Lexical Summary matsah: Unleavened bread Original Word: מָצָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance suck, wring out A primitive root; to suck out; by implication, to drain, to squeeze out -- suck, wring (out). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to drain, drain out NASB Translation drain (2), drained (4), drunk (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [מָצָה] verb drain, drain out (Late Hebrew id. press, or drain out; Aramaic  , מְצָא id.; Arabic  II. drain to the last drop (Dozy); compare מָצַץ); — Qal Perfect2feminine singular מָצִית Isaiah 51:17, וּמָצִית consecutive Ezekiel 23:34 Imperfect3masculine singular with apocope וַיִמֶץ Judges 6:38, 3masculine plural יִמְצוּ Psalm 75:9; — drain, drain out, וַיִמֶץ טַל מִןהַֿנִּזָּה Judges 6:38 and drained dew out of the fleece; so figurative, object קֻבַּעת bowl, goblet, of bewilderment from ׳י, Isaiah 51:17 ( + שׁתה; of personified Jerusalem), compare, object בּוֺס, Ezekiel 23:24 (+ שׁתה); object שְׁמָרֶיהָ the dregs of it (namely בּוֺס) Psalm 75:9 (subject the wicked). Niph`al Perfect וְנִמְצָה consecutive Leviticus 1:15 and the blood (of the bird) shall be drained out; so Imperfect יִמָּצֵה Leviticus 5:9 (both P); מֵי מָלֵא יִמָּצוּ לָמוֺ Psalm 73:10 water of abundance is drained (i.e. drunk) by them (Gr Che Buhl read יִמְצוּ or יָמֹצוּ (מצץ) they drain). I. מַצָּה see מצץ. II. מַצָּה see נצה. Topical Lexicon Root idea and semantic range מָצָה portrays the act of squeezing, wringing, or draining liquid from a solid object. The word readily conjures the image of strong hands twisting until every drop is forced out. In Scripture, the term embraces literal actions (blood wrung from a sacrifice, water wrung from fleece) and figurative scenes (nations forced to drink every last drop of divine wrath). Cultic usage in Leviticus • Leviticus 1:15 and Leviticus 5:9 locate מָצָה at the altar. The priest “will nip off its head … and its blood shall be drained out on the side of the altar” (Leviticus 1:15). The draining of blood underscores two key truths: 1. Life belongs to God and must be returned to Him in worship (Leviticus 17:11). 2. Sin requires a total payment; nothing is held back, just as no blood remains in the bird. These verses remind worshipers that atonement is costly and complete. Every drop prefigures the perfect sacrifice in which the Son of God “poured out His life unto death” (Isaiah 53:12). Everyday imagery: Gideon’s fleece In Judges 6:38 Gideon wrings dew from the fleece, filling a bowl of water. The act shows abundance beyond natural expectation—exactly what Gideon needed to strengthen his faltering faith. Divine confirmation arrives, not as a trickle, but as a bowl overflowing. מָצָה therefore speaks of God’s readiness to give unmistakable assurance when His people tremble. Poetic reflections in the Psalms Psalm 73:10 pictures the arrogant drawing to themselves “waters of abundance … drained out to them” (paraphrased from). Their apparent ease, achieved by squeezing others dry, is exposed as fleeting. Psalm 75:8 intensifies the image: “For a cup is in the hand of the LORD, full of foaming wine mixed with spices; He pours from it, and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to the dregs”. Here מָצָה warns that divine judgment is thorough—nothing of wrath remains in the cup. Prophetic warnings Isaiah 51:17 addresses Jerusalem: “You have drunk from the hand of the LORD the cup of His wrath; you have drained it to the dregs—the goblet that makes men stagger”. The city has wrung out judgment upon itself, yet the next verses promise that the same cup will be taken from her hand. Ezekiel 23:34 conveys identical severity to an apostate nation: “You will drink it and drain it … then you will tear at your breasts.” מָצָה exposes sin’s self-inflicted misery while preparing the stage for restoration. Theological trajectory to the New Testament The cup imagery culminates in Gethsemane. Jesus prays, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me” (Matthew 26:39). He voluntarily drinks, drains, and exhausts the wrath reserved for sinners. What sacrificial birds, wrung dew, or prophetic cups anticipated, Calvary accomplished. Hebrews 10:10 declares believers “made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all,” a sacrifice that held nothing back. Practical ministry implications • Worship: Teach that true worship surrenders everything; half-obedience is not an option. Summary מָצָה binds together sacrifice, faith, judgment, and redemption. Whether at the altar, in a threshing floor, or in prophetic vision, it testifies that God finishes what He begins—wrath without remainder against sin, grace without remainder for the repentant. Forms and Transliterations וְנִמְצָ֣ה וַיִּ֤מֶץ וּמָצִ֗ית וימץ ומצית ונמצה יִמְצ֣וּ יִמָּ֥צוּ יִמָּצֵ֖ה ימצה ימצו מָצִֽית׃ מצית׃ mā·ṣîṯ māṣîṯ maTzit ū·mā·ṣîṯ ūmāṣîṯ umaTzit vaiYimetz venimTzah way·yi·meṣ wayyimeṣ wə·nim·ṣāh wənimṣāh yim·mā·ṣêh yim·mā·ṣū yim·ṣū yimmāṣêh yimmāṣū yimmaTzeh yimMatzu yimṣū yimTzuLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Leviticus 1:15 HEB: וְהִקְטִ֖יר הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חָה וְנִמְצָ֣ה דָמ֔וֹ עַ֖ל NAS: and its blood is to be drained out on the side KJV: and the blood thereof shall be wrung out at the side INT: and offer the altar is to be drained blood on Leviticus 5:9 Judges 6:38 Psalm 73:10 Psalm 75:8 Isaiah 51:17 Ezekiel 23:34 7 Occurrences |
    |