Proverb
מָשָׁלStrong’s H4912mashal (ma-shal)
Appears in 39 verses of the Old Testament
In short
Mashal is the Hebrew word usually translated “oracle his”, “byword” and “proverbs of”. It appears in 39 verses of the Old Testament.
“And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel.”
Meaning
- Proverb, parableproverb, proverbial saying, aphorism · byword · similitude, parable · poem · sentences of ethical wisdom, ethical maxims
How it's translated
- oracle his 7
- a byword 4
- proverbs of 4
- the proverb 4
- a proverb 2
- discourse his 2
- and a proverb 2
- a parable 2
Word-by-word English from the STEPBible tagged text.
Where it's used most
- Ezekiel 8
- Numbers 7
- Proverbs 6
- Psalms 4
- Job 3
- 1 Samuel 2
14 books in all.
Explore in Scripture
- Numbers 23:18And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor:
- Numbers 24:3And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said:
- Numbers 24:15And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said:
- Numbers 24:20And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable, and said, Amalek was the first of the nations; but his latter end shall be that he perish for ever.
- Numbers 24:21And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwellingplace, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock.
- Numbers 24:23And he took up his parable, and said, Alas, who shall live when God doeth this!
All 39 verses, by book
Hebrew dictionary
מָשָׁל mashal · proverb
1) proverb, parable 1a) proverb, proverbial saying, aphorism 1b) byword 1c) similitude, parable 1d) poem 1e) sentences of ethical wisdom, ethical maxims
From STEPBible’s Hebrew lexicon (based on Brown-Driver-Briggs).
Webster's 1828 Dictionary
How the English word “proverb” was understood when the King James Version was still the common Bible of English readers.
PROV'ERB, noun
[Latin proverbium; pro and verbum, a word.]
- A short sentence often repeated, expressing a well known truth or common fact, ascertained by experience or observation; a maxim of wisdom.
- A by-word; a name often repeated; and hence frequently, a reproach or object of contempt. Jeremiah 24:9
- In Scripture, it sometimes signifies a moral sentence or maxim that is enigmatical; a dark saying of the wise that requires interpretation. Proverbs 1:6
- Proverbs, a canonical book of the Old Testament, containing a great variety of wise maxims, rich in practical truths and excellent rules for the conduct of all classes of men.
All definitions and other forms of “proverb”
PROV'ERB, verb transitive
To mention in a proverb [Not in use.]
- To provide with a proverb [Not in use.]
Noah Webster, An American Dictionary of the English Language (1828). Verse references are checked against the KJV. Read the full entry.
Verses are from the King James Version. Word meanings come from the original Hebrew, not from any one translation.