4958. masreth
Lexical Summary
masreth: Service, Ministry

Original Word: מַשְׂרֵת
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: masreth
Pronunciation: mahs-RETH
Phonetic Spelling: (mas-rayth')
KJV: pan
NASB: pan
Word Origin: [apparently from an unused root meaning to perforate, i.e. hollow out]

1. a pan

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
pan

Apparently from an unused root meaning to perforate, i.e. Hollow out; a pan -- pan.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
of uncertain derivation
Definition
probably pan, dish
NASB Translation
pan (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
מַשְׂרֵת noun masculine apparently = pan, dish, Palestinian Aramaic מסרית, only ׳וַתִּקּח הַמּ 2 Samuel 13:9 and she took the pan; perhaps = מַשְׂאֶרֶת ֗֗֗ , originally dough-pan (שׂאר), kneading-trough, GeiUrschr.382f We (not Dr); > Klo Bu Ry in DiExodus 12:34 (3te Aufl.) (אֶתֿ) וִתִּקְרָא הַמְּשָׁרֵת and she called the servant (HPS del. v.)

Topical Lexicon
Biblical Occurrence

The noun appears once, in 2 Samuel 13:9: “She took the pan and poured them out before him, but Amnon refused to eat. ‘Send everyone out of here,’ said Amnon. And every man left him.” (Berean Standard Bible). The single use, set within the tragic narrative of Amnon and Tamar, places the utensil in a royal household’s kitchen, highlighting ordinary domestic life against the backdrop of looming moral failure.

Historical Context

Iron and bronze cookware became common in Israel by the United Monarchy (Tenth Century B.C.). Such shallow pans were used for griddle-cakes (Genesis 18:6; 1 Kings 17:12-13) and for presenting food to guests as an act of hospitality. In palatial kitchens like David’s, skilled women prepared delicacies for princely tables, echoing Near-Eastern court customs where food service expressed both honor and hierarchy.

Domestic and Cultic Usage

While the term itself is not employed in cultic law, flat pans and fire-pans feature in Tabernacle and Temple service (Exodus 27:3; Numbers 16:6-7). The everyday pan in Tamar’s hands therefore resonates with sacred parallels: vessels set apart for offering bread or incense. Scripture blurs the line between household and sanctuary, teaching that all of life—including food preparation—can serve worship.

Theological Significance

1. Hospitality and Covenant: Bread shared from a pan evokes the patriarchal pattern of covenant fellowship (Genesis 18:1-8). The king’s daughter offers cakes, yet the covenant ideal is violated by Amnon’s sin, underscoring the gravity of betraying table fellowship.
2. Holiness of Ordinary Things: A single, mundane object bears witness to divine concern for everyday faithfulness. The Bible consistently elevates common tools when employed in obedience (2 Kings 4:2-6; John 6:9).
3. Human Depravity and Divine Justice: The pan sets the stage for Amnon’s crime, which ultimately invites Absalom’s retribution and advances the narrative of judgment within David’s house (2 Samuel 12:10-12; 13:28-29). Even domestic scenes reveal the outworking of prophetic warnings.

Intertextual Connections

Proverbs 7:14-23 contrasts adulterous enticement with a sacrificial meal, paralleling Tamar’s innocent service against Amnon’s predatory intent.
Ezekiel 24:3-13 employs a boiling pot as a metaphor for Jerusalem’s corruption, echoing the moral pollution unfolding in David’s court.
Luke 24:30-31 records the risen Christ breaking bread; divine revelation accompanies a simple meal, reversing the treachery associated with Amnon’s table.

Christological Resonance

Where Amnon abuses hospitality, Jesus fulfills it perfectly. He feeds multitudes (Matthew 14:19), dines with sinners (Luke 5:29-32), and offers Himself as living bread (John 6:35). The abused pan points forward to the Lord’s Table, where betrayal (Matthew 26:23) is overcome by atoning grace.

Ministry Application

• Guard the heart in private spheres; hidden sin often begins in seemingly harmless settings.
• Elevate ordinary service—cooking, hosting, caregiving—as avenues of discipleship (Colossians 3:17).
• Teach youth the sanctity of boundaries and the destructive power of unchecked desire, using 2 Samuel 13 as a cautionary narrative.

Lessons for Contemporary Believers

The lone mention of this pan reminds readers that Scripture wastes no detail. Kitchens, utensils, and daily routines fall under God’s sovereignty. Faithfulness or failure in such settings influences families, churches, and nations. By surrendering ordinary tools to righteous purposes, believers honor the Lord who “fills all in all” (Ephesians 1:23).

Forms and Transliterations
הַמַּשְׂרֵת֙ המשרת ham·maś·rêṯ hammasRet hammaśrêṯ
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
2 Samuel 13:9
HEB: וַתִּקַּ֤ח אֶת־ הַמַּשְׂרֵת֙ וַתִּצֹ֣ק לְפָנָ֔יו
NAS: She took the pan and dished
KJV: And she took a pan, and poured [them] out
INT: took the pan and dished before

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 4958
1 Occurrence


ham·maś·rêṯ — 1 Occ.

4957
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