Original Word: מַשָּׂאָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: massa'ah
Pronunciation: mas-saw-AH
Phonetic Spelling: (mas-saw-aw')
KJV: burden
NASB: smoke
Word Origin: [from H5375 (נָשָׂא נָסָה - lifted)]

1. a conflagration (from the rising of smoke)

burden

From nasa'; a conflagration (from the rising of smoke) -- burden.

see HEBREW nasa'

Word Origin
from nasa
Definition
the uplifted (cloud)
NASB Translation
smoke (1).

מַשָּׂאָה noun feminine the uplifted (cloud); — ׳כֹּבֶד מ Isaiah 30:27 weight of uplifted clouds.

Occurrence and Rendering

The noun מַשָּׂאָה appears once, at Isaiah 30:27. The Berean Standard Bible renders it “heavy smoke,” capturing both weight and elevation—something that rises yet oppresses. The underlying root נָשָׂא carries the idea of lifting or bearing, so the word pictures a column of dense, weighty vapor borne upward from the earth while still pressing upon all beneath it.

Prophetic Imagery in Isaiah 30:27

“Behold, the Name of the LORD comes from afar, with burning anger and heavy smoke; His lips are filled with fury, and His tongue is like a consuming fire.”

Isaiah employs מַשָּׂאָה to intensify the awesome approach of the divine Name. The prophet juxtaposes upward movement (“comes from afar…heavy smoke”) with downward pressure (fiery wrath) to communicate that God’s judgment is at once transcendent and inescapably imminent.

Historical Setting

Isaiah 30 addresses Judah’s reliance on Egyptian alliances during the Assyrian crisis under King Hezekiah (circa 701 B.C.). Political maneuvering had replaced covenant trust. The picture of God advancing in “heavy smoke” warns that no human fortification or diplomacy can screen His people from the consequences of unbelief.

Theophanic Parallels

1. Sinai: Exodus 19:18 describes Mount Sinai “wrapped in smoke,” a visual token of holiness and covenant gravity. מַשָּׂאָה echoes that scene, reminding Judah that the God who formed the covenant now enforces its stipulations.
2. Temple Vision: Isaiah 6:4 notes that “the temple was filled with smoke,” reinforcing continuity between Isaiah’s call and his later proclamation.
3. Eschatological Fire: Isaiah 34:10 and Revelation 14:11 speak of smoke that rises perpetually, underscoring eternal consequences of unrepentant rebellion.

Semantic Field: Weight and Burden

Because the root also means “to bear, to carry,” מַשָּׂאָה links the imagery of smoke to burden. Judah’s sin had become a load too heavy to carry (Psalm 38:4). The “heavy smoke” signals that the burden is now borne by the divine Judge in holy response.

Ministry Implications

• Preaching Holiness: The term warrants sermons that present God’s presence as both elevating and weighty—lifting hearts in reverence yet pressing consciences toward repentance.
• Corporate Repentance: Isaiah’s context encourages church bodies to evaluate alliances—political, cultural, or ideological—that supplant reliance on the Lord.
• Worship Atmosphere: Just as incense portrays prayers ascending (Psalm 141:2; Revelation 8:4), so מַשָּׂאָה reminds worshipers that God’s presence fills the sanctuary with a glory that must not be treated lightly.

Theological Themes

1. Divine Holiness: Smoke conceals and reveals—shielding humanity from unmediated glory while testifying to it.
2. Wrath and Mercy: The same God whose anger rises in “heavy smoke” later promises in Isaiah 30:18 to “be gracious” when His people wait for Him. Judgment serves mercy’s greater goal of restoration.
3. The Name of the LORD: Isaiah personifies God’s Name as a warrior advancing through smoke, anticipating New Testament revelation where the Name is fully disclosed in Jesus Christ (Philippians 2:9–11).

Practical Application

Believers are called to live in the healthy tension symbolized by מַשָּׂאָה: lifted up by grace, yet sobered by the weight of God’s righteous presence. The verse invites personal and communal examination, urgent prayer, and renewed confidence that the Lord alone is a sure defense in every age.

מַשָּׂאָ֑ה משאה maś·śā·’āh maśśā’āh massaAhInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts