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חִטָּה

𐤇𐤈𐤄

chiṭṭâh

H2406 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A cereal grain, specifically wheat, including both the plant itself and its edible grain. In the Hebrew Bible, חִטָּה refers to the primary cultivated grain used for making bread and as a staple foodstuff. It is distinguished from other grains like barley and spelt, and denotes both the standing crop and harvested product.

Semantic Range

wheat (plant), wheat (grain used for food), the wheat harvest, wheat as a unit of commerce or tribute

Root / Etymology

Root uncertain. Suggested affinity with non-Semitic or substrate agricultural terms (possibly Hittite or Egyptian), as direct cognates in other Semitic languages are not clearly attested. The form is not easily derived from any standard Semitic root with a transparent meaning.

Historical & Contextual Notes

חִטָּה appears frequently in biblical texts among lists of staple crops (e.g., Deuteronomy 8:8, Exodus 9:32) and is almost always paired with other grains, notably barley (שְׂעֹרָה, se'orah). Its preeminence as a crop is connected to the greater value and desirability of wheat in ancient Israelite agriculture, as compared to barley, which was considered coarser and often reserved for animal fodder or for poorer classes. The term signifies both the living plant (before harvest; e.g., Exodus 9:32) and the grain (as commodity or food; e.g., Genesis 30:14). It is not used generically for 'cereal' but specifically for wheat, in contrast with other grain terms. In later biblical and post-biblical Hebrew, חִטָּה continues to refer to wheat, and its significance as the chief grain persists into the Second Temple period and beyond. English translations accurately render the basic sense as 'wheat', though occasional translation as 'corn' in archaic English can be misleading due to the modern North American sense of 'corn.' The word does not indicate flour or bread products themselves, which are denoted by different Hebrew terms.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of uncertain derivation; wheat, whether the grain or the plant; wheat(-en).

Bantu Hebrew

Language Bantu Word Transliteration Meaning
Kikongo kitaba maize, grain, sometimes used for 'bread grain' (mod. usages after introduction of maize)
Kimbundu kitaba maize, bread grain
Umbundu otava millet, bread grain

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Root Family

uncertain (Baleadan) — uncertain

Root uncertain wheat (plant and grain)
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1002 בִּירָה the citadel
H105 אֲגַרְטָל bowls of
H1081 בַּלְאֲדָן Baladan
H1085 בִּלְדַּד Bildad
H1095 בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר Belteshatsar

Word Forms

8 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H2406-03 חִטִּֽים chitim HNcfpa wheat wheats wheat 16
H2406-02 חִטָּה֙ chitah HNcfsa wheat wheat wheat 6
H2406-05 הַ/חִטִּ֨ים hachitim HTd/Ncfpa the wheat the wheats the wheat 3
H2406-01 בְּ/חִטֵּ֣י bechitey HR/Ncfpc with wheat in wheats of with wheats of 1
H2406-04 חִטִּ֡ין chitin HNcfpa wheat wheat grains wheat grains 1
H2406-06 וְ/חִטִּ֥ים vechitim HC/Ncfpa and wheat wheat grains and wheat grains 1
H2406-07 וְ/הַ/חִטָּ֥ה vehachitah HC/Td/Ncfsa But the wheat and the wheat and the wheat 1
H2406-08 וְ/הַ/חִטִּ֥ים vehachitim HC/Td/Ncfpa and the wheat the wheats and the wheat 1

Occurrences in Scripture

30 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H2406-03 Genesis 30:14 חִטִּ֗ים chitim HNcfpa wheat wheats wheats
H2406-07 Exodus 9:32 וְ/הַ/חִטָּ֥ה vehachitah HC/Td/Ncfsa But the wheat and the wheat and the wheat
H2406-03 Exodus 29:2 חִטִּ֖ים chitim HNcfpa of wheat wheats wheat
H2406-03 Exodus 34:22 חִטִּ֑ים chitim HNcfpa wheat wheats wheat
H2406-02 Deuteronomy 8:8 חִטָּה֙ chitah HNcfsa of wheat wheat wheat
H2406-02 Deuteronomy 32:14 חִטָּ֑ה chitah HNcfsa wheat wheat wheat
H2406-03 Judges 6:11 חִטִּים֙ chitim HNcfpa wheat wheats wheat
H2406-03 Judges 15:1 חִטִּ֗ים chitim HNcfpa wheat wheats wheat
H2406-03 1 Samuel 6:13 חִטִּ֖ים chitim HNcfpa wheat wheats wheat
H2406-03 1 Samuel 12:17 חִטִּים֙ chitim HNcfpa of wheat wheats wheat
H2406-03 2 Samuel 4:6 חִטִּ֔ים chitim HNcfpa wheat wheats wheat
H2406-06 2 Samuel 17:28 וְ/חִטִּ֥ים vechitim HC/Ncfpa and wheat wheat grains and wheat grains
H2406-03 1 Kings 5:25 חִטִּים֙ chitim HNcfpa of wheat wheats of wheat
H2406-02 Isaiah 28:25 חִטָּ֤ה chitah HNcfsa wheat wheat wheat
H2406-03 Jeremiah 12:13 חִטִּים֙ chitim HNcfpa wheat wheats wheat
H2406-03 Jeremiah 41:8 חִטִּ֥ים chitim HNcfpa wheat wheats wheats
H2406-04 Ezekiel 4:9 חִטִּ֡ין chitin HNcfpa wheat wheat grains wheat grains
H2406-01 Ezekiel 27:17 בְּ/חִטֵּ֣י bechitey HR/Ncfpc with wheat in wheats of with wheats of
H2406-05 Ezekiel 45:13 הַֽ/חִטִּ֔ים hachitim HTd/Ncfpa of wheat the wheats of wheat
H2406-02 Joel 1:11 חִטָּ֖ה chitah HNcfsa the wheat wheat wheat
H2406-02 Psalms 81:17 חִטָּ֑ה chitah HNcfsa wheat wheat of wheat
H2406-03 Psalms 147:14 חִ֝טִּ֗ים chitim HNcfpa wheat wheats wheat
H2406-02 Job 31:40 חִטָּ֨ה chitah HNcfsa wheat wheat wheat
H2406-03 Song of Songs 7:3 חִטִּ֔ים chitim HNcfpa of-wheat wheats wheat
H2406-05 Ruth 2:23 הַֽ/חִטִּ֑ים hachitim HTd/Ncfpa the wheat the wheats the wheat
H2406-03 1 Chronicles 21:20 חִטִּֽים chitim HNcfpa wheat wheats wheat
H2406-08 1 Chronicles 21:23 וְ/הַ/חִטִּ֥ים vehachitim HC/Td/Ncfpa and the wheat the wheats and the wheat
H2406-03 2 Chronicles 2:9 חִטִּ֨ים chitim HNcfpa wheat wheats wheat
H2406-05 2 Chronicles 2:14 הַ/חִטִּ֨ים hachitim HTd/Ncfpa the wheat the wheats the wheat
H2406-03 2 Chronicles 27:5 חִטִּ֔ים chitim HNcfpa of wheat wheats of wheat
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