H1319 hamebasserot (ha-meh-vah-seh-ROTE) — "the women who bring the news." A great army of women preachers in Psalm 68.
Word: הַמְבַשְּׂרוֹת · feminine plural participle of basar, "to bring news, announce good news" · Strong's H1319
In brief
In Psalm 68:11, God gives the word and a great company announces it. The Hebrew word for that company, hamebasserot, is feminine plural: "the women who bring the news." Some translations say so plainly. Others say "those who proclaimed it," which removes the women from the verse. The root, basar, is the Hebrew word for announcing good news.
Where it appears
- Psalm 68:11 (68:12 in Hebrew) — "The Lord gives the word; the women who announce the news are a great host."
- Isaiah 40:9 — compare: mevasseret Tziyon, Zion as a woman bringing good news, told to lift up her voice and say "Here is your God!".
- Isaiah 52:7 — compare: "how beautiful… are the feet of the one who brings good news (mevasser)," quoted by Paul in Romans 10:15.
What the lexicons say
Basar means to bear news, usually good news. The ending -ot marks a feminine plural, so the people bearing the news in Psalm 68:11 are women.
How translations render it
| Translation | Psalm 68:11 |
|---|---|
| KJV | "great was the company of those that published it" |
| ESV | "the women who announce the news are a great host" |
| NIV (2011) | "the women who proclaim it are a mighty throng" [VERIFY] |
| NRSV | "great is the company of those who bore the tidings" [VERIFY] |
| CEB | "many messengers are bringing good news" |
Here even translations that are cautious about women in ministry, such as the ESV, keep the feminine. It is one of the clearest pictures in Scripture of women announcing God's word.
See for yourself
- Read Psalm 68:11–12. Who announces the victory, and what follows?
- Read Isaiah 40:9. Whom does God send up the mountain to announce "Here is your God"?
Related words
ish / ishah (H376 / H802) · chayil (H2428, strength, army)