מָשִׁיחַ m. (b. h.; מָשַׁח I) anointed, esp. 1) כֹּהֵן מ׳ or מ׳ (v. מָשׁוּחַ, s. v. מָשַׁח I, v. Lev. IV, 3) the high priest installed by anointment. Tosef. Meg. I, 18 כ׳ מ׳ משמש the active high priest; כ׳ מ׳ שעבר the unfitted high priest (prevented from officiating on the Day of Atonement). Hor. III, 4 ואיזהו המ׳ המשוח וכ׳ what high priest is called mashiaḥ? He who has been anointed &c. Sifra Vayikra, Ḥobah, ch. I, Par. 2, a. e. מ׳ יכול זה המלך by mashiaḥ (Lev. IV, 3) you might understand the king. Ib. המ׳ זה מ׳ וכ׳ ‘the anointed’ means an anointed who has no superior anointed; a. fr. —2) מֶלֶךְ הַמָּ׳, or מָ׳ the Messiah, the future redeemer of Israel from captivity. Gen. R. s. 2 (ref. to Gen. I, 2) זה רוחו של מ׳ המ׳ that means the divine spirit of the king Messiah (with ref. to Is. XI, 2). Succ. 52ᵃ, a. fr. מ׳ בן דוד the Davidic Messiah, contrad. to מ׳ בן יוסף the M., son of Joseph, who is to precede the former. Snh. 98ᵇ אין מ׳ לישראל וכ׳ Israel has no Messiah to expect, for it has enjoyed him (the glory which he was predicted to bring) in the days of Hezekiah. Ib. 97ᵃ; a. fr.—ימות המ׳ the Messianic epoch. Ib. bot. Ber. I, 5 להביא לימות מ׳ this includes (the duty of remembering the exodus from Egypt) even in the Messianic days; a. fr.—חבלו של מ׳, v. חֵבֶל.—Pl. מְשִׁיחִים. Pesik. R. s. 8 (ref. to Zech. IV, 3) אלו שני המ׳ אחד משוח מלחמה וכ׳ these are the two expected Messiahs, one appointed to conduct war (מ׳ בן יוסף) &c.; Yalk. Zech. 570.