H4539 H4539
A screen, curtain, or covering; a hanging used as a partition in the Tabernacle or a protective covering in broader contexts.
Primarily a term from the Tabernacle legislation in Exodus and Numbers, referring to the ornamental curtain-screens hung at the entrance to the courtyard, the doorway of the tent of meeting, and related thresholds. Spanish 'cortina' and German 'Decke' capture the textile nature of these hangings. Beyond the sanctuary, the word extends to any covering that conceals or protects — the cloth spread over a well to hide David's spies at 2 Samuel 17:19, the cloud God spread as a protective canopy in Psalm 105:39, and the 'covering' of Judah whose removal signals exposed vulnerability in Isaiah 22:8.
Senses
1. screen, curtain (Tabernacle hanging) — A screen or curtain serving as a partition at Tabernacle entrances — the hangings at the court gate (Exod 27:16; 38:18), the tent doorway (Exod 26:36-37; 36:37), and associated with the veil of the Most Holy Place. Spanish uniformly renders 'cortina' and German 'Decke,' both pointing to a woven textile barrier. Nearly all 22 occurrences cluster in Exodus 25-40 and Numbers 3-4, tying this sense tightly to Priestly legislation about sacred space and its boundaries. 22×
AR["السَّتْرِ","السِّترَةِ","السِّتْرِ","سِتارَةً","سِتارَةٌ","سِتراً","سِترَةَ","سِتَارَةَ","سِتْرَ","وَ-سَجْفُ","وَسِتْرُ"]·ben["-আবরণের","আড়ালের","আবরণের","এবং-পর্দা","পর্দা"]·DE["Decke","Decke-von","der-Decke","der-screen","ein-Decke","screen-von","und-Decke-von","und-screen-von"]·EN["a-screen","and-screen-of","screen","screen-of","the-screen"]·FR["et-screen-de","et-voile-de","le-screen","le-voile","screen-de","un-voile","voile","voile-de"]·heb["ה-מסך","ו-מסך","מסך"]·HI["आवरण-का","और-परदा","परदा","परदे-का"]·ID["Dan-tirai","dan-tirai","penutup","tirai"]·IT["e-screen-di","e-tenda-di","il-screen","il-tenda","screen-di","tenda","tenda-di","un-tenda"]·jav["Lan-rerenggan","geber","gebyog","kang-tutup","lan-geber","layar","penutup;","pepayon-punika","rerenggan","rerenggan-punika","tirai"]·KO["가리개","가리개를","가림막-의","간막을","그-가리개의","그-가림막-의","그-간막을","그-간막의","그리고-간막","그리고-휘장","차양막을","차양막이","휘장"]·PT["E-cortina-de","a-cobertura","a-cortina","cortina","cortina-de","cortina-de-","e-cortina-de","o-véu"]·RU["завеса","завесу","и-завеса","покрывала","прикрытия"]·ES["Y-cortina-de","cortina","cortina-de","la-cortina","la-cortina-de","pantalla","y-cortina-de"]·SW["kifuniko","la-kufunika","la-sitara","na-pazia","pazia","pazia-la","sitara"]·TR["-perdesini","-örtünün","Ve-perde","perde","perdesi","perdesini","perdeyi","ve-perde","örtünün-"]·urd["آڑ","آڑ-کا","اور-پردہ","پردہ","پردے","چھجانے-والے-کا"]
Exod 26:36, Exod 26:37, Exod 27:16, Exod 35:12, Exod 35:15, Exod 35:17, Exod 36:37, Exod 38:18, Exod 39:34, Exod 39:38, Exod 39:40, Exod 40:5 (+10 more)
2. covering, protective screen — A covering or protective screen used to conceal or shield, apart from the Tabernacle context. At 2 Samuel 17:19 a woman spreads it over a well to hide Jonathan and Ahimaaz. Psalm 105:39 describes God spreading a cloud 'for a covering' over Israel. At Isaiah 22:8 the 'masak of Judah' is removed, exposing the nation's defenses. Spanish shifts to 'cubierta' (covering) here, and French to 'couvrant,' distinguishing the protective function from the partitioning role of the sanctuary curtains. 3×
AR["الْغِطاءَ","سِتَارِ","لِسِتر"]·ben["আচ্ছাদন","আবরণ","আবরণ-রূপে"]·DE["[מסך]","der-bedeckend","für-ein-covering"]·EN["covering-of","for-a-covering","the-covering"]·FR["[מסך]","le-couvrant","à-couverture"]·heb["ה-מסך","ל-מסך","מסך"]·HI["आवरण-के-लिए","ढकना","परदा"]·ID["-penutup","penutup","sebagai-penutup"]·IT["[למסך]","[מסך]","il-coprendo"]·jav["dados-tutup","tutup"]·KO["그-덮개를","덮개-로","베일을"]·PT["a-coberta","a-cobertura-de","por-coberta"]·RU["для-покрова","покрывало"]·ES["cubierta-de","la-cubierta","por-cubierta"]·SW["kama-pazia","kinga","kitambaa"]·TR["ortusunu","örtü-olarak","örtüyü"]·urd["پردہ","پردے-کے-لیے"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† מָסָךְ n.[m.] covering, screen;—abs. מ׳ 2 S 17:19 + 11 times; cstr. מָסַךְ Is 22:8 + 12 times;— 1. covering, large cloth spread (פרש) over well to hide persons within 2 S 17:19; fig. of protection, or of eye-screen, וַיְגַל אֶת־מ׳ יְהוּדָה Is 22:8; screen, of cloud ψ 105:39 (פרשׂ). 2. name given (in P) to each of three screens, of tabern.: a. at gate (שַׁעַר) of court Ex 27:16; 35:17; 38:18;…