---
title: מָשַׁל — rule · The Tanakh dictionary
description: מָשַׁל (4910), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 80 times: rule. BDB 1906: vb. rule, have dominion, reign. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# מָשַׁל

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«מָשַׁל» in the Tanakh dictionary: **rule** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 80 times · **Key:** 4910 · **BDB:** מָשַׁל³

### Glosses

he.will.rule (7); ruler (7); a.ruler (5)

### Meaning (OSHB)

rule [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4910/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

vb. rule, have dominion, reign [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4910/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** vb. rule, have dominion, reign (NH Pt. id.; Ph. משל);— Pf. 3 ms. וּמָשַׁל consec. Zc 6:13 + 2 times, מָשָׁ֑ל Dn 11:4, וּמָשָׁ֑ל consec. v 5; 3 fs. מָשָׁ֑לָה ψ 103:19; 2 ms. מָשַׁלְתָּ Is 63:19, וּמָשַׁלְתָּ֫ Dt 15:16; 3 pl. מָֽשְׁלוּ Is 3:5 La 5:8; Impf. 3 ms. יִמְשֹׁל Ex 21:8 + 3 times, יִמְשׁוֹל Pr 22:7; יִמְשָׁל־ Gn 3:16, etc.; Imv. מְשָׁל־ Ju 8:22; Inf. abs. מָשׁוֹל Gn 37:8; cstr. מְשֹׁל Ju 9:2 +, לִמְשָׁל־ Jo 2:17, etc.; Pt. מֹשֵׁל Gn 45:26 +, etc.;— human subj., rule, have dominion over (בְּ) Gn 3:16; 4:7; 24:2 (all J), 45:8, 26 (E), מָשׁוֹל תִּמְשֹׁל ב׳ 37:8 (E); Dt 15:6(×2) Jos 12:5 (D); Ju 8:22, 23(×2); 9:2(×2); 14:4; 15:11 2 S 23:3 (Pt. abs. = when one ruleth, cf. Dr), 1 K 5:1; 2 Ch 7:18; 9:26; 23:20; Is 3:4, 12; 19:4; Mi 5:1 Hb 1:14; Je 22:30; La 5:8; Jo 2:17; Pr 16:32 (משֵׁל בְּרוּחוֹ), 17:2; 19:20; 22:7 ψ 19:14; 105:21; 106:41 Dn 11:43; Ec 9:17; rarely other preps.: ל (c. inf.) Ex 21:8 (E); עַל־ Pr 28:15; Ne 9:37, אֶל־ Je 33:26; c. sf. Is 52:5 Je 30:21; c. acc. cogn. מ׳ מִמְשָׁל רָ֑ב Dn 11:3, 4; מָשַׁל מִן … וְעַד Jos 12:2 (D); abs. 2 S 23:3 (cf. Dr), Ez 19:14; Zc 6:13 (עַל loc.), Pr 12:24; 29:2; Dn 11:5; especially Pt. as subst. = ruler, משֵׁל־אֶרֶץ Is 16:1, משֵׁל עַמִּים ψ 105:20; abs. Is 14:5; 49:7; Je 51:46(×2) Ez 19:11; Pr 6:7; 23:1; 29:12, 26; Ec 10:4; משְׁלֵי הָעָם הַזֶּה Is 28:14. of heavenly bodies, c. בְּ Gn 1:18. of God, c. בְּ Ju 8:23; Is 63:19 ψ 22:29; 59:14; 89:10; 103:19 1 Ch 29:12; 2 Ch 20:6; abs. ψ 66:7; וּזְרֹעוֹ מ׳ לוֹ Is 40:10 his arm ruling for him. Pf. 3 ms. sf. consec. וְהִמְשִׁילָם Dn 11:39; Impf. 2 ms. sf. תַּמְשִׁילֵהוּ ψ 8:7; Inf. abs. הַמְשֵׁל Jb 25:2;—cause to rule, sq. acc. pers. + בְּ ψ 8:7 (subj. י׳), Dn 11:39; exercise dominion, only inf. abs. as n. abstr. the exercise of dominion Jb 25:2 (attrib. of God).

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 72 of its verses cited, 3 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (8 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (8 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «מָשַׁל» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1502/4910/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Isaiah 14:5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/ISA.14.5/)

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שָׁבַ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה מַטֵּ֣ה רְשָׁעִ֑ים שֵׁ֖בֶט מֹשְׁלִֽים׃

*Word for word:* he.has.broken Yahweh \[the\].staff of.wicked.\[people\] \[the\].scepter of.rulers

*JPS 1917:* The LORD hath broken the staff of the wicked, the sceptre of the rulers,

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[Proverbs 6:7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PRO.6.7/)

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אֲשֶׁ֖ר אֵֽין־לָ֥הּ קָצִ֗ין שֹׁטֵ֥ר וּמֹשֵֽׁל׃

*Word for word:* which there.\[is\].not for it commander officer and ruler

*JPS 1917:* Which having no chief, overseer, or ruler,

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