4165. mutsaq
Lexical Summary
mutsaq: casting, mass

Original Word: מוּצָק
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: muwtsaq
Pronunciation: moot-sahk'
Phonetic Spelling: (moo-tsawk')
KJV: casting, hardness
NASB: casting, mass
Word Origin: [from H5694 (עָגִיל - earrings)]

1. (properly) fusion
2. (literally) a casting (of metal)
3. (figuratively) a mass (of clay)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
casting, hardness

From agiyl; properly, fusion, i.e. Literally, a casting (of metal); figuratively, a mass (of clay) -- casting, hardness.

see HEBREW agiyl

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from yatsaq
Definition
a casting
NASB Translation
casting (1), mass (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
I. מוּצָק noun masculine a casting; אֶחָד ׳מ 1 Kings 7:37 (of metal); of dust compactged into clod בְּצֶקֶת עָפָר לַמּוּצָק Job 38:38. — II.מוצק see below צוק

Topical Lexicon
Concept and Imagery

מוּצָק evokes the picture of molten metal being poured into a mold and cooling into a solid, unified form. Scripture applies the word to both man-made objects and a natural process, highlighting firmness, permanence, and completed craftsmanship.

Occurrences and Contexts

1 Kings 7:23: “He made the Sea of cast bronze, ten cubits from rim to rim, circular in shape, and five cubits high. It took a line of thirty cubits to measure around it.”

1 Kings 7:37: “In this way he made the ten stands with the same casting, dimensions, and shape.”

Job 38:38: “when the dust hardens like cast metal, and the clods of earth stick together?”

In Kings the word describes temple vessels; in Job it illustrates the LORD’s sovereign governance of creation.

Historical and Cultural Setting

Solomon’s craftsmen worked at the height of Israel’s bronze metallurgy. Large foundries in the Jordan Valley made possible the enormous “Sea” (roughly fifteen feet across) and the ten lavers. These items supported priestly washing and sacrifice, reinforcing the tabernacle-to-temple progression of Israel’s worship. Job’s reference reflects ancient Near-Eastern observation of dried earth forming a crust—nature itself behaving like a divine foundry.

Theological Themes

1. Divine craftsmanship. Whether forming temple vessels (1 Kings 7) or solidifying dust (Job 38), God is the ultimate Master Worker. Human artisans imitate His creative order.
2. Permanence of God’s purposes. Metal castings could not be reshaped without melting; likewise, the LORD’s decrees stand firm (compare Isaiah 14:27).
3. Cleansing and holiness. The Molten Sea held water for priestly purification, prefiguring the washing fulfilled in Christ (Hebrews 10:22).
4. Unity and uniformity. The ten stands were “of the same casting,” reflecting the ordered harmony God desires among His people (Ephesians 4:3-6).

Messianic and Redemptive Foreshadowing

The unbroken surface of the Sea symbolized an all-sufficient provision for cleansing, anticipating the singular, once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus Christ. As the molten bronze was poured out, so the Messiah’s blood would be “poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28).

Practical Ministry Applications

• Worship design: Thoughtful craftsmanship in church architecture and furnishings can point worshipers to God’s beauty and stability.
• Spiritual formation: Believers are admonished to let God “form” them—allowing trials and discipline to harden character into Christ-likeness (James 1:2-4).
• Assurance: Just as cast bronze stands immovable, the promises of God remain unaltered despite cultural flux (2 Corinthians 1:20).
• Creation care and wonder: Job 38 urges humble reverence before the Creator who controls even the cohesion of dust.

Summary

מוּצָק unites temple worship, creative sovereignty, and moral steadfastness. Every instance invites God’s people to marvel at His skill, rely on His unchanging word, and submit to His shaping hand until they too are “conformed to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29).

Forms and Transliterations
לַמּוּצָ֑ק למוצק מוּצָ֑ק מוּצָ֨ק מוצק lam·mū·ṣāq lammūṣāq lammuTzak mū·ṣāq mūṣāq muTzak
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
1 Kings 7:23
HEB: אֶת־ הַיָּ֖ם מוּצָ֑ק עֶ֣שֶׂר בָּ֠אַמָּה
INT: made the sea casting ten cubits

1 Kings 7:37
HEB: עֶ֣שֶׂר הַמְּכֹנ֑וֹת מוּצָ֨ק אֶחָ֜ד מִדָּ֥ה
NAS: of them had one casting, one
KJV: all of them had one casting, one
INT: the ten stands casting had one measure

Job 38:38
HEB: בְּצֶ֣קֶת עָ֭פָר לַמּוּצָ֑ק וּרְגָבִ֥ים יְדֻבָּֽקוּ׃
NAS: hardens into a mass And the clods
KJV: groweth into hardness, and the clods
INT: hardens the dust A mass and the clods stick

3 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 4165
3 Occurrences


lam·mū·ṣāq — 1 Occ.
mū·ṣāq — 2 Occ.

4164
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