חִנְטָא
wheat
Definition
חִנְטָא is an Aramaic noun meaning 'wheat,' specifically referring to the cultivated grain used for food. It appears only in the Aramaic portions of the book of Ezra, where it denotes wheat as a staple commodity. In Ezra 6:9 and Ezra 7:22, it is listed among provisions (alongside animals, salt, wine, and oil) to be supplied for the temple worship in Jerusalem, highlighting its role in sacrificial and communal offerings. The term carries the same basic agricultural sense as its Hebrew counterpart, without additional metaphorical layers in its biblical usage.
Biblical Usage
This word is used exclusively in the Aramaic sections of the Old Testament, specifically in two verses in Ezra. In both instances, it refers to wheat as a material provision mandated by Persian royal decrees to support the temple service in Jerusalem. In Ezra 6:9, King Darius orders that wheat be supplied to the Jewish priests for offerings, and in Ezra 7:22, King Artaxerxes sets a limit on the amount of wheat that can be provided. The usage is administrative and practical, tied to imperial sponsorship of worship.
Etymology
חִנְטָא is the Aramaic cognate of the Hebrew noun חִטָּה (chiṭṭâ, H2406), which also means 'wheat.' Both words derive from a common Semitic root related to grain cultivation. The Aramaic form appears in biblical texts influenced by the Imperial Aramaic used in the Persian administration, reflecting the linguistic context of the post-exilic period when Aramaic was a lingua franca.
Semantic Range
In the ancient Near East, wheat was a high-value grain, often associated with prosperity and divine blessing. Its inclusion in the Persian provisions for the Jerusalem temple (Ezra 6:9, 7:22) underscores its importance as a staple for sustenance and ritual use. Unlike barley, which was more common, wheat was typically used for finer bread and offerings, indicating the quality of the supplies authorized for worship. The royal decrees highlight how material resources were understood as enabling proper worship and community restoration.
חִטָּה (chiṭṭâ, H2406) — The standard Hebrew word for 'wheat,' used throughout the Old Testament in agricultural, economic, and metaphorical contexts (e.g., Genesis 30:14, Psalm 81:16).
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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