Messiah
/məˈsaɪə/
noun
Origin
Hebrew
מָשַׁח — to anoint
Overview
Meaning Now
- The promised deliverer of the Jewish nation prophesied in the Hebrew Bible.
- A leader or savior of a particular group or cause.
Literal older meaning
Anointed one
Language path
Proto-Semitic → Hebrew → Aramaic → Koine Greek → Late Latin → English
Earliest form
מָשִׁיחַ
Earliest period
8th century BCE
Journey
In ancient Israel, the act of anointing with oil signified the selection and empowerment of a person for a divine task, such as kingship. Over time, the term evolved from a literal description of an office to an eschatological concept of a future king from the Davidic line who would restore Israel.
Evolution
- Ancient Hebrew
מָשִׁיחַ (māšīaḥ)
“anointed”
Used for kings, priests, and prophets.
- Koine Greek
Μεσσίας (Messias)
“the Anointed”
Transliteration into the Greek New Testament.
- Late Latin
Messias
“the Anointed”
Borrowing from Greek.
- Old English
Messias
“the Anointed”
Adopted into religious texts.
- Middle English
Messie
“The Anointed One”
Influenced by Old French.
- Modern English
Messiah
“The promised savior”
Stabilized spelling following Hebrew roots.
Connections
Word parts
mašaḥ
root
to smear/anoint
Related across languages
Arabic
مسيح (Masih)
the Anointed (referring to Jesus)
Aramaic
משיחא (Məšīḥā)
the Anointed
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.