H4522

מַס

masH:N-M

taskworker

1) gang or body of forced labourers, task-workers, labour band or gang, forced service, task-work, serfdom, tributary, tribute, levy, taskmasters, discomfited 1a) labour-band, labour-gang, slave gang 1b) gang-overseers 1c) forced service, serfdom, tribute, enforced payment

Full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon entry

I. מַס noun masculine^{1Kgs 5:27} usually collective body of forced labourers, task-workers, labour-band or gang, also (late) forced service, task-work, serfdom ( ᵑ7 מִסָּא, especially in phrase מַסְּקֵי מִיסִּין (implying late and [for Biblical Hebrew] false sense 'tribute,' so Late Hebrew מַעֲלֵי מָסִּים; √ unknown, probably loan-word; follows analogue of ע׳׳ע); — absolute ׳מ 1Kgs 5:27 +; לָמַ֑ס Josh 17:13 +; הַמַּ֑ס 2Sam 20:24 +; plural מִסִּים Exod 1:11 —

1. labour-band, labour-gang, body of task-workers for public service, formed by levy upon the people by Solomon וַיַּ֫עַל הַמֶּלֶךְ שׁלֹמֹה מַס מִכָּליִֿשְׂרָאֵל 1Kgs 5:27, amounting to 30,000 men v.1Kgs 5:27 אֲשֶׁר הֶעֱלָה ׳הַמּ 1Kgs 9:15 ׳וַיַּעֲלֵם שׁ לְמַס עֹבֵד v1Kgs 9:21 and Solomon levied them for a toiling labour-band (compare Gen 49:15; Josh 16:10) = ׳לְמַס וַיַּעֲלֵם שׁ 2Chr 8:8 apparently instituted, earlier, by David, compare וַאֲדֹרָם עַלהַֿמַּ֑ס 2Sam 20:24, i.e. had charge of the body of labourers, so 1Kgs 4:6; 1Kgs 5:28; 1Kgs 12:18 = 2Chr 10:18.

2. a. of labour-bands, slave-gangs of Israel in Egypt, only שָׂרֵי מִסִּים Exod 1:11 (J) gang-overseers.
b. of conquered populations, subject to forced labour: יִהְיוּ לְךָ לָמַס וַעֲבָדוּךָ Deut 20:11 compare Judg 1:30; Judg 1:33; Judg 1:35 (see GFM), Isa 31:8; Lam 1:1 so ויהי לְמַס עֹבֵד Josh 16:10 (compare Gen 49:15; 1Kgs 9:21); וַיִתְּנוּ אֶתהַֿכְּנַעֲנִי לָמַ֑ס Josh 17:13, compare (׳וַיָּ֫שֶׂם וגו) Judg 1:28.

3. in general: וַיְהִי לְמַסעֹֿבֵד Gen 49:15 and he (Issachar) became a slaving labour-band (poem in J; compare Josh 16:10; 1Kgs 9:21); compare רְמִיָּה תִּהְיֶה לָמַ֑ס Prov 12:24 (here apparently of individual)

4. forced service, serfdom (or possibly (in late passage) tribute = enforced payment, compare Late Hebrew, ᵑ7, see above), only of Ahasuerus: ׳וַיָּשֶׂם הַמֶּלֶךְ מַס עַלהָֿאָרֶץ וגו Esth 10:1.

II. מַס see מסס. מֵסַב, מֵסֵב see סבב.

מַסְגֵּר, מִסְגֶּ֫רֶת see סגר.

מַסַּד see יסד. [מִסְדְּרוֺן] see סדר

11 occurrences

Exodus (1), Deuteronomy (1), Joshua (1), Judges (1), II Samuel (1), I Kings (2), II Chronicles (2), Esther (1), Isaiah (1)