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אַמָּה

𐤀𐤌𐤄

ʼammâh

H521 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A unit of linear measurement, typically equivalent to the length of the forearm from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger, approximately 45–52 centimeters (18–20.5 inches) depending on time and region; also refers directly to the forearm itself. In architectural contexts, can denote the dimension of foundations or bases, especially in relation to doors or structural elements. The word occasionally also functions metaphorically to indicate a standard unit or measure more generally.

Semantic Range

forearm, cubit (unit of length), standard or basic measurement, architectural base or foundation, base of a door

Root / Etymology

From the root אֵם (ʼēm, meaning 'mother'), likely by analogy to the forearm as the primary or 'mother' measure of length. The extension from 'mother' to a body part (forearm) and then to a measure is rooted in the role of the forearm as the parent or base measurement for larger dimensions. The deeper origin of the root association with 'mother' and measures is debated, but the word's application to a physical length is clear from context.

Historical & Contextual Notes

אַמָּה appears widely in biblical Hebrew and Aramaic as the standard designation for the primary linear unit (the 'cubit'). Its precise value varies historically: the 'long cubit' (approx. 52 cm) sometimes contrasts with the 'standard cubit' (about 45 cm), with the longer measure attested in Ezekiel (e.g., Ezekiel 40:5). In building descriptions (Tabernacle, Temple), architectural planning, or everyday distances, the אמה is the foundational length. While many English translations render אמה as 'cubit,' this does not always convey the practical or symbolic connotations in Israelite material culture, where it was a concrete, bodily-derived measure. In Aramaic (esp. in Daniel, Ezra), the term functions identically. The sense as a 'door-base' is rare and usually context-specific (e.g., indicating the lower structural element of a doorway), emphasizing the word's flexibility between ‘standard measure’ and ‘foundational part.’ No theological connotations are inherent in the term, though English Bibles often conform to the translation 'cubit' regardless of potential variation in exact measurement.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

(Aramaic) corresponding to אַמָּה; {properly, a mother (i.e. unit of measure, or the fore-arm (below the elbow), i.e. a cubit; also a door-base (as a bond of the entrance)}; cubit.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

אם (ʾ-m) — mother, base, primary source

Root אֵם mother, base, primary measure
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H517 אֵם mother of
H518 אִם whether?
H523 אֻמַּה the people-groups
H538 אֲמָם Amam
H5973 עִם and if

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H521-01 אַמִּ֣ין amin ANcfsa cubits forearm-measure cubits 4

Occurrences in Scripture

4 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H521-01 Daniel 3:1 אַמִּ֣ין amin ANcfsa cubits forearm-measure cubits
H521-01 Daniel 3:1 אַמִּ֣ין amin-2 ANcfsa cubits forearm-measure cubits
H521-01 Ezra 6:3 אַמִּ֣ין amin ANcfpa cubits forearm-measure cubits
H521-01 Ezra 6:3 אַמִּ֥ין amin-2 ANcfpa cubits forearm-measure cubits
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