Lexical Summary
mashiach: Anointed one, Messiah
Original Word:מָשִׁיחַ
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:mashiyach
Pronunciation:mah-shee'-akh
Phonetic Spelling:(maw-shee'-akh)
KJV: anointed, Messiah
NASB:anointed, anointed ones, Messiah
Word Origin:[fromH4886 (מָשַׁח - anointed)]
1. anointed
2. usually a consecrated person (as a king, priest, or saint)
3. (specifically) the Messiah, the Anointed One
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
anointed, Messiah
Frommashach; anointed; usually a consecrated person (as a king, priest, or saint); specifically, the Messiah -- anointed, Messiah.
see HEBREWmashach
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
mashachDefinitionanointed
NASB TranslationAnointed (1), anointed (34), anointed ones (2), Messiah (2).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
; — absolute
Leviticus 4:3 5t.; construct
Lamentations 4:20 11t.; suffix
Psalm 132:17;
1 Samuel 2:35;
Habakkuk 3:13 5t;
Psalm 2:2 9t.; plural suffix Psalm 105:15;
1 Chronicles 16:22; —
anointed by divine command,1 Samuel 24:7 (twice in verse);1 Samuel 24:11;1 Samuel 26:9,11,16,23;2 Samuel 1:14;2 Samuel 1:16;2 Samuel 19:22;Lamentations 4:20;2 Samuel 23:1; so with suffixes reference to ,1 Samuel 12:3,5;1 Samuel 16:6;Psalm 20:7;Psalm 28:8;Habakkuk 3:13; Davidic dynasty with Messianic ideals attachedPsalm 2:2;Psalm 18:51, =2 Samuel 22:51;Psalm 89:39;Psalm 89:52;Psalm 132:10 2Chronicles 6:42;Psalm 132:17;1 Samuel 2:10,35.
, ,Leviticus 4:3,5,16;Leviticus 6:15 (P);Psalm 84:10.
,Isaiah 45:1.
Messianic prince,Daniel 9:25 =Daniel 9:26 (see BrMP 422 f.; others distinguishedDaniel 9:25 fromDaniel 9:26 and referDaniel 9:25 to Cyrus [as
; so Ew see Leng Schü Co Behrm], or high priest Joshua [as
; so Gr Bev],Daniel 9:26 to Seleucus IV [Ew see Leng], or high priest Onias III. [Hi Gr Co Bev Behrm]).
Psalm 105:15 =1 Chronicles 16:22.
Topical Lexicon
Scope and Range of the Termמָשִׁיחַ designates one who has been set apart by the ritual of anointing and thereby endowed with a divinely granted office or function. Across its roughly thirty-nine Old Testament appearances, three primary spheres emerge—priestly, kingly, and (less frequently) prophetic—each contributing to the cumulative portrait that ultimately converges in the promised Redeemer.
Priestly Usage
The first cluster of references occurs in the Torah, where “the anointed priest” (Leviticus 4:3, 4:5, 4:16, 6:22) refers to the high priest. By the application of sacred oil (Exodus 29:7;Leviticus 8:12), Aaron and his successors became living mediators between a holy God and a sinful people. Their anointing signified:
• Consecration to holy service (Leviticus 8:30).
• Authorization to approach the Most Holy Place with atoning blood (Leviticus 16:32).
• A type of the greater Priest to come “in the order of Melchizedek” (Psalm 110:4;Hebrews 7:17).
Thus the priestly מָשִׁיחַ foreshadows Jesus Christ, “a merciful and faithful High Priest” (Hebrews 2:17).
Kingly Usage
Far more frequent is the political-covenantal sense, where מָשִׁיחַ becomes a title for the divinely installed ruler of Israel:
• Saul is called “the LORD’s anointed” in1 Samuel 24:6 and1 Samuel 26:9, underscoring the inviolability of his office despite personal failure.
• David receives the same designation (2 Samuel 19:21), and from his lineage comes the enduring “lamp in Jerusalem” (1 Kings 11:36).
• Subsequent Judean kings—“the anointed of the LORD” (Lamentations 4:20)—inherit the promise of an everlasting throne (2 Samuel 7:12-16;Psalm 89:20-37).
The stability of God’s covenant with David grounds the messianic hope expressed inPsalm 2:2: “The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together, against the LORD and against His Anointed.” The expectation transcends any single monarch, anticipating a universal reign (Psalm 72;Isaiah 9:6-7).
Prophetic and Exceptional Usage
Though priests and kings dominate, the term can also be applied to a prophetic or deliverer figure:
• The anonymous psalmist petitions, “Do not touch My anointed ones” (Psalm 105:15), apparently encompassing prophets (see verse 15b).
• Uniquely, a foreign ruler—Cyrus of Persia—is styled “His anointed” inIsaiah 45:1 because God sovereignly appoints him to release Israel from exile, demonstrating that the office, not ethnicity, is primary.
Covenantal Trajectory
From Torah to Prophets, the concept of an anointed mediator gathers theological momentum:
1. Anointing imparts the Spirit (1 Samuel 16:13;Isaiah 61:1), linking the rite with empowerment.
2. The office protects God’s people and judges their enemies (1 Samuel 26:9;Habakkuk 3:13).
3. God Himself guarantees the inviolability of His מָשִׁיחַ (Psalm 18:50), ensuring that redemptive history remains on course.
Eschatological Focus
Daniel 9:25-26 introduces “Messiah the Prince” who is “cut off and shall have nothing,” combining regal authority with vicarious suffering. This text bridges Old Testament promise and New Testament fulfillment: Jesus identifies Himself as the Anointed One when He readsIsaiah 61:1-2 in Nazareth—“Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21). The early church repeatedly citesPsalm 2 and applies מָשִׁיחַ to Jesus Christ (Acts 4:25-27), proclaiming that the crucified and risen Lord embodies every strand of the Old Testament anointed offices:
• As Priest, He offers Himself once for all (Hebrews 9:12).
• As King, He sits at the Father’s right hand awaiting universal submission (Psalm 110:1;Hebrews 10:12-13).
• As Prophet, He speaks final revelation (Hebrews 1:1-2).
Ministry Significance for Believers
Because the definitive מָשִׁיחַ has come, all who belong to Him share in His anointing (2 Corinthians 1:21-22;1 John 2:20). The Old Testament pattern of consecration, empowerment, and protection now finds its fullest expression in the church’s mission “to proclaim good news to the poor” (Isaiah 61:1; compareLuke 4:18).
Thus the biblical theology of מָשִׁיחַ unfolds from a ritual act on individuals to a singular Person who fulfills and surpasses every previous anointed role, securing eternal redemption and establishing an unshakable kingdom.
Forms and Transliterations
בִּמְשִׁ֣יחַ בִּמְשִׁ֥יחַ בִּמְשִׁיחָ֔י בִמְשִׁיחָ֑י במשיח במשיחי הַמָּשִׁ֖יחַ הַמָּשִׁ֛יחַ הַמָּשִׁ֧יחַ המשיח לִמְשִׁ֣יחַ לִמְשִׁיח֗וֹ לִמְשִׁיח֛וֹ לִמְשִׁיחִֽי׃ לִמְשִׁיחוֹ֮ למשיח למשיחו למשיחי׃ מְשִׁ֙יחַ֙ מְשִׁ֣יחַ מְשִׁ֥יחַ מְשִׁ֫יח֥וֹ מְשִׁיח֗וֹ מְשִׁיח֣וֹ מְשִׁיחִ֖י מְשִׁיחֶ֑יךָ מְשִׁיחֶ֑ךָ מְשִׁיחֶֽךָ׃ מְשִׁיחֽוֹ׃ מְשִׁיחוֹ֙ מָשִׁ֖יחַ מָשִׁ֣יחַ מָשִׁ֥יחַ משיח משיחו משיחו׃ משיחי משיחיך משיחך משיחך׃ bim·šî·aḥ bim·šî·ḥāy ḇim·šî·ḥāy bimShiach bimshiChai bimšîaḥ bimšîḥāy ḇimšîḥāy ham·mā·šî·aḥ hammaShiach hammāšîaḥ lim·šî·aḥ lim·šî·ḥî lim·šî·ḥōw limShiach limshiChi limshiCho limšîaḥ limšîḥî limšîḥōw mā·šî·aḥ maShiach māšîaḥ mə·šî·aḥ mə·šî·ḥe·ḵā mə·šî·ḥî mə·šî·ḥōw meShiach meshiChecha meshiCheicha meshiChi meshiCho məšîaḥ məšîḥeḵā məšîḥî məšîḥōw vimshiChai
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