H8650 H8650
mast of a ship, or metaphorically a solitary pole or standard
This noun primarily denotes the mast of a ship—the tall pole that supports sails. Ezekiel 27:5 uses it in describing the ship Tyre as a magnificent vessel with its mast. Isaiah employs the image metaphorically: a standard-pole on a mountaintop (30:17) or a signal-staff (33:23), both suggesting something solitary and prominent. The comparison pictures Israel reduced to isolation like a lone pole standing where once was a forest. The word thus moves from literal nautical terminology to poetic image of desolation and visibility—something standing alone, exposed, either for signaling or as a remnant.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Cross-linguistic glosses consistently render as 'mast' or 'mástil,' though some preserve transliterations. The Spanish and French particularly emphasize the nautical sense while also using terms like 'pilier' (pillar). The Isaiah passages use ship imagery metaphorically—a people reduced to a single pole on a mountain where armies once stood. Ezekiel gives the literal maritime sense. The multilingual consensus supports both concrete (ship's mast) and figurative (solitary standard) meanings, with the unifying image being a tall, prominent, solitary pole. 3×
AR["سَارِيَتِهِمْ", "صَارِيَةً", "كَـ-سَارِيَةٍ"]·ben["তাদের-মাস্তুল", "মাস্তুল", "মাস্তুলের-মত"]·DE["[כתרן]", "[תרן]", "[תרנם]"]·EN["mast", "of-their-mast", "on"]·FR["[כתרן]", "[תרנם]", "pilier"]·heb["כ-תורן", "תורן", "תורנם"]·HI["उनके-मस्तूल-को", "जैसे-खंभा", "मस्तूल"]·ID["seperti-tiang", "tiang", "tiang-mereka"]·IT["[כתרן]", "[תרן]", "[תרנם]"]·jav["kados-tiang", "tiang-layar", "tiangipun"]·KO["같이-깃대", "그들의-돛대를", "돛대를"]·PT["como-o-mastro", "mastro", "seu-mastro"]·RU["как-шест", "мачту", "мачты-их"]·ES["como-mástil", "mástil", "su-mástil"]·SW["kama-mlingoti", "mlingoti", "mlingoti-wao"]·TR["diregin", "direk", "direk-gibi"]·urd["اُن-کے-مستول-کی", "مستول", "مستول-کی-طرح"]
Related Senses
H2719 1. sword, weapon of war (410×)H4196 1. altar (place of sacrifice) (403×)H7393 1. chariot, chariotry (117×)H7198 1. bow (weapon) (72×)H7979 1. table (71×)H7782 1. ram's horn trumpet (69×)H4294 2. staff, rod, scepter (63×)H4043 1. shield, defensive weapon (60×)H0646 1. ephod (priestly garment) (49×)H8504 1. blue (violet-blue yarn/fabric) (49×)H2595 1. spear, lance (48×)H2671 1. arrow, projectile weapon (46×)H4818 1. chariot, war-chariot (44×)H3658 1. lyre, harp (stringed instrument) (42×)H1537 1. Gilgal (place name) (41×)H0713 1. purple (fabric/dye) (38×)H0905 3. poles, staves (37×)H7392 1. Qal participle: rider, charioteer (37×)H4501 1. cultic lampstand (menorah) (36×)H0212 1. wheel (35×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† תֹּ֫רֶן n.m. mast (NH id.; √ unknown; HoffmPh. Inscr. 27 f. conj. תארן, from ארן, v. אֹרֶן);—abs. ת׳, of Tyre as ship Ez 27:5; ת׳ עַל־רֹאשׁ הָהָר Is 30:17 (‖ נֵס), i.e. a (solitary) standard-pole, flag-staff; sf. תָּרְנָם 33:23 (‖ נֵס, חֲבָלִים).