4532. Massah

Lexical Summary

Massah: Massah

Original Word: מַסָּה
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Maccah
Pronunciation: mas-saw'
Phonetic Spelling: (mas-saw')
KJV: Massah
NASB: Massah
Word Origin: [the same as H4531 (מַסָּה - Wound)]

1. Massah, a place in the Desert

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Massah

The same as maccah; Massah, a place in the Desert -- Massah.

see HEBREW maccah

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from nasah
Definition
a place in the desert where Isr. rebelled
NASB Translation
Massah (5).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

III. מַסָּה proper name, of a location where Israel tried ׳י in the wilderness, Exodus 17:7 (JE), Deuteronomy 6:16; Deuteronomy 9:22; Psalm 95:8 (all ᵐ5 (ὁ)πειρασμός), where Levi was tested Deuteronomy 33:8 (ᵐ5 πείρᾳ). **See Gall^{Kultstätten 32} interprets as place of trial (ancient judgment-place) and identification with Kadesh, called also (מֵי) מְרִיבָה and עֵין מִשְׁמָּט.

Topical Lexicon

Meaning and Literary Function

Massah denotes a concrete geographic location in the Sinai wilderness and, by extension, a recurring biblical motif of “testing” the covenant faithfulness between the LORD and His people. Although paired with the better-known Meribah, Massah carries its own theological weight, serving as a memorial of human unbelief and divine patience.

Historical Setting

Shortly after the exodus, Israel camped at Rephidim. The scarcity of water provoked the nation to quarrel with Moses and to question God’s nearness. In response, the LORD commanded Moses to strike the rock, providing water (Exodus 17:1–6). Verse 7 records: “He named the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the LORD, saying, ‘Is the LORD among us or not?’”. The naming of the site preserved the memory of both God’s provision and Israel’s distrust.

Canonical Usage

1. Exodus 17:7 – the original narrative of water from the rock.
2. Deuteronomy 6:16 – Moses applies the event as moral instruction: “Do not test the LORD your God as you tested Him at Massah”.
3. Deuteronomy 9:22 – Massah is listed with Taberah and Kibroth-Hattaavah as a cluster of rebellions that marked the wilderness years.
4. Deuteronomy 33:8 – in Moses’ blessing on Levi, the tribe’s faithfulness is validated by its experience of divine “testing at Massah,” suggesting that priests must undergo trial before mediating for others.

Theological Significance

Testing reveals hearts. At Massah, the people exposed a posture of complaint rather than trust, yet God unveiled His character as patient provider. The incident became a paradigm for Israel’s national memory, shaping later exhortations:

• Covenant obedience: Massah proves that miracles do not guarantee faith; obedience springs from love and reverence (Deuteronomy 6:4–17).
• Priesthood and discernment: Forged in testing, Levi’s ministry reminds leaders that credibility arises from proven fidelity (Deuteronomy 33:8–10).
• Corporate accountability: Prophets and psalmists recall Massah to warn each generation against hardening the heart (for example, Psalm 95:8).

Foreshadowing and New Testament Resonances

Jesus invokes Deuteronomy 6:16 when resisting Satan: “Again it is written: ‘Do not test the Lord your God’” (Matthew 4:7). The wilderness temptation thus reverses Israel’s failure; where the nation doubted, the Son trusted. Paul also alludes to the episode: “For they drank from a spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:4). Massah anticipates the Messiah as the ultimate source of living water, sustaining a people who would otherwise perish.

Hebrews 3:7–9 uses the rebellion motif (“where your fathers tested and tried Me”) to exhort believers to persevere in faith, lest they repeat the wilderness pattern.

Practical Ministry Implications

• Cultivate trust amid scarcity: Congregations facing financial or health crises often echo the Massah question, “Is the LORD among us or not?” Preaching the passage reorients focus from circumstance to covenant.
• Guard against presumptive testing: Spiritual disciplines such as fasting, mission ventures, or building projects should be pursued in dependence, not as demands for God to prove Himself.
• Prepare leaders through trial: Like Levi, ministry servants discover that God-ordained testing refines character and equips them to handle the “Urim and Thummim” of discerning His will for others.

Homiletical and Devotional Aids

Key theme: God’s presence is proven by His promise, not by the absence of hardship.

Suggested outline:

1. The Question (Exodus 17:1–3) – Fear voices doubt.
2. The Command (17:4–5) – Faith obeys even when criticized.
3. The Provision (17:6) – Grace precedes gratitude.
4. The Memorial (17:7) – Remember to warn and to worship.

Meditative prayer: “Lord, deliver me from testing You; instead, test me and know my heart.”

Summary

Massah stands as a perpetual witness that testing God is folly, yet being tested by God is formative. Remembering Massah challenges every generation to abandon murmuring, embrace trust, and drink deeply from the Christ who still satisfies the thirsty.

Forms and Transliterations

בְּמַסָּ֔ה בַּמַּסָּֽה׃ במסה במסה׃ וּבְמַסָּ֔ה ובמסה מַסָּ֖ה מסה bam·mas·sāh bammasSah bammassāh bə·mas·sāh bemasSah bəmassāh mas·sāh masSah massāh ū·ḇə·mas·sāh ūḇəmassāh uvemasSah

Englishman's Concordance

Exodus 17:7
HEB: שֵׁ֣ם הַמָּק֔וֹם מַסָּ֖ה וּמְרִיבָ֑ה עַל־
NAS: the place Massah and Meribah
KJV: of the place Massah, and Meribah,
INT: the name the place Massah and Meribah because

Deuteronomy 6:16
HEB: כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר נִסִּיתֶ֖ם בַּמַּסָּֽה׃
NAS: to the test, as you tested [Him] at Massah.
KJV: as ye tempted [him] in Massah.
INT: after test Massah

Deuteronomy 9:22
HEB: וּבְתַבְעֵרָה֙ וּבְמַסָּ֔ה וּבְקִבְרֹ֖ת הַֽתַּאֲוָ֑ה
NAS: Again at Taberah and at Massah and at Kibroth-hattaavah
KJV: And at Taberah, and at Massah, and at Kibrothhattaavah,
INT: Taberah Massah Kibroth-hattaavah provoked

Deuteronomy 33:8
HEB: אֲשֶׁ֤ר נִסִּיתוֹ֙ בְּמַסָּ֔ה תְּרִיבֵ֖הוּ עַל־
NAS: You proved at Massah, With whom You contended
KJV: whom thou didst prove at Massah, [and with] whom thou didst strive
INT: Whom proved Massah contended at

4 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 4532
4 Occurrences

bam·mas·sāh — 1 Occ.
bə·mas·sāh — 1 Occ.
mas·sāh — 1 Occ.
ū·ḇə·mas·sāh — 1 Occ.