Original Word: מַצָּע
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: matstsa`
Pronunciation: mahts-tsaw'
Phonetic Spelling: (mats-tsaw')
KJV: bed
NASB: bed
Word Origin: [from H3331 (יַצַע - lay)]

1. a couch

bed

From yatsa'; a couch -- bed.

see HEBREW yatsa'

Word Origin
from yatsa
Definition
couch, bed
NASB Translation
bed (1).

מַצָּע noun masculine couch, bed; מֵהִשְׂתָּרֵעַ ׳קָצַר הַמּ Isaiah 28:20 the bed is too short for one to stretch oneself (מַסֵּכָה coverlet in "" clause)

Biblical Occurrence

מַצָּע appears only once in the Old Testament, in Isaiah 28:20, where the prophet declares, “For the bed is too short to stretch out on, and the blanket too narrow to wrap around you” (Berean Standard Bible). The single use underscores its deliberate employment as a vivid prophetic image rather than a common household reference.

Historical Setting

Isaiah 28 addresses the leaders of Judah near the close of the eighth century BC. Having watched the Northern Kingdom crumble under Assyrian power, Judah’s rulers sought security through political alliances and religious formalism. The “covenant with death” (Isaiah 28:15) they forged with foreign powers promised safety but instead compounded judgment. Into this atmosphere of smug self-confidence, Isaiah inserts the picture of an inadequate bed and blanket—familiar objects in every home—exposing the illusion of their man-made refuge.

Imagery and Symbolism

1. Bed: In Scripture a bed can signify rest (Job 33:19), intimacy (Song of Solomon 1:13), sickness (Psalm 41:3), or death (2 Kings 21:18). Here it functions negatively: a supposed place of rest that cannot fulfill its purpose.
2. Blanket/covering: Elsewhere covering language evokes protection (Psalm 91:4), atonement (Psalm 32:1), and divine glory (Isaiah 61:10). The narrow blanket of Isaiah 28:20 parodies these themes, illustrating how Judah’s chosen “covering” leaves them exposed.

By pairing an undersized bed with a too-small blanket, Isaiah layers two deficiencies: no world-formed structure can grant true rest, and no human-devised covering can provide adequate shelter from covenant curses (Deuteronomy 28:15-68).

Theological Insights

• False Security Versus True Foundation. Isaiah contrasts Judah’s flimsy bed with the sure cornerstone the Lord lays in Zion (Isaiah 28:16). Only what God establishes offers lasting stability.
• Rest as Covenant Blessing. From creation onward, rest is a divine gift (Genesis 2:2-3; Exodus 20:8-11). Disobedience forfeits it (Hebrews 3:11). The short bed signals how sin truncates the very blessing humanity craves.
• Covering and Atonement. Garments and coverings in Scripture often typify the righteousness God provides (Genesis 3:21; Isaiah 61:10). Judah’s self-constructed blanket falls short, anticipating the need for the perfect righteousness supplied in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Intertextual Resonance

Isaiah’s prophetic satire finds echoes in later Scripture:
• Jeremiah 6:14—“They dress the wound of My people with very little care, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace.”
• Ezekiel 13:10-12—false prophets whitewash flimsy walls that collapse under judgment.
• Matthew 23:27—religious leaders appear righteous outwardly but are “full of dead men’s bones.”

Together these passages form a biblical critique of superficial refuge and point to the Messiah as the only sufficient sanctuary.

Practical Ministry Applications

1. Gospel Proclamation. The image exposes all substitutes for Christ—wealth, politics, moral performance—as inadequate for rest or covering. Preaching Isaiah 28:20 naturally leads to Jesus’s invitation, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
2. Pastoral Counseling. Many believers seek security in relationships, careers, or religious activity. Inviting them to picture a bed that is too small helps reveal the futility of those pursuits and directs them toward reliance on Christ alone.
3. Corporate Discernment. Congregations may place confidence in programs, buildings, or cultural favor. Isaiah’s warning urges churches to examine whether their “bed” is God’s foundation or merely pragmatic strategy.
4. Mission and Ethics. The passage cautions against alliances that compromise biblical conviction for temporary safety. Whether in global missions or local partnerships, the church must ensure its cooperative “covering” aligns with the gospel.

Devotional Reflection

Meditating on מַצָּע invites believers to ask: Where am I stretching myself on a short bed? What coverings am I trusting that leave my soul exposed? Psalm 4:8 answers with abiding confidence: “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.” The gospel supplies both the spacious bed of grace and the ample blanket of Christ’s righteousness, fulfilling the longing Isaiah’s metaphor lays bare.

Conclusion

Though מַצָּע surfaces only once, its placement in Isaiah 28:20 gives it outsized significance. The prophet’s homely illustration unmasks the insufficiency of human schemes and magnifies the sufficiency of God’s provision. From ancient Judah to the contemporary church, the verse calls every generation to abandon inadequate beds and narrow coverings and to rest fully and safely in the Lord.

הַמַּצָּ֖ע המצע ham·maṣ·ṣā‘ hammaṣṣā‘ hammatzTzaInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts