Lexical Summary
mishor: Plain, level place, uprightness
Original Word:מִישׁוֹר
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:miyshowr
Pronunciation:mee-shore
Phonetic Spelling:(mee-shore')
KJV: equity, even place, plain, right(-eously), (made) straight, uprightness
NASB:plain, uprightness, level, plateau, fairness, level place, plains
Word Origin:[fromH3474 (יָשַׁר - right)]
1. a level, i.e. a plain (often used (with the article prefix) as a properly, name of certain districts)
2. (figuratively) concord
3. also straightness, i.e. (figuratively) justice (sometimes adverbially, justly)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
equity, even place, plain, righteously, made straight, uprightness
Or miyshor {mee-shore'}; fromyashar; a level, i.e. A plain (often used (with the article prefix) as a properly, name of certain districts); figuratively, concord; also straightness, i.e. (figuratively) justice (sometimes adverbially, justly) -- equity, even place, plain, right(-eously), (made) straight, uprightness.
see HEBREWyashar
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
yasharDefinitiona level place, uprightness
NASB Translationfairness (1), level (2), level place (1), plain (12), plains (1), plateau (2), plateau* (1), uprightness (3).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Jeremiah 48:8 ; —
Psalm 27:11 9t.;
Zechariah 4:7 (see Baer) + 12 t.; —
level country, table-land, plain: antith.1 Kings 20:23,25;Zechariah 4:7;Isaiah 40:4Isaiah 42:16 + 2Chronicles 26:10; ""Jeremiah 21:13; specifically of the elevated plateau ortable-land between the Arnon and HeshbonDeuteronomy 3:10;Deuteronomy 4:43;Joshua 13:9,16,17,21;Joshua 20:8;Jeremiah 48:8,21.
level place (free from obstacles), figurative for place of safety, comfort, and prosperityPsalm 26:12;Psalm 27:11Psalm 143:10.
uprightness (compare ), in governmentPsalm 67:5;Psalm 45:7; ""Isaiah 11:4;Malachi 2:6.
Topical Lexicon
Overview of UsageMishor describes both literal terrain and the moral or relational “level ground” produced by divine righteousness. Of the twenty-three Old Testament occurrences, roughly half refer to the elevated plateau east of the Jordan, while the remainder employ mishor metaphorically for equity, integrity, and the even-handed rule of God.
Geographical Significance
• Transjordan Plateau.Deuteronomy 3:10 and 4:43 mark the “plain” of Moab and Gilead—the broad tableland that became the inheritance of Reuben, Gad, and half-Manasseh (Joshua 13:9-21). Its openness made it ideal for grazing (2 Chronicles 26:10) and vulnerable to invading chariot forces (1 Kings 20:23, 25).
• Strategic and Covenant Context. Israel’s victories across this plateau (Numbers 21;Deuteronomy 2–3) highlighted God’s faithfulness to Abraham’s descendants and introduced the blessings-and-curses structure of Deuteronomy, thereby coupling physical “level land” with covenantal straightforwardness.
Mishor and Upright Leadership
Psalm 45:6 presents the Messiah’s “scepter of equity,” linking mishor to royal justice.Isaiah 11:4 applies the same idea to the righteous Branch who “will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth.” The king’s effectiveness is pictured as a perfectly straight path—no corruption or partiality detours his rule.
Worship and Personal Piety
Davidic prayers repeatedly seek mishor as an experientially level place before God.
• “My feet stand on level ground; in the great assembly I will bless the LORD” (Psalm 26:12).
• “Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. May Your good Spirit lead me on level ground” (Psalm 143:10).
The singer longs for a life free of hidden snares, walking openly in covenant faithfulness. Such petitions inform corporate worship: believers gather to celebrate the God who provides moral sure footing amid a deceptive world.
Prophetic Imagery of Salvation and Judgment
Isaiah 40:4 promises a cosmic terraforming before the coming glory: “Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.” The leveling signals removal of obstacles to redemption. Conversely,Jeremiah 48:8, 21 depicts Moab’s plains as powerless against judgment, proving that no amount of geographic advantage replaces righteousness.
Guidance for Ministry Practice
1. Preach Straight Paths. Mishor underscores the call to proclaim the gospel without distortion (compareMalachi 2:6), urging pastors to maintain doctrinal and ethical evenness.
2. Shepherd on Level Ground. Small-group leaders and parents imitate the Good Shepherd by making “paths straight” for those in their care—clarifying truth, eliminating stumbling blocks, and modeling transparency.
3. Anticipate the Ultimate Plain.Zechariah 4:7 prophesies the mountain before Zerubbabel becoming a plain, a pledge that God flattens impossibilities for those advancing His kingdom. Ministry that relies on the Spirit will likewise experience divine grading of obstacles.
Christological Fulfillment
Jesus Christ embodies mishor: His life displays perfect moral rectitude; His atonement clears the uneven ground of sin; His reign is characterized by equity.Hebrews 1:8 citesPsalm 45:6 to affirm that the Son’s throne is forever and that His scepter is a “scepter of righteousness,” translating the Hebrew mishor into New Testament proclamation.
Devotional Reflection
Believers stand, like David, in assemblies of praise upon level ground already won by Christ, while also yearning for the consummate mishor of the new heavens and new earth. Until then, the Spirit guides, the Word directs, and the church walks a straight path that testifies to the God who makes all things level.
Forms and Transliterations
בְּמִישׁ֖וֹר בְמִישׁ֑וֹר בַּמִּישֹׁ֑ר בַּמִּישֹׁ֖ר בַּמִּישׁ֔וֹר במישור במישר הַמִּישֹׁ֑ר הַמִּישֹׁ֔ר הַמִּישֹׁ֖ר הַמִּישֹׁ֗ר הַמִּישֹׁ֥ר המישר וּבְמִישׁוֹר֙ וּבַמִּישׁ֑וֹר ובמישור לְמִישֹׁ֑ר לְמִישׁ֔וֹר למישור למישר מִ֝ישֹׁ֗ר מִישֽׁוֹר׃ מִישׁ֑וֹר מישור מישור׃ מישר bam·mî·šō·wr bam·mî·šōr bammiShor bammîšōr bammîšōwr bə·mî·šō·wr ḇə·mî·šō·wr bemiShor bəmîšōwr ḇəmîšōwr ham·mî·šōr hammiShor hammîšōr lə·mî·šō·wr lə·mî·šōr lemiShor ləmîšōr ləmîšōwr mî·šō·wr mî·šōr miShor mîšōr mîšōwr ū·ḇam·mî·šō·wr ū·ḇə·mî·šō·wr ūḇammîšōwr ūḇəmîšōwr uvammiShor uvemishOr vemiShor
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