מַסָּע
a missile (spear or arrow); also a quarry (whence stones are, as it were, ejected)
Definition
The Hebrew noun מַסָּע (maççâʻ) refers to something that is projected or thrown out. Its primary meaning is a missile, such as a spear or arrow, as seen in Job 41:26, where it describes the terrifying weapons of the leviathan. In a distinct but related sense, it refers to a quarry or source of stones, as in 1 Kings 6:7, where the stones for Solomon's Temple were prepared at the quarry before being brought to the site. The connection between these meanings lies in the idea of something being ejected or sent forth from a place of origin.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only twice in the Old Testament. In 1 Kings 6:7, it describes the quarry from which the temple stones were extracted, emphasizing careful preparation and reverence in worship construction. In Job 41:26, it is used metaphorically for the leviathan's weapons ('darts'), highlighting the creature's invincible power in a poetic context. The usage shows a pattern of describing a source (quarry) or a projectile (missile) that is sent out.
Etymology
Derived from the root נָסַע (nāsaʿ, H5265), which means 'to pull out,' 'to set out,' or 'to journey.' מַסָּע comes from the specific sense of 'projecting' or 'sending forth,' capturing the idea of something being ejected from its starting point, whether stones from a quarry or a weapon from a hand.
Semantic Range
This word enriches our understanding of biblical imagery. In 1 Kings 6:7, the 'quarry' underscores the holiness and deliberate care taken in building God's dwelling place, reflecting a theology of sacred space. In Job 41:26, the 'dart' contributes to the portrait of the leviathan as a symbol of chaotic, untamable power that only God can master, pointing to divine sovereignty over creation.
In ancient Israel, quarries were vital for large construction projects like the Temple, involving skilled labor to extract and shape stone without iron tools at the holy site (1 Kings 6:7). The missile imagery reflects common warfare and hunting tools, but in Job, it is applied hyperbolically to a mythical sea creature, drawing on ancient Near Eastern chaos mythology to magnify God's power.
חֵץ (ḥēṣ, H2671) — a more common general term for 'arrow'. כִּידוֹן (kîḏôn, H3591) — specifically a 'javelin' or 'short spear'. שְׁלָח (šəlāḥ, H7973) — a 'weapon' or 'missile', often from a root meaning to send or shoot.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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