H4549 H4549
To melt, dissolve; figuratively, to faint or lose heart; in Hifil, to cause to melt with fear
A vivid verb of dissolution that moves seamlessly between physical melting and emotional collapse. Manna melts in the sun (Exod 16:21), wax melts before fire (Ps 68:2), and mountains dissolve at God's presence (Mic 1:4)—but just as often, it is human courage that melts away. When the spies' report terrifies Israel, 'the heart of the people melted' (Josh 7:5). The Nifal dominates with eighteen occurrences covering both literal and figurative dissolving. Spanish distinguishes 'derretirse' (physical melting) from 'desfallecer' (to faint), revealing the metaphorical leap the Hebrew holds in a single root.
Senses
1. Nifal: to melt, dissolve — The dominant Nifal intransitive sense: to melt, dissolve, or become liquid. This covers both physical melting—manna dissolving in sunlight (Exod 16:21), wax before fire (Ps 68:2), mountains at God's theophany (Ps 97:5, Mic 1:4)—and the far more frequent figurative use where hearts 'melt' in terror. Joshua 2:11 and 5:1 describe Canaanite courage melting before Israel. Spanish 'derretirse' and French forms confirm the intransitive, passive quality: something undergoes dissolution rather than being actively dissolved. 18×
AR["ذَائِبٌ", "ذَابَ", "ذَابَتْ", "ذَوَبانًا", "فَ-تَذُوبُ", "فَ-ذابَ", "فَيَذُوبُ", "كَ-ذَوَبانِ", "وَ-انْسَابَتْ", "وَ-تَذُوبُ", "وَ-ذابَ", "وَ-ذَابَ", "وَ-يَذوب", "يَذوبُ", "يَذُوبُ", "يُذِيبُ"]·ben["এবং-গলবে", "এবং-গলে-গেল", "এবং-গলে-যাবে", "ও-গলে-যাবে", "গলবে", "গলে", "গলে-গেছে", "গলে-যাবে", "তিনি-গলিয়ে-দেবেন", "যেমন-গলে-যায়"]·DE["[ונמס]", "[ונמסו]", "[ימס]", "[ימס]", "[נמס]", "es-ist-melted", "lass-melt", "melting", "schmelzen", "und-melted", "und-schmilzt-weg", "und-schmolz", "wie-schmilzt", "wird-melt"]·EN["and-melted", "and-melts-away", "and-shall-melt", "and-will-melt", "as-melts", "it-is-melted", "let-melt", "melt", "melting", "melts", "will-melt"]·FR["[ונמסו]", "[ימס]", "[ימס]", "comme-fondre", "et-fondit", "et-fondre", "et-il-a-fondu", "et-ils-fondront", "fera-melt", "fondant", "fondre", "il-a-fondu", "laisse-melt"]·heb["המס", "ו-נמס", "ו-נמסו", "יימס", "ימס", "כ-הימס", "נמס", "נמסו"]·HI["और-गल-जाएगा", "और-पिघल-गई", "और-पिघल-गया", "और-पिघल-जाता-था", "और-पिघला", "और-पिघलेंगे", "और-पिघलेगा", "पिघल", "पिघल-गए", "पिघल-गया-है", "पिघल-जाएगा", "पिघला", "पिघलाएगा", "पिघलेगा"]·ID["Dan-meleleh", "akan-meleleh", "akan-mencair", "dan-akan-meleleh", "dan-hancur", "dan-melelahlah", "dan-meleleh", "dan-mencair", "meleleh", "meleleh,", "melelehkan", "mencair", "seperti-meleleh"]·IT["e-fuse", "e-sciogliere", "e-sciogliersi", "e-si-sciolse", "lascia-melt", "melting", "sciogliere", "sciogliersi", "si-sciolse", "vorrà-melt"]·jav["aju", "ajur", "badhe-luluh", "badhé-leleh", "kadosdéné-leleh-ipun", "lan-ajur", "lan-ardi-ardi", "lan-lelèh", "lan-lemes", "lan-luluh", "lan-lèlèh", "ler", "luluh", "lumer"]·KO["그리고-녹는다", "그리고-녹았다", "그리고-녹으리라", "그리고-녹을-것이다", "녹듯", "녹듯이", "녹아내리고", "녹았도다", "녹으리라", "녹을-것이다", "녹이리라"]·PT["E-derreterão", "como-se-derrete", "derreta", "derrete-se", "derreter", "derreteram-se", "derreterá", "derreteu-se", "e-derreteram-se", "e-derreterá", "e-derreterão", "e-derreteu-se", "e-derreteu.", "e-se-derreterá"]·RU["И-растают", "и-истает", "и-растают", "и-растаяли", "и-растаяло", "и-таяло", "как-тает", "растает", "растаяли", "растаяло", "растаять", "растопит", "сердце", "тает"]·ES["Y-se-derretirán", "como-se-derrite", "derretido", "derretir", "derrita", "se-derretirá", "se-derrite", "se-derritieron", "y-se-derretirá", "y-se-derretirán", "y-se-derretía", "y-se-derritieron", "y-se-derritió"]·SW["iliyeyuka", "kama-kuyeyuka", "kuyeyuka", "na-atayeyuka", "na-ikayeyuka", "na-utayeyuka", "na-vikayeyuka", "na-vitayeyuka", "na-yakayeyuka", "na-yatayeyuka", "umeyeyuka", "unayeyuka", "utayeyuka", "yakayeyuka", "yeyushe"]·TR["Ve-eriyecek", "eridi", "eridiği-gibi-", "erimek", "erir", "eritsin", "eriyecek", "eriyerek", "ve-eridi", "ve-eriyecek"]·urd["اور-پگھل-گئے", "اور-پگھل-گیا", "اور-پگھلیں-گے", "اور-پگھلے-گا", "اور-گھل-جائے-گا", "تو-پگھل-گئے", "وہ-پگھلا-دے", "پگھل-جائے-گا", "پگھل-جاتے-ہیں", "پگھل-گیا", "پگھلا-ہوا", "پگھلنا", "پگھلے-گا", "کَ-پگھلتی-ہے"]
Exod 16:21, Deut 20:8, Josh 2:11, Josh 5:1, Josh 7:5, Judg 15:14, 2 Sam 17:10, 2 Sam 17:10, Ps 22:14, Ps 68:2, Ps 97:5, Ps 112:10 (+6 more)
2. Nifal participle: faint, worthless — A specialized Nifal participial sense conveying figurative worthlessness or faintness. In 1 Samuel 15:9, the livestock Saul spared is described as 'melted away' or 'worthless'—already dissolved in value. Spanish 'desfallecida' (faint, weak) captures this extension from physical melting to qualitative degradation, where what has 'melted' has lost its substance entirely. 1×
AR["وَ-الذَّائِبِ"]·ben["এবং-নিকৃষ্ট"]·DE["und-worthless"]·EN["and-worthless"]·FR["et-sans-valeur"]·heb["ו-נמס"]·HI["और-निकम्म"]·ID["dan-yang-tidak-berharga"]·IT["e-senza-valore"]·jav["lan-ingkang-leyeh"]·KO["그리고-녹는"]·PT["e-fraca"]·RU["и-негодное"]·ES["y-desfallecida"]·SW["na-dhaifu"]·TR["ve-eriyen"]·urd["اور-برباد"]
3. Qal: to waste away, consume — The rare Qal infinitive construct sense: to waste away or be consumed gradually. Found in Isaiah 10:18, it describes Assyria's glory wasting away 'like the wasting of one who is sick.' Unlike the Nifal's dramatic melting, this form implies slow, progressive decay. The comparative construction with the preposition underscores duration rather than suddenness. 1×
AR["كَـ-ذَوَبَانِ"]·ben["ক্ষয়ের-মতো"]·DE["[כמסס]"]·EN["as-wasting-away-of"]·FR["[כמסס]"]·heb["כ-מסוס"]·HI["जैसे-गलाना-"]·ID["seperti-melemahnya"]·IT["sciogliere"]·jav["kados-musna"]·KO["쇠약함-같이"]·PT["como-desfalecer-de"]·RU["как-таяние"]·ES["como-consumirse"]·SW["kama-kuoza"]·TR["erimesi-gibi"]·urd["جیسے-گھلنا"]
4. Hifil: to cause to melt — The Hifil causative sense: to cause to melt, to make hearts dissolve. In Deuteronomy 1:28 the spies 'made our hearts melt' with their terrifying report. Here an external agent—the speakers—actively induces the emotional dissolution in others. The causative stem assigns blame and agency where the Nifal leaves melting as an experience that simply happens to the subject. 1×
AR["أذابوا"]·ben["গলিয়ে-দিয়েছে"]·DE["melted"]·EN["melted"]·FR["melted"]·heb["המסו"]·HI["पिघलाया-है"]·ID["membuat-ciut"]·IT["melted"]·jav["nglemeraken"]·KO["녹게-하였다"]·PT["derreteram"]·RU["растопили"]·ES["derritieron"]·SW["kumweka"]·TR["erittiler"]·urd["پگھلا-دیا"]
Related Senses
H4325 1. water, waters (582×)H6965b 1. Qal: to rise, arise, get up (432×)H2091 1. gold (the metal) (389×)H0068 1. stone, rock (material/object) (267×)H5178a 1. bronze/copper as metal (131×)H6083 1. dust, dry earth, soil (108×)H8313 1. burn, set fire to (94×)H2734 1. anger was kindled (82×)G5204 1. water (80×)H2822 1. darkness, absence of light (80×)G5457 1. light (illumination) (71×)G0450 1. rise, stand up (physical) (69×)H6965b 2. Qal: to stand firm, endure, be valid (50×)H6999a 2. burn sacrifice on altar (Hifil) (45×)H5553 1. rock, cliff (physical feature) (43×)H6965b 4. Hifil: to establish, confirm (covenant/kingdom/word) (40×)H1197a 1. burn, be on fire (39×)H4306 1. rain, showers (38×)H1653 1. rain, precipitation (34×)G4655 1. darkness (30×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [מָסַס] vb. dissolve, melt, intr. (𝔗 מְסַס; cf. מסה, and II. מאס);— Qal Inf. cstr. מְסֹס נֹסֵס Is 10:18; like the melting (wasting away) of a נֹסֵס (q.v.) Niph. Pf. וְנָמֵס consec. Ez 21:12; וְנָמָ֑ס Ex 16:21 ψ 112:10; נָמַ֫סּוּ ψ 97:5 + 2 times; Impf. יִמַּס Dt 20:8 +; וַיִּמַּסּוּ Ju 15:14; Inf. abs. הִמֵּס 2 S 17:10; cstr. id. ψ 68:3; Pt. נָמֵס ψ 22:15 + 2 times;— 1. melt (intr.) of manna…