Original Word: מִסְעָד
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: mic`ad
Pronunciation: mis-ād'
Phonetic Spelling: (mis-awd')
KJV: pillar
NASB: supports
Word Origin: [' from H5582 (סָעַד - sustain)]

1. a balustrade (for stairs)

pillar

From ca'ad; a balustrade (for stairs) -- pillar.

see HEBREW ca'ad

Word Origin
from saad
Definition
support
NASB Translation
supports (1).

מִסְעָד noun [masculine] support; — absolute ׳מ 1 Kings 10:12; precise meaning unintelligible.

Scriptural Usage

The term appears once, in 1 Kings 10:12, within the description of the unprecedented shipment of almug wood imported by Solomon through the maritime alliance with Hiram of Tyre. The Berean Standard Bible records: “The king had the almug wood crafted into steps for the house of the LORD and for the king’s palace, and into lyres and harps for the singers.” The word designates the architectural supports or stair-like structures fashioned from that precious timber.

Historical Setting

The single reference sits in the wider narrative of Solomon’s golden age (1 Kings 3–11). Almug (or algum) wood had traveled roughly 1,500 miles from Ophir, emphasizing the vast economic reach of Solomon’s kingdom. Its use for “supports” in both the temple and the palace signals how worship and governance were intertwined: covenant faith was never meant to be compartmentalized from public life.

Archaeologically, Near-Eastern palaces and temples employed elaborately carved wooden railings or balustrades to mark sacred space and guide worshipers toward the divine presence. Solomon’s choice of rare wood highlighted Israel’s prosperity and the splendor of Yahweh’s earthly house.

Symbolic Significance

1. Stability and Approach

Supports or steps are points of transition: they bear weight and enable ascent. By installing them in the temple, Solomon provided Israel with a tangible picture of the Lord who “upholds all who fall” (Psalm 145:14) and who graciously makes a way into His presence.

2. Beauty in Worship

The same shipment produced instruments for temple singers. Thus the wood simultaneously bore worshipers upward and filled the courts with praise, reflecting the holistic worship that engages body, mind, and spirit (Psalm 150:3–6).

3. Covenant Integration

Because the supports served in both the temple and the palace, the text suggests that covenant principles should undergird both sacred and civic spheres (Micah 6:8).

Theological and Ministry Insights

• Foundations for Faithfulness

The term invites reflection on the believer’s need for spiritual “supports”: sound doctrine, mutual encouragement, and disciplined worship. Leaders today, like Solomon then, are tasked with providing structures that guide God’s people into reverent, joyful service (Ephesians 4:11–12).

• Christ as the Better Support

The Old Testament architectural feature foreshadows the New Testament reality that “no one can lay a foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11). He is both the stairway (John 1:51) and the cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20), granting access to the Father.

• Excellence for God’s Glory

Solomon spared no expense in sourcing and crafting these supports. Ministry that upholds the honor of God should likewise pursue excellence—whether in physical spaces, liturgical elements, or acts of service—while guarding against the excesses that later marred Solomon’s reign (1 Kings 11:1–4).

Practical Applications

1. Worship planners may view every logistical detail—seating, lighting, accessibility—as a modern “support” aiding congregations in meeting with God.
2. Musicians can remember that their instruments, like those carved from almug wood, serve the same ultimate purpose: glorifying the Lord and strengthening His people.
3. Believers are called to be “living stones” (1 Peter 2:5), spiritually supporting one another in the temple God is now building by His Spirit.

Summary

Though mentioned only once, this unique architectural term enriches the biblical portrait of Solomon’s kingdom and offers enduring lessons on stability, approach to God, and the integrated life of worship. The single support Solomon fashioned from exotic timber points forward to the greater Support who enables every step of faith for God’s people today.

מִסְעָ֤ד מסעד mis‘āḏ mis·‘āḏ misAdInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts