מַשֶּׁה
a debt
Definition
The Hebrew noun מַשֶּׁה (mashsheh) refers specifically to a debt or loan that is owed. It denotes a financial obligation from one person to another. The word appears only once in the Old Testament, in Deuteronomy 15:2, where it is used in the context of the Sabbatical Year's debt release. In this key verse, the term is directly associated with the legal concept of a 'creditor's claim' that is to be remitted.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only in Deuteronomy 15:2, within the legal and covenantal framework of the Mosaic Law. Its sole context is the legislation for the Sabbatical Year (שְׁמִטָּה, shemittah), which mandated the cancellation of debts among Israelites every seven years. The verse states, 'And this is the manner of the release: every creditor shall release what he has lent to his neighbor. He shall not exact it of his neighbor, his brother, because the LORD's release has been proclaimed.' Here, מַשֶּׁה is the thing being released—the debt itself.
Etymology
מַשֶּׁה (mashsheh) is a nominal form derived from the root נָשָׁה (nashah, H5383), which means 'to lend, to be a creditor.' This root conveys the action of giving a loan. The noun מַשֶּׁה, therefore, represents the concrete result of that action: the debt obligation. It is linguistically related to the more common word for debt, נֶשֶׁךְ (neshek, H5392), though נֶשֶׁךְ typically carries the negative connotation of interest or usury.
Semantic Range
Though a single-occurrence word, מַשֶּׁה is theologically significant as it is embedded in God's economic and social justice provisions for Israel. The mandated release of the מַשֶּׁה every seven years (Deuteronomy 15:1-2) was a tangible expression of God's grace, designed to prevent perpetual poverty and reinforce community solidarity under the covenant. It reflects God's character as a liberator and his concern for systemic economic equity, providing a practical rhythm of mercy that pointed to a greater spiritual reality of release from sin's debt.
In ancient Israelite society, debt was a serious matter that could lead to indentured servitude. The institution of the מַשֶּׁה release every seventh year was a radical social safeguard unique to Israel's covenant law. It prevented the accumulation of generational poverty and the permanent loss of family land, which was tied to one's inheritance and identity within the tribe. This practice stood in contrast to surrounding ancient Near Eastern cultures where debt slavery was often permanent and exploitative.
נֶשֶׁךְ (neshek, H5392) — refers specifically to interest or usury charged on a loan, often condemned. חוֹב (chov, H2254) — a more general term for debt or obligation. מַלְוֶה (malveh, H3867) — refers to the creditor or lender, the person who holds the debt.
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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