מַמְּגֻרָה
a granary
Definition
מַמְּגֻרָה refers to a granary or storehouse for grain, a secure structure designed to protect harvested crops from the elements and pests. In its single biblical occurrence in Joel 1:17, it describes a place where seed is stored, likely for future planting or consumption. The word emphasizes the concept of a designated repository for valuable agricultural produce, distinct from a simple pile or heap. No other major senses or variant meanings are attested in the biblical text.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in the prophetic book of Joel. It appears in the context of a severe agricultural disaster, where Joel laments that 'the seed shrivels under the clods, the storehouses (מַמְּגֻרוֹת) are desolate, the barns are broken down, for the grain has failed' (Joel 1:17). Its usage is purely descriptive of a physical structure vital to the agrarian economy, and its desolation symbolizes God's judgment and the comprehensive nature of the famine.
Etymology
The noun מַמְּגֻרָה is derived from the root מָגַר (H4048), which carries the basic sense of 'to deposit' or 'to store up.' This root is related to the idea of placing something securely. The word's formation suggests a place where things are gathered and kept safe. Cognates in other Semitic languages also point to meanings associated with granaries or treasuries, reinforcing its connection to secure storage.
Semantic Range
While the word itself is a common noun for a granary, its theological significance emerges from its context in Joel. The desolation of the מַמְּגֻרָה in Joel 1:17 is not merely a report of agricultural failure; it is a vivid symbol of covenant curse and divine judgment. The emptying of these secure storehouses represents the removal of God's provision and blessing, directly linking physical sustenance to spiritual obedience. Understanding this term enriches the reading of Joel by highlighting how a mundane structure becomes a powerful metaphor for the totality of the disaster, pointing to humanity's dependence on God for daily bread.
In ancient Israel's agrarian society, a granary was a crucial economic structure. Its security meant the difference between survival and starvation for a family or community. Unlike modern, large-scale silos, these storehouses could be communal or private, often built from stone or mudbrick to keep grain dry and safe from rodents. The desolation of the granary in Joel would have been understood as a catastrophic event, stripping away not just food but also future security (seed for planting) and economic stability.
אוֹצָר (ʾôṣār, H214) — a treasury or storehouse, often for valuables or wealth, with a broader application than just grain. אָסָם (ʾāsām, H618) — a barn or granary, a more common general term for a storage building.
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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