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מֶזֶו

𐤌𐤆𐤅

mezev

H4200 noun

SILEX Entry

Root uncertain to gather in, to collect (hypothetical)

Definition

A structure or facility for storing gathered agricultural produce, primarily grain. Refers specifically to a granary, storehouse, or garner used for preserving harvested crops before use or further distribution. In context, denotes a physical location designed to keep produce—particularly grain—safe from spoilage, pests, and theft.

Semantic Range

granary, garner, storehouse for grain, place where produce is gathered and kept

Root / Etymology

Root uncertain. Possibly from an unused root hypothesized to mean 'to gather in' or 'to collect,' but there is no attested root in Biblical Hebrew from which this noun directly derives.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The term מֶזֶו (mezev) appears only in Song of Songs 7:14, where it refers to the place where choice fruits are stored, indicating a storage structure—most likely a granary or storage room for agricultural products. The word is a hapax legomenon (occurs only once in the Hebrew Bible), which makes precise definition challenging. The context suggests a facility for keeping produce after harvest. English translations usually render it as 'storehouse,' 'granary,' or similar, though nuances present in translation depend heavily on context. Related nouns for storehouses in Biblical Hebrew include אוֹצָר (otsar), which has a broader semantic range (store, treasury, supply), and מַמְּגָּרָה (mammagārah), a later term for a grain silo. The semantic field of מֶזֶו thus specifically focuses on agricultural collection and storage, and not monetary or general treasure houses. Later tradition or English translations may use 'granary' or 'garner,' terms that, while accurate, may underplay the variety of produce stored in ancient Israelite agricultural facilities. There is no evidence that the term carried religious connotations or referred to storage related to temple offerings.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

probably from an unused root meaning to gather in; a granary; garner.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

לא ידוע (unknown) — gathering in, collecting, storing produce

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H175 אַהֲרוֹן and to Aharon
H176 אוֹ or
H1834 דַּמֶּשֶׂק Damascus
H2051 וְדָן Vedan
H2261 חֲבַצֶּלֶת splendid wildflower

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H4200-01 מְזָוֵ֣י/נוּ mezaveynu HNcmpc/Sp1cp our garners our granaries 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H4200-01 Psalms 144:13 מְזָוֵ֣י/נוּ mezaveynu HNcmpc/Sp1cp our garners our granaries
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