Lexicon
מַעֲשֶׂה
ma.a.seh
H4639
H:N-M Hebrew

deed: work

235
Occurrences
31
Books
Hebrew
Language

ma.a.seh denotes an undertaking or its result, including human labor, performed actions, and crafted construction.

The term most often identifies work undertaken by people and its practical outcome, especially labor done by the hand, service, or agricultural activity. It also denotes actions subject to approval, judgment, or remembrance, and describes the construction, pattern, or decorative execution of objects.

Senses in use

  1. Undertaking, labor, and its outcome · dominant

    The construct noun occurs in clauses about labor and its results: in Deuteronomy 14:29 the APB renders blessing in “all the work of your hand,” while Exodus 23:16 speaks of what is sown and gathered from the field. In 1 Chronicles 23:28 it belongs to the Levitical service of the house of God, and in Ecclesiastes 2:11 it concerns what the speaker's hands had done.

  2. Actions and conduct · common

    The term can identify things done by a person or group as actions open to evaluation. In 1 Samuel 19:4 the APB renders David's actions as “deeds” that pleased Saul, whereas 1 Samuel 8:8 describes deeds involving forsaking God and serving other gods. Deuteronomy 11:7 applies the singular construct form to the great action performed by the LORD.

  3. Crafted construction or design · common

    In descriptions of built objects, the construct noun marks their construction, pattern, or ornamental execution. In 1 Kings 7:33 the APB renders the clause “The work of the wheels was like the work of a chariot wheel,” and the verse describes their cast components. In 2 Kings 16:10 it occurs with the altar's likeness and pattern, while 2 Chronicles 3:10 describes cherubim made as “image work.”

In the Anselm Project Bible: Across these verses the APB uses wording such as “work,” “deeds,” “construction,” “pattern,” and “image work.” Because the APB is a whole-verse translation, these renderings show the clauses' presentation rather than fixed English equivalents for the term.

Passages featuring this word

Across Scripture