אַמְתַּחַת
properly, something expansive, i.e. a bag
Definition
The Hebrew noun אַמְתַּחַת (ʼamtachath) refers to a bag or sack, specifically a traveler's provision bag made of coarse cloth or leather. It is used exclusively in the Joseph narrative (Genesis 42-44) to describe the sacks in which Joseph's brothers carried grain from Egypt and, later, the returned silver and the hidden silver cup. The word emphasizes the bag's function as a container for goods, particularly in the context of a journey. In all its occurrences, it denotes the same physical object, with no significant shift in meaning between passages.
Biblical Usage
This word appears 12 times, all within Genesis 42-44. It is used exclusively in the story of Joseph and his brothers, detailing their journeys to Egypt for grain. The sacks are central to the plot, holding grain (Genesis 42:27), the returned silver payment (Genesis 43:21), and the hidden silver cup (Genesis 44:1-2). The repeated focus on the 'sack' creates narrative tension around the brothers' discoveries and Joseph's testing of their character.
Etymology
אַמְתַּחַת derives from the root מָתַח (māthach, H4969), meaning 'to spread out' or 'to stretch.' This root suggests the idea of something expansive or capacious, fitting for a bag designed to hold provisions. The noun form implies a container that is 'stretched out' to receive contents, highlighting its functional design for travel and storage.
Semantic Range
While a common object, the 'sack' is instrumentally significant in the Joseph narrative. It serves as a vehicle for divine providence and testing. The hidden silver in the sacks (Genesis 42:28) and the planted cup (Genesis 44:1-2) are catalysts that reveal the brothers' guilt, fear, and eventual repentance, driving the story toward reconciliation and the fulfillment of God's plan to preserve the family line (Genesis 45:5-7). Understanding this object's role enriches reading by seeing how God uses ordinary items to accomplish His purposes.
In the ancient Near East, such sacks were essential for travelers and merchants transporting dry goods like grain. They were typically made from durable animal skins or woven cloth, closed with a cord. The narrative assumes the sack was a familiar, personal item where one's valuable goods and money were kept during a journey, making the discovery of unknown contents within it a source of great alarm and confusion, as seen in Genesis 42:28.
שַׂק (śaq, H8242) — A more common term for 'sack' or 'bag,' often made of coarse goat hair and used for grain, mourning garments, or as a metaphor for repentance. אַמְתַּחַת is a specific type of provision bag for travel.
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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