Lexical Summary
masger: Prison, enclosure, confinement
Original Word:מַסְגֵּר
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:macger
Pronunciation:mas-gare'
Phonetic Spelling:(mas-gare')
KJV: prison, smith
NASB:smiths, prison, dungeon
Word Origin:[fromH5462 (סָגַר - shut)]
1. a fastener, i.e. (of a person) a smith, (of a thing) a prison
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
prison, smith
Fromcagar; a fastener, i.e. (of a person) a smith, (of a thing) a prison -- prison, smith.
see HEBREWcagar
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
sagarDefinitiona locksmith, smith, a dungeon
NASB Translationdungeon (1), prison (2), smiths (4).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
.
: — always absolute:
collectivesmiths,2 Kings 24:14 compare2 Kings 24:16,Jeremiah 24:1;Jeremiah 29:2.
dungeonIsaiah 24:22 (compare ); figurative of exileIsaiah 42:7 ();Psalm 142:8.
Topical Lexicon
Overview of Biblical Usageמַסְגֵּר appears seven times and is applied in two related ways: (1) persons or states of confinement—“prisoners,” “captives,” or “prison”; and (2) craftsmen who fashion metal, especially those whose work involved bars, locks, and weapons. In both senses the word revolves around the idea of shutting or enclosing, whether people behind bars or iron worked into bars.
Occurrences in the Exile Narratives (2 Kings 24;Jeremiah 24;Jeremiah 29)
•2 Kings 24:14, 16 records Nebuchadnezzar’s removal of “all the craftsmen and smiths” (masger) so that Judah could no longer manufacture weapons. Their deportation was a calculated step in divine judgment, fulfilling earlier prophetic warnings that national sin would end in captivity.
•Jeremiah 24:1 and 29:2 revisit the same event from the prophet’s vantage point, linking the exiled smiths with the fate of the monarchy and court. By including masger among those carried off, Scripture underscores how God stripped the nation of both its military capability and its cultural artisanship, leaving only “the poorest people of the land.”
Psalm 142: Prayer from Confinement
David’s plea, “Free my soul from prison, that I may praise Your name” (Psalm 142:7), uses masger to portray the claustrophobic despair of spiritual and physical entrapment. The psalm turns the term into a metaphor for any circumstance that limits worship, teaching believers to cry to the Lord from the tightest places.
Prophetic Imagery of Judgment and Redemption (Isaiah 24:22;Isaiah 42:7)
•Isaiah 24:22 looks forward to eschatological reckoning: “They will be gathered together like prisoners in a pit; they will be confined in the dungeon and punished after many days.” Here masger pictures rebellious powers incarcerated until final judgment—assuring the faithful that evil’s liberty is temporary.
•Isaiah 42:7 forms part of the Servant’s commissioning “to bring prisoners out of the dungeon and those sitting in darkness out from the prison house.” The same word that marks judgment becomes a canvas for redemption; the Messiah releases what human sin has locked away.
Historical and Social Significance of the Smiths
Metalworkers were indispensable in an ancient agrarian-military economy. Removing them:
1. Disarmed the nation (fewer weapons, chariots, and armor).
2. Weakened economic recovery (loss of tools and skilled labor).
3. Crippled future resistance (no capacity to forge siege equipment or repair city gates).
The Babylonian strategy magnified the covenant curse that disobedience would result in national humiliation (Deuteronomy 28:36).
Theological Themes
• Divine Sovereignty: God both allows the seizure of smiths and promises to free prisoners, demonstrating control over exile and exodus alike.
• Justice and Mercy: Masger texts balance righteous judgment (Isaiah 24) with gracious deliverance (Isaiah 42;Psalm 142).
• Messianic Hope:Isaiah 42 anchors the term in the Servant’s liberating ministry, echoed inLuke 4:18 when Jesus proclaims “liberty to the captives,” confirming the Old Testament expectation.
Ministry Application
1. Intercession: Like David, believers may petition God to open prisons—physical or spiritual—that inhibit worship and witness.
2. Advocacy: Isaiah’s vision calls the Church to participate in Christ’s mission, working for freedom from sin, oppression, and injustice while announcing the gospel.
3. Discipleship under Discipline: Judah’s loss of its smiths reminds congregations that skilled gifts are entrusted for covenant faithfulness; unfaithfulness risks losing them.
Summary
מַסְגֵּר captures both the desperate need for liberation and the strategic value of God-given skills. Whether depicting chained nations or confiscated craftsmen, each occurrence drives readers to recognize the Lord who shuts and the Lord who sets free—and to live in the freedom secured by His Anointed.
Forms and Transliterations
הַמַּסְגֵּר֙ המסגר וְהַמַּסְגֵּ֑ר וְהַמַּסְגֵּ֖ר וְהַמַּסְגֵּר֙ והמסגר מִמַּסְגֵּ֨ר ׀ מִמַּסְגֵּר֙ מַסְגֵּ֑ר ממסגר מסגר ham·mas·gêr hammasGer hammasgêr mas·gêr masGer masgêr mim·mas·gêr mimasGer mimmasgêr vehammasGer wə·ham·mas·gêr wəhammasgêr
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