Lexical Summary
massa: Testing, trial, temptation
Original Word: מַסַּע
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: macca`
Pronunciation: mas-saw'
Phonetic Spelling: (mas-sah')
KJV: journey(-ing)
NASB: journeys, set, journey, order of march, stages
Word Origin: [from H5265 (נָסַע - journeyed)]
1. a departure (from striking the tents), i.e. march (not necessarily a single day's travel)
2. (by implication) a station (or point of departure)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
journeying
From naca'; a departure (from striking the tents), i.e. March (not necessarily a single day's travel); by implication, a station (or point of departure) -- journey(-ing).
see HEBREW naca'
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom
nasaDefinitiona pulling up, breaking (camp), setting out, a journey
NASB Translationjourney (1), journeys (7), order of march (1), set (2), stages (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
; — absolute
Numbers 10:2;
Deuteronomy 10:11; plural construct
Numbers 10:28;
Numbers 33:1; suffix
Genesis 13:3,
Exodus 17:1 6t.; —
pulling up, breaking camp (with accusative ; Ges§ 45e, 115d) Numbers 10:2.
setting out Numbers 10:6, compare Numbers 10:23.
station, stage, journey (by stages), Genesis 13:3 and he went by (according to) his journeyings (compare , p. 231 a above); Exodus 17:1; compare Exodus 40:36,38; Numbers 10:12 (all P; all with ), Numbers 33:1,2("" ), Numbers 33:2 ("" id.); Deuteronomy 10:11 for journeying (see Dr).
Topical Lexicon
Overview of the Term מַסַּע denotes the act or stage of “setting out,” a movement from one place to another, usually within a larger pilgrimage. In Scripture it rarely stands alone; it is typically linked to the people of God, the presence of God, and the promises of God. The word therefore embodies more than travel; it is a lived testimony of covenant faithfulness in motion.
Distribution in Scripture
The term appears twelve times, clustered in key historical moments: once in Genesis, twice in Exodus, eight times in Numbers, and once in Deuteronomy. Each setting contributes a distinct layer to the theology of pilgrimage.
1. Genesis 13:3
2. Exodus 17:1; 40:36; 40:38
3. Numbers 10:2; 10:6; 10:12; 10:28; 33:1; 33:2 (twice)
4. Deuteronomy 10:11
Journey Motif in Genesis
Genesis 13:3 introduces מַסַּע in the life of Abram: “And he went on his journeys from the Negev as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had formerly been”. The patriarch’s “journeys” are bound up with the altar he builds and the promise he believes. From the outset, מַסַּע is intertwined with worship and trust rather than mere relocation.
Centrality in the Exodus Narrative
Exodus frames Israel’s redemption as a succession of מַסַּע:
• Exodus 17:1 links each stage to direct divine command—even when the next camp lacks water.
• Exodus 40:36–38 situates מַסַּע beneath the cloud of glory: “Whenever the cloud was lifted from above the tabernacle, the Israelites would set out on all their journeys” (40:36). Departure is regulated by revelation; mobility becomes obedience.
Role in Wilderness Organization
Numbers 10 underscores order: silver trumpets signal each מַסַּע (10:2, 10:6). The Levites break camp, tribes marshal in fixed sequence, and the text repeats, “As they set out…” (10:28). Here, מַסַּע reveals God as the strategist of His people, assigning each clan a position and responsibility.
Summative Rehearsal in Numbers 33
Numbers 33:1–2 revisits every stage: “At the LORD’s command Moses recorded the stages of their journey” (33:2). Recording each מַסַּע serves liturgical memory; Israel recounts faithfulness before entering Canaan. The list is not mere geography but a litany of grace, discipline, and provision.
Instruction for Covenant Renewal in Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy 10:11 projects the journey forward: “Go,” said the LORD, “and set out at the head of the people…”. Even after Sinai’s golden-calf breach, God renews mission. מַסַּע becomes a symbol of restored fellowship and renewed mandate.
Theological Reflections
1. Guidance: Every occurrence ties movement to divine initiative—cloud, command, or word.
2. Dependence: Israel never moves at self-will; scarcity (Exodus 17:1) and abundance (Deuteronomy 10:11) alike require trust.
3. Memory: The written catalog of stages signals that God’s past leadings anchor present faith.
4. Pilgrimage Typology: מַסַּע foreshadows the believer’s sojourn (Hebrews 11:13); life is lived “in tents,” awaiting the city with foundations.
Practical Ministry Implications
• Spiritual Formation: Congregations can rehearse their own “stages” to recognize divine providence.
• Leadership: Like Moses, leaders move only at God’s cue, neither outpacing nor lagging behind the cloud.
• Worship Planning: Trumpet calls (Numbers 10) suggest that corporate rhythms—call to worship, benediction—signal movement in God’s presence.
• Pastoral Care: Wilderness stages teach that seasons of drought may still be divinely directed.
Related Old and New Testament Themes
• Ark Procession (Joshua 3), echoing orderly מַסַּע.
• Davidic Pilgrimage Psalms (Psalm 84:5: “Blessed are those whose strength is in You, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage”).
• The Way (Acts 9:2), the earliest term for Christianity, mirrors the journey motif.
• Revelation 14:4 portrays the redeemed “following the Lamb wherever He goes,” the ultimate and eternal מַסַּע.
מַסַּע therefore threads through Scripture as a tangible reminder that God’s people are a travelling people—guided, protected, and defined by the God who moves among them and leads them home.
Forms and Transliterations
וּלְמַסַּ֖ע ולמסע לְמַסְעֵיהֶ֖ם לְמַסְעֵיהֶֽם׃ לְמַסַּ֖ע לְמַסָּעָ֔יו למסע למסעיהם למסעיהם׃ למסעיו מַסְעֵ֣י מַסְעֵ֥י מַסְעֵיהֶ֖ם מַסְעֵיהֶֽם׃ מסעי מסעיהם מסעיהם׃ lə·mas·‘ê·hem lə·mas·sa‘ lə·mas·sā·‘āw ləmas‘êhem lemaseiHem lemasSa ləmassa‘ ləmassā‘āw lemassaAv mas‘ê mas‘êhem mas·‘ê mas·‘ê·hem masEi maseiHem ū·lə·mas·sa‘ ulemasSa ūləmassa‘
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