מָאַס

From the study of Isaiah 41:9

Range of meaning

Reject, refuse, despise, repudiate. In covenant passages it is the language of breaking off a relationship: Israel rejecting God's statutes (Lev 26:15, 43), God rejecting Saul (1 Sam 15:23, 26), a cast-off wife (Isa 54:6).

Against the English

KJV 'cast thee away' (from the Vulgate 'abieci') and modern 'rejected' both work. 'Rejected' can sound like hurt feelings, but the Hebrew points to an official decision to end a relationship.

Used elsewhere in the period

Lev 26:44 already promised: 'even when they are in the land of their enemies I will not reject them (lōʾ məʾastîm)… to break my covenant with them.' Lam 5:22 ends on the fear that 'you have utterly rejected us.' Jer 33:24–26 rebuts the claim that God has rejected Israel. Hos 4:6 has God rejecting faithless priests.

From the study of Proverbs 3:11

Range of meaning

Reject, refuse, spurn, treat as worthless and cast off. It is a decisive act of turning something down, used of people rejecting God or his word, and of God rejecting people in return.

Against the English

KJV/WEB 'despise' can make modern readers think of an intense emotion ('hate'). BSB/NASB 'reject' is closer: the issue is refusing the training, though looking down on it is part of that.

How it drifted

Older English 'despise' meant 'look down on, set at nought,' which is close to ma'as. Today the word has shifted toward strong hatred.

Used elsewhere in the period

1 Sam 8:7 ('they have rejected me'); 1 Sam 15:23, 26 (Saul rejected YHWH's word, so YHWH rejected him); Isa 5:24 (rejecting YHWH's torah); Job 5:17 (same prohibition with musar). Prov 15:32 is a telling parallel: 'whoever ignores musar rejects (mo'es) himself.' The Septuagint here softens it to oligōreō, 'make light of, think little of.'

From the study of Hosea 4:6

Range of meaning

To reject, refuse, spurn, despise, regard as worthless. Used for Israel rejecting YHWH or his statutes (Lev 26:15, 43; 1 Sam 8:7; Amos 2:4) and for YHWH rejecting a king or people in return (1 Sam 15:23, 26; Jer 6:30).

Against the English

'Reject' is accurate. The Hebrew carries contempt as well as refusal, the sense of treating something as worthless.

Used elsewhere in the period

1 Samuel 15:23 is the closest pattern: 'Because you have rejected the word of YHWH, he has rejected you from being king.' The structure is the same as here: rejection answered by rejection from office.