast	like a drinking-feast of	1
`H4960-04`	מִ/מִּשְׁתֵּ֣ה	mimisheteh	`HR/Ncmsc`	from the banquet	from the drinking-feast of	1

Occurrences in Scripture

46 total occurrences

SIDANCE	Reference	Word	Transliteration	Morphology	Common	SIBI-P1
`H4960-06`	Genesis 19:3	מִשְׁתֶּ֔ה	misheteh	`HNcmsa`	a feast	drinking feast
`H4960-06`	Genesis 21:8	מִשְׁתֶּ֣ה	misheteh	`HNcmsa`	a feast	drinking feast
`H4960-06`	Genesis 26:30	מִשְׁתֶּ֔ה	misheteh	`HNcmsa`	a feast	drinking feast
`H4960-06`	Genesis 29:22	מִשְׁתֶּֽה	misheteh	`HNcmsa`	a feast	drinking feast
`H4960-06`	Genesis 40:20	מִשְׁתֶּ֖ה	misheteh	`HNcmsa`	a feast	drinking feast
`H4960-06`	Judges 14:10	מִשְׁתֶּ֔ה	misheteh	`HNcmsa`	a feast	drinking feast
`H4960-02`	Judges 14:12	הַ/מִּשְׁתֶּה֙	hamisheteh	`HTd/Ncmsa`	of the feast	the drinking-feast
`H4960-02`	Judges 14:17	הַ/מִּשְׁתֶּ֑ה	hamisheteh	`HTd/Ncmsa`	the feast	the drinking-feast
`H4960-06`	1 Samuel 25:36	מִשְׁתֶּ֨ה	misheteh	`HNcmsa`	a feast	drinking feast
`H4960-03`	1 Samuel 25:36	כְּ/מִשְׁתֵּ֣ה	kemisheteh	`HR/Ncmsc`	like the feast	like a drinking-feast of
`H4960-06`	2 Samuel 3:20	מִשְׁתֶּֽה	misheteh	`HNcmsa`	a feast	drinking feast
`H4960-06`	1 Kings 3:15	מִשְׁתֶּ֖ה	misheteh	`HNcmsa`	a feast	drinking feast
`H4960-07`	Isaiah 5:12	מִשְׁתֵּי/הֶ֑ם	misheteyhem	`HNcmsc/Sp3mp`	at their feasts	their drinking-feast
`H4960-06`	Isaiah 25:6	מִשְׁתֵּ֥ה	misheteh	`HNcmsc`	a banquet	drinking feast
`H4960-06`	Isaiah 25:6	מִשְׁתֵּ֣ה	misheteh-2	`HNcmsc`	a banquet	drinking feast
`H4960-06`	Jeremiah 16:8	מִשְׁתֶּ֥ה	misheteh	`HNcmsa`	feasting	drinking feast
`H4960-07`	Jeremiah 51:39	מִשְׁתֵּי/הֶ֗ם	misheteyhem	`HNcmsc/Sp3mp`	their feasts	their drinking-feast
`H4960-06`	Proverbs 15:15	מִשְׁתֶּ֥ה	misheteh	`HNcmsa`	has a feast	drinking feast
`H4960-06`	Job 1:4	מִשְׁתֶּ֔ה	misheteh	`HNcmsa`	a feast	drinking feast
`H4960-02`	Job 1:5	הַ/מִּשְׁתֶּ֜ה	hamisheteh	`HTd/Ncmsa`	the feasting	the drinking-feast
`H4960-06`	Ecclesiastes 7:2	מִשְׁתֶּ֔ה	misheteh	`HNcmsa`		drinking feast
`H4960-06`	Esther 1:3	מִשְׁתֶּ֔ה	misheteh	`HNcmsa`	a feast	drinking feast
`H4960-06`	Esther 1:5	מִשְׁתֶּ֖ה	misheteh	`HNcmsa`	a feast	drinking feast
`H4960-06`	Esther 1:9	מִשְׁתֵּ֣ה	misheteh	`HNcmsc`	a feast	drinking feast
`H4960-06`	Esther 2:18	מִשְׁתֶּ֣ה	misheteh	`HNcmsa`	banquet	drinking feast
`H4960-06`	Esther 2:18	מִשְׁתֵּ֣ה	misheteh-2	`HNcmsc`	banquet	drinking feast
`H4960-02`	Esther 5:4	הַ/מִּשְׁתֶּ֖ה	hamisheteh	`HTd/Ncmsa`	the banquet	the drinking-feast
`H4960-02`	Esther 5:5	הַ/מִּשְׁתֶּ֖ה	hamisheteh	`HTd/Ncmsa`	the banquet	the drinking-feast
`H4960-01`	Esther 5:6	בְּ/מִשְׁתֵּ֣ה	bemisheteh	`HR/Ncmsc`	at the banquet	in a drinking-feast
`H4960-02`	Esther 5:8	הַ/מִּשְׁתֶּה֙	hamisheteh	`HTd/Ncmsa`	the banquet	the drinking-feast
`H4960-02`	Esther 5:12	הַ/מִּשְׁתֶּ֥ה	hamisheteh	`HTd/Ncmsa`	the banquet	the drinking-feast
`H4960-02`	Esther 5:14	הַ/מִּשְׁתֶּ֖ה	hamisheteh	`HTd/Ncmsa`	the banquet	the drinking-feast
`H4960-02`	Esther 6:14	הַ/מִּשְׁתֶּ֖ה	hamisheteh	`HTd/Ncmsa`	the banquet	the drinking-feast
`H4960-01`	Esther 7:2	בְּ/מִשְׁתֵּ֣ה	bemisheteh	`HR/Ncmsc`	at-drinking	in a drinking-feast
`H4960-04`	Esther 7:7	מִ/מִּשְׁתֵּ֣ה	mimisheteh	`HR/Ncmsc`	from the banquet	from the drinking-feast of
`H4960-06`	Esther 7:8	מִשְׁתֵּ֣ה	misheteh	`HNcmsc`	of-banquet	drinking feast
`H4960-06`	Esther 8:17	מִשְׁתֶּ֖ה	misheteh	`HNcmsa`	feast	drinking feast
`H4960-06`	Esther 9:17	מִשְׁתֶּ֥ה	misheteh	`HNcmsa`	of feasting	drinking feast
`H4960-06`	Esther 9:18	מִשְׁתֶּ֥ה	misheteh	`HNcmsa`	of feasting	drinking feast
`H4960-09`	Esther 9:19	וּ/מִשְׁתֶּ֖ה	umisheteh	`HC/Ncmsa`	and feasting	and drinking-feast
`H4960-06`	Esther 9:22	מִשְׁתֶּ֣ה	misheteh	`HNcmsa`	feasting	drinking feast
`H4960-05`	Daniel 1:5	מִשְׁתָּ֔י/ו	mishetayv	`HNcmsc/Sp3ms`	his drinking	his drinking-feast
`H4960-05`	Daniel 1:8	מִשְׁתָּ֑י/ו	mishetayv	`HNcmsc/Sp3ms`	which he drank	his drinking-feast
`H4960-08`	Daniel 1:10	מִשְׁתֵּי/כֶ֑ם	misheteykhem	`HNcmsc/Sp2mp`	your drink	your drinking-feast
`H4960-07`	Daniel 1:16	מִשְׁתֵּי/הֶ֑ם	misheteyhem	`HNcmsc/Sp3mp`	of their drink	their drinking-feast
`H4960-09`	Ezra 3:7	וּ/מִשְׁתֶּ֜ה	umisheteh	`HC/Ncmsa`	drink	and drinking-feast

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