מְשׂוּרָה
a measure (for liquids)
Definition
The Hebrew noun מְשׂוּרָה (mᵉsûwrâh) refers specifically to a standard measure for liquids, akin to a measuring vessel or container. In its biblical usage, it denotes a unit of volume used to portion out liquids like water, wine, or oil. The word appears in contexts emphasizing the importance of using accurate and honest measures, as seen in the legal command of Leviticus 19:35. It also describes the specific ration of water allotted per day during a siege in Ezekiel's prophetic sign-acts (Ezekiel 4:11, 16).
Biblical Usage
This word is used exclusively in contexts dealing with measurement and provision. It appears in legal material (Leviticus 19:35), priestly administrative duties (1 Chronicles 23:29), and prophetic symbolic action (Ezekiel 4:11, 16). The pattern shows it is a technical term for a liquid measure, used both for everyday commerce and for divinely mandated, restricted rations.
Etymology
Derived from an unused root (שׂור śwr) meaning 'to measure' or 'to divide.' It is related to the more common noun מִשְׁקָל (mishqāl, H4948) for 'weight' and the verb מָדַד (mādad, H4058) meaning 'to measure.' The development points to the concept of apportioning or dividing a quantity.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it connects to the biblical theme of justice, honesty, and divine provision. God commands the use of 'just measures' (Leviticus 19:35), making accurate measurement a matter of covenant faithfulness. In Ezekiel, the measured ration of water becomes a symbol of God's severe judgment (famine) and His precise control over provision during a siege, highlighting that both abundance and scarcity are under His sovereign measurement.
In ancient Israelite culture, standardized measures were crucial for fair trade in markets, especially for valuable liquids like oil and wine. A 'מְשׂוּרָה' was likely a specific, known volume (though its exact modern equivalent is uncertain), and using a false measure was considered a serious deceit against one's neighbor. This differs from modern impersonal commerce, where such fraud was a direct violation of community trust and divine law.
מִדָּה (middâh, H4060) — a more general term for a linear or volumetric measure. אֵיפָה (ʾêphâh, H374) — a specific dry measure for grain, not liquids. בַּת (bath, H1324) — a specific liquid measure, likely larger than a מְשׂוּרָה.
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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