מֶ֫שֶׁק

From the study of Genesis 15:2

Range of meaning

Mesheq appears only here, and its meaning is disputed. Proposals: (1) “possession, acquisition,” so the phrase means “the one who will possess my house,” supported by the parallel in v.3, “a son of my house will inherit me,” and by the related word mimshaq, “a place possessed (by nettles),” in Zeph 2:9; (2) “steward, manager,” following early Jewish and Latin interpretation, sometimes linked to shaqah, “to give drink,” with the idea of a cupbearer or household administrator; (3) a personal name, as in the Septuagint (“Masek”).

Against the English

KJV “steward” describes a job. BSB, ESV and NASB give “heir.” WEB has “he who will inherit my estate.” YLT's “an acquired son” guesses from the root. Translations that say “heir” follow the sense of v.3. Translations that say “steward” follow ancient tradition, but they shift the focus from who inherits to who manages.

How it drifted

The KJV inherited “steward” from the Vulgate (procuratoris) and the Targum (parnasa, “manager”). Modern readers then picture an estate manager. The verse is really about who gets the estate when Abram dies.

Used elsewhere in the period

Septuagint: “the son of Masek, my house-born (slave woman).” Vulgate: filius procuratoris domus meae, “son of the steward of my house.” Targum Onkelos: “this manager (bar parnasa) in my house is Eliezer the Damascene.” Most modern lexicons (BDB, HALOT) mark the word as uncertain and lean toward “possession / acquisition” or “heir.”