עֲרִיסָה
𐤏𐤓𐤉𐤎𐤄
ʻărîyçâh
H6182 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Mass of dough prepared for baking, especially a quantity of dough set aside, typically for ritual purposes. The word refers to an amount of kneaded flour or meal ready to be baked, and in some legal and ritual contexts, designates a portion of dough separated as a heave offering, as in the 'offering of the dough.'
Semantic Range
mass of dough, kneaded batch for baking, dough batch from which a separated offering is given, technical term in legal/ritual context referring to portion of fresh dough
Root / Etymology
Root uncertain; possibly related to עָרַס (ʿaras, 'to spread') or עָרַיץ, but direct derivation is unclear. The core meaning is connected to a kneaded or prepared mass, possibly by extension from notions of mixing or spreading, but neither root connection is philologically secure.
Historical & Contextual Notes
עֲרִיסָה appears only a few times in the Hebrew Bible, notably in legal contexts regarding the religious obligation for Israelites to separate a portion of dough (the 'arisa') as an offering (Num 15:20-21; Neh 10:38 [Eng 10:37]). In these passages, the word functions as a technical term for the mass of dough in household baking, with focus on the 'first' or 'initial' kneading. In post-biblical usage (Mishnaic Hebrew), עֲרִיסָה remains the standard term for this portion of dough given to the priesthood. English translations tend to render it as 'dough' or 'batch,' but these fail to communicate the technical-ritual nuance inherent to its use in biblical law. There is no evidence for a broader meaning such as 'meal' or 'flour.' The term is not attested in narrative or poetic contexts, and its use is effectively restricted to legal and ritual passages concerning the priestly share. It is distinct from חַלָּה (challah), which in later Hebrew refers more specifically to the separated piece itself or to the loaf, though the two terms are related in subject matter. No English equivalent precisely conveys both the culinary and ritual sense of עֲרִיסָה as it existed in ancient Israelite practice.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from an unused root meaning to comminute; meal; dough.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
ערס (ʿ-r-s) — spreading, kneading, preparing a mass
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6182-02 |
עֲרִסֹ֣תֵי/כֶ֔ם | arisoteykhem | HNcfpc/Sp2mp |
of your dough | your dough-batches | 2 |
H6182-03 |
עֲרִיסֹתֵ֣י/נוּ | arisoteynu | HNcfpc/Sp1cp |
of our coarse meal | our dough-batches | 1 |
H6182-01 |
עֲרִסֹ֣תֵ/כֶ֔ם | arisotekhem | HNcfpc/Sp2mp |
your dough | your dough-batches | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
4 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6182-01 |
Numbers 15:20 | עֲרִסֹ֣תֵ/כֶ֔ם | arisotekhem | HNcfpc/Sp2mp |
your dough | your dough-batches |
H6182-02 |
Numbers 15:21 | עֲרִסֹ֣תֵי/כֶ֔ם | arisoteykhem | HNcfpc/Sp2mp |
of your dough | your dough-batches |
H6182-02 |
Ezekiel 44:30 | עֲרִסֽוֹתֵי/כֶם֙ | arisoteykhem | HNcfpc/Sp2mp |
of your dough | your dough-batches |
H6182-03 |
Nehemiah 10:38 | עֲרִיסֹתֵ֣י/נוּ | arisoteynu | HNcfpc/Sp1cp |
of our coarse meal | our dough-batches |