H4339 H4339
Uprightness, equity, rectitude in judgment and conduct; smoothness or evenness (literal); equitable terms or agreement.
The plural noun mesharim derives from the root y-sh-r ('to be straight, upright') and embodies the Hebrew ideal of moral straightness applied to governance, speech, and daily life. It appears almost exclusively in poetry — Psalms, Proverbs, and Isaiah — where it describes how God judges 'with equity' (Ps 9:8; 96:10; 98:9) and how the wise speak 'uprightly' (Isa 33:15; Prov 23:16). Spanish equidad and rectitud, French droiture, and German Geradheit all reach for vocabulary that fuses moral and spatial straightness, reflecting how the Hebrew root itself moves between the physical and the ethical. A charming literal survival appears in Song of Songs 7:9 and Proverbs 23:31, where wine is said to go down 'smoothly' — the same word, now describing the even flow of liquid rather than the even scales of justice.
Senses
1. uprightness, equity — Uprightness, equity, or rectitude — the ethical quality of being morally straight in one's conduct, judgments, or speech. This overwhelmingly dominant sense (15 occurrences) pervades worship poetry and wisdom teaching. The Psalter repeatedly declares that God judges the peoples 'with equity' (Ps 9:8; 96:10; 98:9; 99:4), while Proverbs pairs mesharim with righteousness (tsedeq, Prov 1:3; 2:9) as a core wisdom value. Isaiah 33:15 praises the one who 'speaks uprightly.' Spanish con equidad, French dans la droiture, and German mit Geradheit all employ dedicated justice vocabulary. 15×
AR["اسْتِقَامَاتٌ", "اسْتِقَامَةً", "الاسْتِقَامَةَ", "بِ-استِقامَةٍ", "بِ-اسْتِقامَةٍ", "بِ-اسْتِقَامَةٍ", "بِ-الاِسْتِقَامَةِ", "بِالْمُسْتَقِيماتِ", "بِـ-الِاسْتِقَامَةِ", "مِيشَرِيم", "وَ-اسْتِقَامَةً", "وَ-اسْتِقَامَةٍ", "وَبِالاسْتِقَامَةِ"]·ben["আর-সরলতায়", "ও-সরলতা", "ন্যায়", "ন্যায়তা", "ন্যায়পরায়ণভাবে", "ন্যায়বিচার", "ন্যায়ে", "সরলতা", "সরলতায়"]·DE["Geradheit", "[ומישרים]", "[מישרים]", "equity", "mit-equity", "mit-uprightness", "uprightness"]·EN["and-uprightness", "equity", "is-uprightness", "right-things", "rightly", "uprightness", "with-equity", "with-uprightness"]·FR["Droitement", "[ומישרים]", "dans-droiture", "de-droiture", "droiture", "et-droiture"]·heb["ב-מישרים", "ו-מישרים", "מישרים"]·HI["और-सीधाई", "और-सीधी", "न्याय", "न्याय-से", "मेशारीम", "सत्य-बातों-का", "सीधाई-से", "सीधी-बातें", "सीधी-बातें-को"]·ID["dan-kejujuran", "dan-ketulusan", "dengan-jujur", "dengan-keadilan", "dengan-kebenaran", "dengan-tulus", "keadilan", "kebenaran", "kelurusan"]·IT["[ומישרים]", "e-e-uprightness", "giusto-things", "in-rettitudine", "rettitudine", "rightly", "è-uprightness"]·jav["ingkang-leres", "kajujuran", "kalayan-leres", "kanthi-leres", "kayekten", "lan-kaikhlas", "lan-kajujuran", "leres", "mawi-adil", "mawi-kaadilan", "mawi-kajujuran"]·KO["공정-으로", "공정-을", "공평-으로", "공평함-으로", "공평함-을", "그리고-정직-을", "그리고-정직함을", "바르게", "올바른-것을", "정직한-것들을", "정직함-이다", "정직함을"]·PT["a-retidão", "com-equidade", "com-retidão", "e-retidões", "retidão", "retidões"]·RU["в-справедливости", "и-в-прямоте", "и-справедливости;", "и-справедливость -", "по-справедливости", "правду", "правота.", "прямоту", "справедливо", "справедливое", "справедливость"]·ES["con-equidad", "con-rectitud", "rectamente", "rectitud", "rectitudes", "y-la-rectitud", "y-rectitud"]·SW["kwa-uadilifu", "kwa-unyofu", "kwa-usawa", "na-uadilifu", "na-unyofu", "ni-unyofu", "uadilifu", "unyofu", "usawa"]·TR["adaletle", "dogrulari", "dogruluk", "doğru-şeyler", "doğruluk", "doğrulukla", "doğrulukları", "doğruluğu", "duzlukle", "düzgünce", "ve-doğruluktan", "ve-dürüstlüğü"]·urd["-انصاف-سے", "اور-سیدھائی", "اور-صداقت", "راستی", "راستی-سے", "سچائی-سے", "سیدھائی", "سیدھی-باتیں", "سیدھے-سیدھے", "صداقت-سے"]
2. smoothness, evenness — Smoothness or evenness in a physical or sensory sense — describing a level path or the smooth flow of liquid. Three occurrences preserve this concrete dimension: the path of the righteous is 'level' in Isaiah 26:7, wine goes down 'smoothly' in Proverbs 23:31, and the beloved's kiss flows 'smoothly' over lips and teeth in Song of Songs 7:9. Spanish suavemente and French avec douceur shift to sensory vocabulary, revealing that translators recognize a distinct register from the moral-judicial sense. 3×
AR["بِاسْتِقَامَةٍ", "بِالْمُسْتَقِيمَةِ", "مُسْتَقِيمٌ"]·ben["সরলতা", "সরলতায়", "সোজা"]·DE["Geradheit", "[במישרים]", "[למישרים]"]·EN["is-level", "smoothly"]·FR["avec-douceur,", "dans-droiture", "droiture"]·heb["ב-מישרים", "ל-מישרים", "מישרים"]·HI["समतलता", "सीधी", "सीधे-से"]·ID["dengan-lancar", "dengan-lurus", "kelurusan"]·IT["in-smoothly", "per-smoothly", "rettitudine"]·jav["ing-alus", "kanthi-lancar", "lempeng"]·KO["바르게", "바른", "부드럽게"]·PT["em-retidão", "retidão", "suavemente"]·RU["гладко", "прямо", "прямой"]·ES["rectitud", "suavemente"]·SW["laini", "ni-sawa"]·TR["duzluk", "purussuz", "pürüzsüzce"]·urd["آسانی-سے", "سیدھی", "ہموار"]
3. agreement, equitable terms — An equitable agreement or compact between parties — an extension of the equity sense into the realm of diplomacy and treaty-making. A single clear occurrence in Daniel 11:6, where the king of the South and the king of the North 'make an equitable arrangement' (asah mesharim). Spanish alianza and French accord shift to treaty vocabulary, confirming that this specialized diplomatic sense stands apart from the general ethical use. 1×
AR["مُصَالَحَةً"]·ben["চুক্তি"]·DE["[מישרים]"]·EN["agreements"]·FR["droiture"]·heb["מישרים"]·HI["समझौता"]·ID["perdamaian"]·IT["[מישרים]"]·jav["pasarujukan"]·KO["화평을"]·PT["acordo"]·RU["соглашение"]·ES["alianza"]·SW["makubaliano"]·TR["anlaşmalar"]·urd["صلح"]
Related Senses
H5971a 1. people, nation (1836×)H5973a 1. accompaniment, together with (956×)H0854 1. with (accompaniment) (665×)H1471a 1. nations, peoples (plural/collective) (466×)G3326 1. with (368×)H2896a 1. good (quality or moral) (305×)H1285 1. covenant, pact, treaty (284×)H7563 1. wicked person (259×)H7451c 1. moral evil or wickedness (234×)H5771 1. iniquity, sin, wrongdoing (222×)H6662 1. righteous person (substantive) (195×)G2453 1. Jewish person, Jew (194×)G0266 1. sin, failure, transgression (173×)H2403b 1. sin, transgression (170×)H2617a 1. Covenant faithfulness, steadfast love (167×)H2398 1. Qal: to sin, commit sin (165×)H4150 1. meeting (tent of meeting) (151×)H6666 1. righteousness, moral uprightness (145×)G2992 1. people/nation (an ethnic or political community) (142×)G5485 1. grace, divine favor (141×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [מֵישָׁר] n.m. evenness, uprightness, equity;—only pl.: מֵשָׁרִים Pr 1:3; elsewhere מֵישָׁרִים Is 26:7 + 17 times;— 1. evenness, level Is 26:7, of path of righteous (in the future), fig. for free from difficulties; smoothness, of the flow of wine, בְּמ׳ Pr 23:31; למ׳ Ct 7:10; 2. in ethical sense, uprightness, equity, as taught in the school of wisdom Pr 8:6, ‖ צֶדֶק 1:3; 2:9; of government…