Lexical Summary maccah: Wound, blow, plague, slaughter Original Word: מַסָּה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance temptation, trial From nacah; a testing, of men (judicial) or of God (querulous) -- temptation, trial. see HEBREW nacah Brown-Driver-Briggs I. [מַסָּה] noun feminine despair (literally melting, failing); — only לְמַסַּת נְקִיִּים יִלְעָ֑ג Job 9:23 at the despair of innocent ones he mocketh; so ᵑ7 Ew Di Bu Du > Ges Hi and others trial (by calamity), √ נסה. II. מַסָּה noun feminine test, trial, proving; — ׳מ Psalm 95:8; construct מַסַּת Job 9:23; plural מַסֹּת Deuteronomy 4:34; Deuteronomy 7:19, מַסּוֺת Deuteronomy 29:2; — testingsor provings of Pharaoh and Egyptians at Exodus, Deuteronomy 4:34 (see Dr), Deuteronomy 7:19; Deuteronomy 29:2 ("" אֹתֹת); — test, trial, of innocent person Job 9:23 according to Hi and others, but see I. מַסָּה below מסס. Topical Lexicon Essence of the TermThe word מַסָּה designates a “test” or “trial” in which God’s power, faithfulness, or the disposition of human hearts is proved. Each occurrence frames a moment when the Lord’s dealings expose what lies beneath outward circumstances, whether in delivering His people or in revealing hidden unbelief. Occurrences in the Torah Deuteronomy gathers Israel on the threshold of the Promised Land and reminds the nation of earlier tests. Moses asks, “Has any god ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another… by trials, signs, and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm…?” (Deuteronomy 4:34). The “trials” are not generic hardships but unmistakable demonstrations that the covenant-keeping God alone orchestrated Israel’s redemption. Deuteronomy 7:19 and 29:3 echo the same thought, linking Egypt’s plagues and wilderness experiences to pedagogical tests designed to engrave Yahweh’s uniqueness on the collective memory of His people. Every “trial” is therefore redemptive in purpose and revelatory in outcome. Reflections in Wisdom Literature Job 9:23 laments that when disaster suddenly “kills,” God appears to “mock the despair of the innocent.” Here the term shifts from historical recollection to existential wrestling. Though Job misunderstands God’s intent, Scripture allows the complaint to stand, affirming that even inexplicable suffering falls within divine sovereignty, which ultimately vindicates the righteous (Job 42:7-17). Warning in Psalm 95 Psalm 95:8 applies Israel’s past “trial” at Meribah to later generations: “Do not harden your hearts, as you did at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness”. The psalmist names the very site where Israel accused God of abandonment (Exodus 17). History becomes exhortation; the same test recurs whenever hearers confront God’s Word with skepticism. Theological Significance 1. Revelation of God’s Character The trials display divine omnipotence and covenant loyalty. By orchestrating plagues, parting seas, and sustaining Israel, the Lord proves Himself incomparable among the gods. 2. Exposure of Human Hearts Trials unmask unbelief or confirm faith. Israel’s grumbling at Massah, Job’s anguished honesty, and the psalmist’s admonition all reveal that the decisive battlefield lies within the heart. 3. Pedagogical Purpose Scripture never portrays testing as arbitrary. Deuteronomy insists that the Lord “disciplines you as a man disciplines his son” (Deuteronomy 8:5), forging a people who live “by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD” (Deuteronomy 8:3). Relation to Faith Formation For believers, remembering these biblical trials safeguards against two errors: presumption (forgetting past deliverances) and despair (forgetting God’s future faithfulness). James later echoes the theme: “The testing of your faith produces perseverance” (James 1:3). New Testament writers assume continuity between Israel’s experiences and the church’s sanctification. Applications for Christian Ministry • Preaching: Use the historic trials to ground assurance in God’s proven character, especially when exhorting congregations facing adversity. Conclusion מַסָּה threads through Scripture as a divine instrument that both unveils and shapes reality—unveiling God’s unmatched power and shaping a people marked by steadfast trust. Recognizing its role equips the church to meet contemporary trials with the same confidence that sustained Moses, Job, and the psalmist: “For the LORD is good; His loving devotion endures forever, and His faithfulness continues to all generations” (Psalm 100:5). Forms and Transliterations בְּמַסֹּת֩ במסת הַמַּסֹּ֨ת הַמַּסּוֹת֙ המסות המסת לְמַסַּ֖ת למסת מַ֝סָּ֗ה מסה bə·mas·sōṯ bemasSot bəmassōṯ ham·mas·sō·wṯ ham·mas·sōṯ hammasSot hammassōṯ hammassōwṯ lə·mas·saṯ lemasSat ləmassaṯ mas·sāh masSah massāhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Deuteronomy 4:34 HEB: מִקֶּ֣רֶב גּוֹי֒ בְּמַסֹּת֩ בְּאֹתֹ֨ת וּבְמוֹפְתִ֜ים NAS: [another] nation by trials, by signs KJV: of [another] nation, by temptations, by signs, INT: within nation trials signs and wonders Deuteronomy 7:19 Deuteronomy 29:3 Job 9:23 Psalm 95:8 5 Occurrences |
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