עָמִיר
a bunch of grain
Definition
The Hebrew noun עָמִיר (ʻâmîyr) refers to a 'bunch' or 'handful' of grain, specifically a sheaf that has been cut and bound together after harvesting. In its four biblical occurrences, it consistently denotes a compact bundle of harvested stalks, likely of wheat or barley, ready for threshing or transport. In Jeremiah 9:22, it is used metaphorically for something that is crushed or pressed down. The word can also carry a collective sense, as in Micah 4:12 and Zechariah 12:6, where it symbolizes gathered people or nations under God's judgment or action.
Biblical Usage
This word appears only four times in the Old Testament, exclusively in the prophetic books (Jeremiah, Amos, Micah, Zechariah). It is used both literally and metaphorically. In Amos 2:13, it is a literal image of a loaded cart crushing a sheaf, illustrating God's judgment on Israel. The other three uses are metaphorical: in Jeremiah 9:22, death cuts down life like a reaper; in Micah 4:12 and Zechariah 12:6, nations or clans are gathered like sheaves to be threshed or burned, symbolizing divine judgment and purification.
Etymology
עָמִיר (ʻâmîyr) derives from the root עָמַר (ʻāmar, H6014), which means 'to bind sheaves' or 'to heap up.' This root connection emphasizes the action of gathering and bundling cut grain. Cognate words in related Semitic languages also refer to sheaves or bundles, confirming its agricultural origin. The noun form specifically denotes the product of that action—the bound bundle itself.
Semantic Range
Though a simple agricultural term, עָמִיר gains theological weight through its prophetic metaphors. It vividly illustrates God's sovereign action in history: gathering peoples for judgment (Micah 4:12, Zechariah 12:6) and the sudden, crushing finality of divine punishment (Amos 2:13, Jeremiah 9:22). Understanding this concrete image enriches reading by showing how the prophets used everyday harvest imagery to communicate serious themes of accountability, the gathering of nations, and the inescapable consequences of rebellion against God.
In ancient Israel's agrarian society, a sheaf (עָמִיר) was a fundamental unit of the harvest. After reapers cut grain with sickles, binders would gather stalks into manageable bundles tied near the top. These sheaves were then transported to the threshing floor. This universal practice makes the metaphor instantly understandable: a sheaf is something gathered, vulnerable, and destined for processing (threshing) to separate valuable grain from worthless chaff—a powerful picture of divine judgment.
אָלֻם (ʼālum, H619) — a sheaf, often used in dreams/visions (e.g., Genesis 37:7). עֹמֶר (ʻōmer, H6016) — a dry measure (about 2 liters) or a small sheaf, as in the wave offering (Leviticus 23:10-15).
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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