Mashal מָשָׁל

Mashal (Hebrew מָשָׁל, Strong's H4912) is a Hebrew masculine noun meaning “proverb”. It occurs 39 times in 39 verses of the Old Testament.

Definition

From the STEPBible Brief Lexicon of Hebrew (based on the abridged Brown-Driver-Briggs), STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0.

Translated as

Topics

• Parables of Jesus

Verses

Every verse with Mashal, with the English words that translate it highlighted (KJV or BSB; other translations show the KJV here).

Numbers

• Numbers 23:7
  And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel.And Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying: “Balak brought me from Aram, the king of Moab from the mountains of the east. ‘Come,’ he said, ‘put a curse on Jacob for me; come and denounce Israel!’
• Numbers 23:18
  And he took up his parable, and said, Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor:Then Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying: “Arise, O Balak, and listen; give ear to me, O son of Zippor.
• Numbers 24:3
  And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said:and he lifted up an oracle, saying: “This is the prophecy of Balaam son of Beor, the prophecy of a man whose eyes are open,
• Numbers 24:15
  And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said:Then Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying, “This is the prophecy of Balaam son of Beor, the prophecy of a man whose eyes are open,
• Numbers 24:20
  And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable, and said, Amalek was the first of the nations; but his latter end shall be that he perish for ever.Then Balaam saw Amalek and lifted up an oracle, saying: “Amalek was first among the nations, but his end is destruction.”
• Numbers 24:21
  And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwellingplace, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock.Next he saw the Kenites and lifted up an oracle, saying: “Your dwelling place is secure, and your nest is set in a cliff.
• Numbers 24:23
  And he took up his parable, and said, Alas, who shall live when God doeth this!Once more Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying: “Ah, who can live unless God has ordained it?

Deuteronomy

• Deuteronomy 28:37
  And thou shalt become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all nations whither the Lord shall lead thee.You will become an object of horror, scorn, and ridicule among all the nations to which the LORD will drive you.

1 Samuel

• 1 Samuel 10:12
  And one of the same place answered and said, But who is their father? Therefore it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets?Then a man who lived there replied, “And who is their father?” So the saying became a proverb: “Is Saul also among the prophets?”
• 1 Samuel 24:13
  As saith the proverb of the ancients, Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked: but mine hand shall not be upon thee.As the old proverb says, ‘Wickedness proceeds from the wicked.’ But my hand will never be against you.

1 Kings

• 1 Kings 4:32
  And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five.Solomon composed three thousand proverbs, and his songs numbered a thousand and five.
• 1 Kings 9:7
  Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people:then I will cut off Israel from the land that I have given them, and I will banish from My presence this temple I have sanctified for My Name. Then Israel will become an object of scorn and ridicule among all peoples.

2 Chronicles

• 2 Chronicles 7:20
  Then will I pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have given them; and this house, which I have sanctified for my name, will I cast out of my sight, and will make it to be a proverb and a byword among all nations.then I will uproot Israel from the soil I have given them, and I will banish from My presence this temple I have sanctified for My Name. I will make it an object of scorn and ridicule among all the peoples.

Job

• Job 13:12
  Your remembrances are like unto ashes, your bodies to bodies of clay.Your maxims are proverbs of ashes; your defenses are defenses of clay.
• Job 27:1
  Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,Job continued his discourse:
• Job 29:1
  Moreover Job continued his parable, and said,And Job continued his discourse:

Psalms

• Psalm 44:14
  Thou makest us a byword among the heathen, a shaking of the head among the people.You have made us a byword among the nations, a laughingstock among the peoples.
• Psalm 49:4
  I will incline mine ear to a parable: I will open my dark saying upon the harp.I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will express my riddle with the harp:
• Psalm 69:11
  I made sackcloth also my garment; and I became a proverb to them.I made sackcloth my clothing, and I was sport to them.
• Psalm 78:2
  I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from the beginning,

Proverbs

• Proverbs 1:1
  The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;These are the proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel,
• Proverbs 1:6
  To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings.by understanding the proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.
• Proverbs 10:1
  The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.The proverbs of Solomon: A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother.
• Proverbs 25:1
  These are also proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out.These are additional proverbs of Solomon, which were copied by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah:
• Proverbs 26:7
  The legs of the lame are not equal: so is a parable in the mouth of fools.Like lame legs hanging limp is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
• Proverbs 26:9
  As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouth of fools.Like a thorn that falls into the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.

Ecclesiastes

• Ecclesiastes 12:9
  And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also taught the people knowledge; he pondered, searched out, and arranged many proverbs.

Isaiah

• Isaiah 14:4
  That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!you will sing this song of contempt against the king of Babylon: How the oppressor has ceased, and how his fury has ended!

Jeremiah

• Jeremiah 24:9
  And I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for their hurt, to be a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse, in all places whither I shall drive them.I will make them a horror and an offense to all the kingdoms of the earth, a disgrace and an object of scorn, ridicule, and cursing wherever I have banished them.

Ezekiel

• Ezekiel 12:22
  Son of man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth?“Son of man, what is this proverb that you have in the land of Israel: ‘The days go by, and every vision fails’?
• Ezekiel 12:23
  Tell them therefore, Thus saith the Lord God; I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel; but say unto them, The days are at hand, and the effect of every vision.Therefore tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘I will put an end to this proverb, and in Israel they will no longer recite it.’ But say to them: ‘The days are at hand when every vision will be fulfilled.
• Ezekiel 14:8
  And I will set my face against that man, and will make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people; and ye shall know that I am the Lord.I will set My face against that man and make him a sign and a proverb; I will cut him off from among My people. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
• Ezekiel 17:2
  Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel;“Son of man, pose a riddle; speak a parable to the house of Israel
• Ezekiel 18:2
  What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge?“What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the teeth of the children are set on edge’?
• Ezekiel 18:3
  As I live, saith the Lord God, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel.As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel.
• Ezekiel 20:49
  Then said I, Ah Lord God! they say of me, Doth he not speak parables?Then I said, “Ah, Lord GOD, they are saying of me, ‘Is he not just telling parables?’”
• Ezekiel 24:3
  And utter a parable unto the rebellious house, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Set on a pot, set it on, and also pour water into it:Now speak a parable to this rebellious house and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Put the pot on the fire; put it on and pour in the water.

Micah

• Micah 2:4
  In that day shall one take up a parable against you, and lament with a doleful lamentation, and say, We be utterly spoiled: he hath changed the portion of my people: how hath he removed it from me! turning away he hath divided our fields.In that day they will take up a proverb against you and taunt you with this bitter lamentation: ‘We are utterly ruined! He has changed the portion of my people. How He has removed it from me! He has allotted our fields to traitors.’”

Habakkuk

• Habakkuk 2:6
  Shall not all these take up a parable against him, and a taunting proverb against him, and say, Woe to him that increaseth that which is not his! how long? and to him that ladeth himself with thick clay!Will not all of these take up a taunt against him, speaking with mockery and derision: ‘Woe to him who amasses what is not his and makes himself rich with many loans! How long will this go on?’

Notes

1. Definition and verse list from STEPBible's tagged Hebrew Old Testament (TAHOT) and Greek New Testament (TAGNT) and Brief Lexicons, STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0.
2. English renderings from the public-domain KJV with Strong's numbers (eBible.org) and the Berean Standard Bible interlinear (public domain).