The Hebrew verb mashak means to draw, pull, or drag. Occurring about 37 times in the OT, it can describe drawing water, pulling a bow, dragging someone away, or — most theologically significant — God drawing His people to Himself with cords of kindness and love.
The most profound use of mashak is in Jeremiah 31:3: 'I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.' This is God's sovereign, loving initiative in redemption — before Israel sought God, God was drawing them. Song of Songs 1:4 uses this word in romantic longing: 'Draw me after you.' Jesus echoes this in John 6:44 and 12:32 — 'No one can come to me unless the Father draws him.' This word undergirds the biblical theology of election and grace: redemption begins with God's divine drawing.