מִטָּה

a bed (as extended) forsleeping or eating; by analogy, a sofa, litter or bier

Definition

The Hebrew noun מִטָּה (miṭṭâh) primarily refers to a bed or couch used for sleeping, resting, or reclining during meals. In many contexts, it simply denotes a piece of household furniture, such as the bed Jacob uses in his old age (Genesis 47:31, 48:2). However, the word can also signify a portable couch or bier used to carry the dead, as seen when the Philistines carried Saul's body on a מִטָּה (1 Samuel 19:13-16). In some instances, it represents a royal couch or divan, as when Pharaoh's officials are told their beds will be infested with frogs (Exodus 8:3).

Biblical Usage

מִטָּה appears 29 times in the Old Testament, primarily in narrative books like Genesis, Exodus, and 1 Samuel. Its usage spans ordinary domestic settings (Genesis 49:33), royal contexts (Exodus 8:3), and even scenes of deception or intrigue, such as when Michal uses a מִטָּה with a household idol to trick Saul's messengers (1 Samuel 19:13-16). It is also the object upon which the deceased King Saul is laid after his death (1 Samuel 28:23). The word consistently refers to an extended surface for lying down, whether for life or death.

Etymology

The noun מִטָּה is derived from the root נָטָה (nāṭâ, H5186), meaning 'to stretch out, extend, incline.' This root connection highlights the bed's primary function as an extended or stretched-out surface for reclining. The development from the verbal action of 'stretching' to the noun for a 'bed' is straightforward, reflecting a common pattern in Hebrew where a tool or object is named for its associated action.

Semantic Range

While מִטָּה itself is a common object, its contexts can carry theological weight. It is associated with key moments of covenant promise (Jacob's final blessings and instructions from his bed in Genesis 47-49), divine judgment (the plague on Pharaoh's officials in Exodus 8:3), and human mortality (as a bier for Saul). Understanding it as more than just furniture—as a place of intimacy, vulnerability, and final rest—can enrich readings of these pivotal biblical scenes.

In ancient Israelite culture, a מִטָּה was often a simple mat or pallet spread on the floor, though it could also be a more raised, framed bed for the wealthy. It served multiple purposes: for sleep, for reclining at meals, and for carrying the deceased. This differs from modern Western beds, which are typically single-purpose, stationary, and private. The מִטָּה was a central household item, and its mention often signals a scene of private conversation, sickness, rest, or death.

עֶרֶשׂ (ʿeres, H6210) — a couch or bed, sometimes with a canopy; often used in poetic or luxurious contexts (e.g., Song of Solomon 1:16). מִשְׁכָּב (miškāḇ, H4904) — a lying place, bed, or act of lying down; often has sexual connotations (e.g., Leviticus 18:22).

Word Details

Scripture References