Strong's Lexicon

H519

H519 — אָמָה

Hebrew / Aramaic entry for Bible study and original-language reference.

Hebrewamahnoun femOccurrences: 56TWOT: 112

Definition / Gloss

Strong's Number:	H519
Word:	אָמָה
Part of Speech:	noun fem
Etymology:	apparently a primitive word
Language:	Hebrew
Occurrences:	56
Transliteration:	amah
Phonetic Spelling/Pronunciation:	aw-maw'
Meaning:	1. a maid-servant or female slave
KJV Renderings:	(hand-)bondmaid(-woman), maid(-servant).

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Brown-Driver-Briggs Enhanced

BDB513

אָמָה noun feminine maid, handmaid (Phoenician אמת, Arabic [untranscribed source text 261], Sabean אמת in proper name SabDenkm²⁰, Aramaic [untranscribed source text 262], Assyrian amtu Zim^{BP 67}) — ׳ א absolute Gen 21:10 +; suffix אֲמָתִי Gen 30:3 +, etc.; plural absolute אֲמָהֹת Gen 31:33; 2Sam 6:22 construct אַמְהוֺת 2Sam 6:20 אַמְהֹתַי Job 19:5 etc. — maid, handmaid.

1. literally maidservant (= שִׁפְחָה q. v., where however sometimes more servile; rarely P in Hexateuch) Gen 30:3; Gen 31:33 (|| שִׁפְחָה Gen 29:24; Gen 29:29 P Gen 30:4f. J etc.) Exod 2:5 (all E ); 2Sam 6:20 ; 2Sam 6:22 ; Job 19:15; Nah 2:8 (suffix refers to mistress, except Job 19:15 compare 2Sam 6:20; 2Sam 6:22); in legisl. (|| עֶבֶד) Exod 20:10; Exod 20:17; Exod 21:20; Exod 21:26; Exod 21:27; Exod 21:32 (all E ) Lev 25:6; Lev 25:44 (twice in verse) ( H ) Deut 5:14 (twice in verse); Deut 5:18; Deut 12:12; Deut 12:18; Deut 15:17 (compare see 12) Deut 16:11; Deut 16:14 compare also Job 31:13; Ezra 2:65; Neh 7:67 applied to concubine (suffix of master) Gen 20:17; Gen 21:12; Exod 23:12 (all E ) Judg 9:18 ; Judg 19:19 also Gen 21:10 (twice in verse); Gen 21:13 (Gen 16:1f. P שִׁפְחָה q. v.) Exod 21:7 (all E ), see on this Sta^{Gesch i: p. 380.}

2. figurative in address, אֲמָֽתְךָ etc., referring to speaker, in token of humility; Ruth 3:9 (twice in verse) (|| שׁפחה Ruth 2:13) 1Sam 1:16 (|| id. 1Sam 1:18) 1Sam 25:24 (twice in verse); 1Sam 25:25; 1Sam 25:28; 1Sam 25:31; 1Sam 25:41 (|| id. 1Sam 25:27) 2Sam 14:15; 2Sam 14:16 (|| id. 2Sam 14:6 2Sam 14:7 2Sam 14:12 2Sam 14:15 2Sam 14:17 2Sam 14:19); 2Sam 20:17; 1Kgs 1:13; 1Kgs 1:17; 1Kgs 3:20 in addressing God (never שׁפחה) 1Sam 1:11 (3 t. in verse), compare ׳ בֶּןאֿ Ps 86:16; Ps 116:16.

BDB8953

שִׁפְחָה noun feminine maid, maid-servant (synonym אָמָה , q. v.; originally = concubine ? compare √); — absolute ׳ שׁ Gen 16:1 +; construct שִׁפְחַת Gen 16:2 +; suffix שִׁפְחָתִי Gen 16:2 +, etc.; plural absolute שְׁפָחוֺת Gen 12:16 +; suffix שִׁפְחֹתֶ֑ךָ Ruth 2:13, etc.; —

1. literally, maid, maid-servant, as belonging to a mistress Gen 16:1; Gen 16:3; Gen 16:6; Gen 16:8 (PJ) Gen 29:24; Gen 29:29 ( P ) Ps 123:2 ; Prov 30:23 ; Isa 24:2 even where concubine of master (compare אָמָה) Gen 16:2; Gen 16:5 (PJ) Gen 25:12; Gen 35:25; Gen 35:26 ( P ) Gen 30:4; Gen 30:7; Gen 30:9; Gen 30:10; Gen 30:12; Gen 30:18 (all J E ); less often reference to master Gen 29:24; Gen 29:29 ( J ), Ruth 2:13 , of concubine Gen 32:23, compare Gen 33:1; Gen 33:2; Gen 33:6 (all J ); marriageable Lev 19:20 ( H , compare Exod 11:5 not elsewhere in legisl.); in general, especially of menial service (never אָמָה) Exod 11:5 ( J ) 1Sam 25:41 (opposed to אָמָה) 2Sam 17:17 (|| עֶבֶד) Gen 12:16; Gen 24:35( J ) Gen 20:14 ( E ) Gen 30:43 ( P ) Gen 32:6 ( J ; collective) Deut 28:68; 1Sam 8:16; 2Kgs 5:26; Isa 14:2; Jer 34:9; Jer 34:10; Jer 34:11 (twice in verse); Jer 34:16 (twice in verse); Joel 3:2; Eccl 2:7; 2Chr 28:10; Esth 7:4.

2. figurative in address, שִׁפְחָֽתְךָ, etc., of speaker, in token of humility (see אָמָה ) Ruth 2:13 (|| אָמָה Ruth 3:9), 1Sam 1:18 (|| id. 1Sam 1:16), 1Sam 25:27, (|| 1Sam 25:24f.), 1Sam 28:21; 1Sam 28:22; 2Sam 14:6; 2Sam 14:7; 2Sam 14:12 (twice in verse); 2Sam 14:15; 2Sam 14:17; 2Sam 14:19 (|| אָמָה 2Sam 14:15 2Sam 14:16); 2Kgs 4:2; 2Kgs 4:16 not toward God; but see אָמָה .

Other Resources

Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament
R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer, and Bruce K. Waltke

Englishman's Hebrew Concordance

אָמָה (ah-mak’)

Genesis 20:17

KJV: So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children.

EHCC: his wife, and his maidservants ;

Genesis 21:10

KJV: Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.

EHCC: Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for

Genesis 13:818

EHCC: 0 of the son of the bondwoman

Genesis 30:3

KJV: And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her.have…: Heb. be built by her

EHCC: Behold my maid Bithah,

Genesis 31:33

KJV: And Laban went into Jacob’s tent, and into Leah’s tent, and into the two maidservants’ tents; but he found them not. Then went he out of Leah’s tent, and entered into Rachel’s tent.

EHCC: inte the two maidservants’ tents ;

Exodus 2:5

KJV: And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river’s side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.

EHCC: she sent her maid to fetch it.

Exodus 20:10

KJV: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

EHCC: thy manservant, nor thy maidservant,

Exodus 21:7

KJV: And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do.

EHCC: his daughter to be a maidservant,

Exodus 23:12

KJV: Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed.

EHCC: the son of thy handmaid,

Leviticus 25:6

KJV: And the sabbath of the land shall be meat for you; for thee, and for thy servant, and for thy maid, and for thy hired servant, and for thy stranger that sojourneth with thee,

EHCC: for thy servant, and for thy maid,

Deuteronomy 5:14

KJV: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.

EHCC: thy manservant, nor thy maidsercant,

Deuteronomy 12:12

KJV: And ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God, ye, and your sons, and your daughters, and your menservants, and your maidservants, and the Levite that is within your gates; forasmuch as he hath no part nor inheritance with you.

EHCC: menservants, and your maidecrrunts,

Deuteronomy 15:17

KJV: Then thou shalt take an aul, and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant for ever. And also unto thy maidservant thou shalt do likewise.

EHCC: also unto thy maidsercant

Deuteronomy 16:11

KJV: And thou shalt rejoice before the Lord thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are among you, in the place which the Lord thy God hath chosen to place his name there.

EHCC: 14. thy manservant, and thy maidsercant,

Judges 9:18

KJV: And ye are risen up against my father’s house this day, and have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother;)

EHCC: the son of his maidservant,

Judges 19:19

KJV: Yet there is both straw and provender for our asses; and there is bread and wine also for me, and for thy handmaid, and for the young man which is with thy servants: there is no want of any thing.

EHCC: also for me, and for thy handmaid,

Ruth 3:9

KJV: And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman.a near…: or, one that hath right to redeem

EHCC: 1 (am) Ruth thine handmaid: spread

Ruth 25:24

EHCC: let thine handavsid, 1 pray thee, speak in

Exodus 2:65

EHCC: Beside their servants and their maids,

Nehemiah 7:67

KJV: Beside their manservants and their maidservants, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven: and they had two hundred forty and five singing men and singing women.

EHCC: their manservants aad their matdservants,

Job 19:15

KJV: They that dwell in mine house, and my maids, count me for a stranger: I am an alien in their sight.

EHCC: and my maids, count me for a stranger:

Job 31:13

KJV: If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me;

EHCC: 07 of my maidsercant,

Psalms 6:16

EHCC: save the son of thine handmaid.

Psalms 116:16

KJV: O Lord, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds.

EHCC: the son of thine handmaid:

Nahum 2:7

KJV: And Huzzab shall be led away captive, she shall be brought up, and her maids shall lead her as with the voice of doves, tabering upon their breasts.Huzzab: or, that which was established, or, there was a stand madeled…: or, discovered

EHCC: (8).and her maids shall lead