מָשַׁל

mashal · rule

Hebrew word · Strong’s number H4910 · appears 82 times in the Bible

What is the Strong number?

Strong’s number identifies this word: use it to find the same word in other study tools.

What it means

mashal (מָשַׁל) is a Hebrew word of the Bible that means “rule”.

Have dominion or authority over something or someone.

How to say it

ma·shal

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

To hold sway over something or someone.
A person with authority who commands a people, good or bad.

From Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906)

Word study

To rule, govern, have authority over something or someone; as a participle, the ruler. There is another verb of the same form, “speak in proverbs”, from which comes מָשָׁל, “proverb”.

The lights, “to rule over the day and over the night” Genesis 1:18
Ruling a person, or sin Genesis 3:16 Genesis 4:7
“I will not rule over you… YHWH will rule over you” Judges 8:23 Genesis 37:8
The ruler: Joseph, the one who will come from Bethlehem Genesis 45:8 Micah 5:2
“One who rules his spirit” Proverbs 16:32 Psalms 103:19

How we translate it

“Rule” 32 times, “ruler” 17, “rules” 10, “ruled” 6, “rulers” 6, “ruling” 5. This edition renders מָשַׁל “rule” (Genesis 1:18; Deuteronomy 15:6) and, as a participle, “ruler” (“ruler over all the land of Egypt”, Genesis 45:8).

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

rule ×32
ruler ×17
rules ×10
ruled ×6
rulers ×6
ruling ×5
Dominion ×1
he shall have no right ×1
mock ×1
those who governed ×1
others ×1

Related words

Words that come from it

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

Genesis 1:18
and to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And Elohim saw that it was good.
Genesis 3:16
To the woman he said, “I will greatly multiply your toil and your pregnancies; with pain you will give birth to children; and toward your husband will be your desire, and he will rule over you.”
Genesis 4:7
If you do well, will there not be a lifting up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and toward you is its desire, but you will rule over it.”
Genesis 24:2
Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his household, who ruled over all that he had, “Put, please, your hand under my thigh,
Genesis 37:8
His brothers said to him, “Will you indeed reign over us? Or will you indeed rule over us?” So they hated him even more because of his dreams and because of his words.
Genesis 45:8
So now it was not you who sent me here, but Elohim; and he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
Genesis 45:26
They told him, saying, “Joseph is still alive, and he is indeed ruler over all the land of Egypt.” His heart went numb, for he did not believe them.
Exodus 21:8
If she is displeasing in the eyes of her master, who had designated her for himself, he shall let her be ransomed; he shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has dealt treacherously with her.
Deuteronomy 15:6
For YHWH your Elohim has blessed you, as he has spoken to you, and you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow; and you will rule over many nations, but over you they will not rule.
Joshua 12:2
Sihon king of the Amorite, who lived in Heshbon, ruling from Aroer, which is on the edge of the brook Arnon, and the middle of the brook, and half of Gilead, as far as the brook Jabbok, the border of the sons of Ammon;
Joshua 12:5
and ruled over Mount Hermon and over Salecah and over all Bashan, as far as the border of the Geshurite and the Maacathite, and half of Gilead, the border of Sihon king of Heshbon.
Judges 8:22
The men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, both you and your son and your son’s son, for you have saved us from the hand of Midian.”
Judges 8:23
Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; YHWH will rule over you.”
Judges 9:2
“Speak, please, in the ears of all the lords of Shechem: ‘Which is better for you, that seventy men, all the sons of Jerubbaal, rule over you, or that one man rule over you?’ And remember that I am your bone and your flesh.”
Judges 14:4
His father and his mother did not know that it was from YHWH, for he was seeking an occasion against the Philistines. At that time the Philistines were ruling over Israel.
Judges 15:11
Then three thousand men from Judah went down to the cleft of the crag of Etam and said to Samson, “Do you not know that the Philistines rule over us? What is this you have done to us?” And he said to them, “As they did to me, so I have done to them.”
2 Samuel 23:3
The Elohim of Israel said, to me the Rock of Israel spoke: ‘One who rules over human beings, righteous, who rules in the fear of Elohim,
1 Kings 4:21
And Solomon was ruling over all the kingdoms from the river Euphrates to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt; they brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.
1 Chronicles 29:12
Riches and glory come from before you, and you rule over all; in your hand are strength and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to strengthen all.
2 Chronicles 7:18
then I will establish the throne of your kingdom, as I covenanted with David your father, saying, ‘There shall not be cut off for you a man ruling in Israel.’
2 Chronicles 9:26
He ruled over all the kings from the River Euphrates to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt.
2 Chronicles 20:6
and said, “YHWH, Elohim of our fathers, are you not Elohim in the heavens? And you rule over all the kingdoms of the nations; in your hand are power and might, and there is no one able to stand firm against you.
2 Chronicles 23:20
He took the commanders of hundreds, and the nobles, and those who governed among the people, and all the people of the land, and brought down the king from the house of YHWH; and they came through the Upper Gate to the house of the king, and they seated the king on the throne of the kingdom.
Nehemiah 9:37
And its produce increases for the kings whom you have set over us because of our sins; and over our bodies they rule, and over our livestock, according to their will; and in great distress are we.”
Job 25:2
“Dominion and dread are with him; he makes peace in his heights.
Psalms 8:6
You make him rule over the works of your hands; all things you put under his feet:
Psalms 19:13
Also from the insolent hold back your servant; let them not rule over me. Then I will be blameless and innocent of great transgression.
Psalms 22:28
For the kingdom belongs to YHWH, and he rules over the nations.
Psalms 59:13
Make an end in fury, make an end, so that they are no more; and let them know that Elohim rules in Jacob to the ends of the earth. Selah.
Psalms 66:7
He rules by his might forever; his eyes watch the nations; let the rebellious not exalt themselves. Selah.
Psalms 89:9
You rule the pride of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them.
Psalms 103:19
YHWH in the heavens has established his throne, and his kingdom over all rules.
Psalms 105:20
The king sent and released him, the ruler of peoples, and set him free.
Psalms 105:21
He made him lord of his house and ruler over all his possessions,
Psalms 106:41
And he gave them into the hand of the nations, and those who hated them ruled over them.
Proverbs 6:7
which, having no chief, supervisor, or ruler,
Proverbs 12:24
The hand of the diligent will rule, but slackness will be for forced labor.
Proverbs 16:32
Better is one who is slow to anger than a warrior, and one who rules his spirit than one who captures a city.
Proverbs 17:2
A prudent slave will rule over a son who brings shame, and in the midst of the brothers he will share the inheritance.
Proverbs 19:10
Luxury is not fitting for the senseless, how much less for a slave to rule over princes.

And 42 more times.