4851. Mash

Lexical Summary

Mash: Mash

Original Word: מַשׁ
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Mash
Pronunciation: mahsh
Phonetic Spelling: (mash)
KJV: Mash
NASB: Mash
Word Origin: [of foreign derivation]

1. Mash, a son of Aram, and the people descended from him

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Mash

Of foreign derivation; Mash, a son of Aram, and the people descended from him -- Mash.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
of foreign origin
Definition
a son of Aram
NASB Translation
Mash (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

מַשׁ proper name, of a location or people מַ֑שׁ Genesis 10:23, as son of Aram, Samaritan משא; ᵐ5 Μοσοχ; so read in "" 1 Chronicles 1:17 for ᵑ0 מֶ֑שֶׁךְ A ᵐ5^L Μοσοχ; see Kau Kit. Location dubious Bo Mich Mons Mas-ius, north of Nisibis (between Armenia and Mesopotamia), but name not certainly old Aramaic (unknown in Assyrian) compare Di^{on the passage} Assyrian Maš (Syro-Arabic desert Dl^{Par 242f.}) is hardly possibly, compare מֵשָׁא.

מַשָּׁא, מַשָּׁאָה see I. נשׁא

Topical Lexicon

Biblical Appearance

“And the sons of Aram: Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash” (Genesis 10:23). The name appears only once in the Masoretic Text, embedded in the Table of Nations that follows the Flood narrative.

Genealogical Context

1. Lineage. Mash is a great-grandson of Noah through Shem and Aram. The lineage—Noah → Shem → Aram → Mash—plants him firmly within the Semitic family tree, the lineage from which Abraham, Israel, and ultimately the Messiah arise (Luke 3:36).
2. Brothers. Uz, Hul, and Gether stand beside Mash as the four sons of Aram. Their brief mention underscores that God’s covenantal account unfolds within a broad human family, not a narrow ethnic enclave.
3. Purpose of the Genealogy. Genesis 10 traces the post-Flood spread of nations, revealing God’s ordered design for humanity. Even the most obscure name signals that each people group occupies a place in His providential plan (Acts 17:26).

Historical and Geographical Identifications

• Ancient Sources. Josephus associates Mash with “Masius,” a mountain range stretching between Cappadocia and Mesopotamia (Antiquities 1.6.4). Later Syriac traditions link the name to northern Mesopotamia, while some modern researchers point toward the Mons Masius (Tur Abdin) region of southeastern Turkey.
• Tribal Development. As with other Table-of-Nations names, Mash represents both an individual and the tribe that descended from him. Though Scripture offers no further narrative, extrabiblical inscriptions from the second millennium B.C. mention a “Mashu” region east of the Euphrates, hinting that the clan may have settled there before merging into wider Aramean identity.
• Influence on Neighboring Peoples. The sons of Aram occupied the Syro-Mesopotamian corridor, a strategic bridge between major civilizations. This location positioned Mash’s line to interact with Hittite, Hurrian, and later Assyrian cultures, contributing to the linguistic and cultural mosaic that shaped the Near East.

Textual Considerations

A parallel genealogy in 1 Chronicles 1:17 reads “Meshech” instead of “Mash.” Most scholars regard the Chronicles form as a scribal assimilation to the better-known Japhethite “Meshech” (Genesis 10:2). The older reading “Mash” is preserved in Genesis and in early translations such as the Septuagint (Μας). The minor variation neither alters doctrine nor obscures historical reality; rather, it highlights the care with which God has preserved His Word through millennia of transmission.

Theological and Ministry Significance

1. Universality of God’s Plan. The inclusion of lesser-known figures like Mash demonstrates that God’s redemptive scope embraces every nation and tribe. Matthew 28:19 charges the Church to disciple “all nations,” an imperative grounded in the very structure of Genesis 10.
2. Assurance of Scriptural Reliability. The precise preservation of even a single-occurrence name reinforces confidence in Scripture’s accuracy (Psalm 119:160). Believers can trust that the same Spirit who inspired Moses to write “Mash” has safeguarded the gospel message in its entirety.
3. Encouragement for Obscure Callings. Mash receives no further biblical spotlight, yet his name is eternally recorded. Likewise, many servants labor unseen, but their faithfulness is known to God (Hebrews 6:10).
4. Model for Cultural Engagement. Mash’s probable settlement along trade routes reminds modern disciples to engage culturally strategic regions with the gospel—whether global cities, crossroads universities, or digital frontiers.

Relevance for Contemporary Study

Genealogical names may appear peripheral, but they:
• Anchor biblical history in the real world of peoples and places.
• Provide critical data for archaeology and linguistics, aiding the defense of Scripture’s historical claims.
• Demonstrate God’s intimate involvement in human dispersion, setting the backdrop for His gathering of a redeemed people from “every tribe and tongue and nation” (Revelation 5:9).

Even a single mention of Mash thus echoes across history, affirming the meticulous sovereignty of God and motivating His people toward faithful witness among all nations.

Forms and Transliterations

וָמַֽשׁ׃ ומש׃ vaMash wā·maš wāmaš

Englishman's Concordance

Genesis 10:23
HEB: וְח֖וּל וְגֶ֥תֶר וָמַֽשׁ׃
NAS: and Hul and Gether and Mash.
KJV: and Hul, and Gether, and Mash.
INT: and Hul and Gether and Mash

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 4851
1 Occurrence

wā·maš — 1 Occ.