אֶשְׁפָּר
𐤀𐤔𐤐𐤓
ʼeshpâr
H829 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A measured or apportioned portion, particularly of food; specifically, a portion of meat that is designated for a person, often with the connotation of an especially good or choice piece. The term emphasizes both the allotted nature and the quality of the portion.
Semantic Range
apportioned portion, measured share, choice portion (esp. of food), good or select cut (of meat or other provisions)
Root / Etymology
Root uncertain; the formation and derivation of אֶשְׁפָּר are not clearly connected to any well-known Hebrew root. Various proposals have been suggested in scholarship, but no consensus exists. The word occurs only once in biblical Hebrew, and thus its etymology remains uncertain.
Historical & Contextual Notes
אֶשְׁפָּר occurs only in 2 Samuel 6:19, in the description of the portions distributed to the people during the celebration around the bringing of the ark to Jerusalem. The context and parallel terms indicate a distribution of food that is both generous and carefully measured. Though some English translations render the word as 'a good piece (of flesh)' or similar, the exact nature of the portion (whether meat, bread, or another food) is determined by the broader context of festive food distribution. The rarity of the term and its association with ceremonial generosity set it apart from more common words for portion or share (like מָנָה manah). Later translators and interpreters, encountering only this single occurrence, sometimes introduced interpretive glosses, but the primary sense is a measured, possibly superior, portion of food. In post-biblical literature, the term is not attested, and its meaning remains fixed to its biblical context.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
of uncertain derivation; a measured portion; good piece (of flesh).
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
לא־ידוע (unknown) — uncertain; possibly to measure, to allot
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1887 | הֵא | Look! |
| H2295 | חׇגְלָה | Hoglah |
| H5868 | עֲיָם | Ayam |
| H728 | אֲרַוְנָה | Arnijah |
| H8347 | שֵׁשַׁךְ | Sheshak |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H829-01 |
וְ/אֶשְׁפָּ֣ר | veeshepar | HC/Ncmsa |
and a date cake | apportioned choice portion | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H829-01 |
2 Samuel 6:19 | וְ/אֶשְׁפָּ֣ר | veeshepar | HC/Ncmsa |
and a date cake | apportioned choice portion |
H829-01 |
1 Chronicles 16:3 | וְ/אֶשְׁפָּ֖ר | veeshepar | HC/Ncmsa |
and a portion | apportioned choice portion |