Lexical Summary mittah: Bed, couch Original Word: מִטָּה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance bedchamber, bier From natah; a bed (as extended) for sleeping or eating; by analogy, a sofa, litter or bier -- bed((-chamber)), bier. see HEBREW natah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom natah Definition a couch, bed NASB Translation bed (21), bedroom* (2), beds (1), bier (1), couch (3), couches (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs מִטָּה noun feminine couch, bed (place of reclining; מטותם Ecclus 48:6); — absolute מִטָּה Amos 3:12 14t.; construct מִטַּת 2 Kings 4:21; suffix מִטָּתִי Psalm 6:7, מִטָּתֶ֑ךָ Exodus 7:28, מִטָּתוֺ 2 Samuel 4:7 6t.; plural מִטּוֺת absolute 2 Kings 11:2; 2Chronicles 22:11, construct Amos 6:4; Esther 1:6; — couch, bed, common article of furniture 2 Kings 4:10, compare 2 Kings 4:21; 2 Kings 4:32; 1 Kings 17:19, for repose, especially at night, or in illness Genesis 47:31 (J; ׳ראֹשׁ הַמּ), compare Genesis 48:2 (J), Genesis 49:33 (P), Psalm 6:7; Proverbs 26:14; 2Chronicles 24:25 (probably), and for sitting, or reclining by day 1 Samuel 28:23; 1 Kings 21:4; ׳מְּאַת מ Amos 3:12; seat of King Solomon Songs 3:7; in bed-chamber (חֲדַר מִשְׁכָּב) Exodus 7:28 (J), 2 Samuel 4:7; sometimes portable 1 Samuel 19:15 compare 1 Samuel 19:13; 1 Samuel 19:16, hence = bier 2 Samuel 3:31; sometimes high 2 Kings 1:4,6,16 (עָלָה שָׁם opposed to יָרַד מִן); sometimes costly, (with frames) of ivory Amos 6:4; for reclining at feasts, made of gold and silver Esther 1:6; compare כְּבוּדָּה ׳מ Ezekiel 23:41 glorious couch; חֲדַר הַמִּטּוֺת 2 Kings 11:2 2Chronicles 22:11 (see חֶדֶר). — compare also מִשְׁכָּב (שׁכב), עֶרֶשׂ. Topical Lexicon Definition and Range of Meaning מִטָּה (mittah) denotes a bed, couch, litter, bier, or divan. In Scripture it can be a place to sleep, recline at table, receive guests, convalesce, or be carried to burial. The term therefore spans the whole human condition—from birth and marital joy to sickness and death. First Appearances in the Patriarchal Narratives Mittah surfaces first in Genesis, attached to the closing scenes of the patriarch Jacob. When Joseph swears to bury him in Canaan, “Israel bowed in worship at the head of his bed” (Genesis 47:31). The aged patriarch then “sat up in bed” to bless Joseph’s sons (Genesis 48:2) and, having pronounced final words over all his sons, “drew his feet into the bed, breathed his last, and was gathered to his people” (Genesis 49:33). The bed frames Jacob’s last acts of faith, signifying both frailty and worshipful expectancy of covenant fulfillment. Bed as Symbol of Privilege and Prosperity In the royal court of Ahasuerus, mittah describes the opulent couches in the palace garden: “There were couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry” (Esther 1:6). Later, the same term is used when Haman pleads for his life, “falling on the couch where Esther was” (Esther 7:8). The contrast between gaudy luxury and impending judgment reminds readers that earthly grandeur is fleeting under God’s sovereign hand. Bed in Context of Hospitality and the Prophetic Ministry The Shunammite woman’s provision for Elisha illustrates practical godliness: “Please, let us make a small upper room on the roof and put in it a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp” (2 Kings 4:10). Her hospitality gave the prophet a place of rest (mittah) in the midst of itinerant ministry. Significantly, the same bed becomes a stage for resurrection power: her dead son is laid “on the bed of the man of God” (2 Kings 4:21), and Elisha stretches himself upon the child until life returns (2 Kings 4:32-35). The prophet’s resting place turns into a testimony of divine power over death. Bed Associated with Sickness and Healing Mittah appears in narratives of illness. King Asa was “laid on a bed filled with spices and blended perfumes” at his burial (2 Chronicles 16:14), implying prior confinement. Joash, struck by conspirators, dies “on his bed” (2 Chronicles 24:25). In 1 Samuel 19 Saul sends messengers to seize David; Michal deceives them by placing an idol “in the bed” and covering it with goat hair (1 Samuel 19:13-16). These scenes portray the sickbed either as a place requiring divine mercy or, in David’s case, as a setting for providential escape. Bed and the Reality of Death Beyond Jacob, mittah is explicitly a funerary bier. Asa’s fragrant bed underscores royal honor in burial (2 Chronicles 16:14). In Job’s laments the word appears figuratively: “When I say, ‘My bed will comfort me, my couch will ease my complaint…’” (Job 7:13), only to find that rest eludes him. The bed of sickness shades into the bed of death, confronting humanity with mortality and the need for redemption. Couch of Banquet and Royalty In Song of Solomon 3:7-10, “Behold, it is Solomon’s carriage… its interior lined with love by the daughters of Jerusalem.” Mittah underlies the royal litter carrying the king, elaborating covenantal love within the marriage metaphor. The same book speaks of mutual delight: “Our bed is verdant” (Song of Solomon 1:16), linking the garden imagery of Eden with marital intimacy. Proverbs 7:16 twists that intimacy by depicting the adulteress: “I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry.” The moral lesson is clear: the bed is either sanctuary of covenant fidelity or platform for sin that ensnares the simple. Practical Construction and Materials Biblical beds ranged from simple mats rolled out at night (Exodus 8:3) to ornate couches with silver or gold frames (Esther 1:6). They could be carried as litters (Song of Solomon 3:7-9) or fixed in private chambers (2 Kings 4:10). Textiles—linen, purple, embroidered coverings—signal wealth (Proverbs 7:16; Esther 1:6). The portability of many beds explains their inclusion in plagues (“the frogs will go into your houses… even onto your beds,” Exodus 8:3) and military or nomadic settings. Theological Reflections 1. Human Frailty and Divine Sovereignty: Beds expose human weakness, but God remains active—whether granting prophetic visions to a dying patriarch or raising a child from death. Christological and New Testament Connections While mittah itself is Hebrew, the concept carries into the Gospels where paralytics are brought to Jesus “on a mat” (Mark 2:4). Each healing reveals the greater rest found in Christ, who commands, “Rise, pick up your mat and walk.” The permanent Sabbath-rest promised in Hebrews 4 finds tactile illustration in every Old Testament bed: temporal rest that anticipates eternal repose in the presence of God. Summary Mittah traces a full theological arc: worship and blessing (Genesis), hospitality and resurrection (2 Kings), sin and judgment (Proverbs, Esther), intimacy and covenant love (Song of Solomon), sickness and mortality (Job, Chronicles). Every appearance invites readers to seek true rest in the Lord, who alone turns beds of anguish into testimonies of grace. Forms and Transliterations בַמִּטָּ֛ה במטה הַמִּטָּ֑ה הַמִּטָּ֔ה הַמִּטָּ֞ה הַמִּטָּֽה׃ הַמִּטָּה֙ הַמִּטּ֑וֹת המטה המטה׃ המטות מִטַּ֖ת מִטָּ֖ה מִטָּ֣ה מִטָּ֥ה מִטָּת֔וֹ מִטָּת֖וֹ מִטָּתִ֑י מִטָּתֶ֑ךָ מִטָּתֽוֹ׃ מִטָּתוֹ֙ מִטּ֣וֹת מִטּ֣וֹת ׀ מטה מטות מטת מטתו מטתו׃ מטתי מטתך ḇam·miṭ·ṭāh ḇammiṭṭāh ham·miṭ·ṭāh ham·miṭ·ṭō·wṯ hammitTah hammiṭṭāh hammitTot hammiṭṭōwṯ miṭ·ṭā·ṯe·ḵā miṭ·ṭā·ṯî miṭ·ṭā·ṯōw miṭ·ṭāh miṭ·ṭaṯ miṭ·ṭō·wṯ mitTah miṭṭāh mitTat miṭṭaṯ mittaTecha miṭṭāṯeḵā mittaTi miṭṭāṯî mittaTo miṭṭāṯōw mitTot miṭṭōwṯ vammitTahLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 47:31 HEB: עַל־ רֹ֥אשׁ הַמִּטָּֽה׃ פ NAS: [in worship] at the head of the bed. KJV: bowed himself upon the bed's head. INT: and the head of the bed Genesis 48:2 Genesis 49:33 Exodus 8:3 1 Samuel 19:13 1 Samuel 19:15 1 Samuel 19:16 1 Samuel 28:23 2 Samuel 3:31 2 Samuel 4:7 1 Kings 17:19 1 Kings 21:4 2 Kings 1:4 2 Kings 1:6 2 Kings 1:16 2 Kings 4:10 2 Kings 4:21 2 Kings 4:32 2 Kings 11:2 2 Chronicles 22:11 2 Chronicles 24:25 Esther 1:6 Esther 7:8 Psalm 6:6 Proverbs 26:14 29 Occurrences |
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