Lexical Summary alummah: Sheaf Original Word: אֲלֻמָּה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance sheaf Or (masculine) ealum {aw-loom'}; passive participle of 'alam; something bound; a sheaf -- sheaf. see HEBREW 'alam NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom the same as alam Definition a sheaf NASB Translation sheaf (2), sheaves (3). Brown-Driver-Briggs [אֲלֻמָּה] noun feminine sheaf, in Joseph's dream Genesis 37:7 (4 t. in verse) (E) followed by suffix אֲלֻמָּתִי, plural אֲלֻמִּים, אֲלֻמֹּתֵיכֶם; also Psalm 126:6 אֲלֻמֹּתָיו (in figurative of ret. from captivity). Topical Lexicon Representative passagesGenesis 37:7 “We were binding sheaves of grain in the field, and suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around and bowed down to my sheaf.” Psalm 126:6 “He who goes out weeping, bearing a trail of seed to sow, will surely return with shouts of joy, carrying sheaves with him.” Agricultural background In the agrarian economy of ancient Israel, harvesting grain involved cutting the stalks, gathering them into bundles, and binding them into upright sheaves that dried in the field before threshing. The image was familiar to every Israelite, linking sustenance, labor, and communal cooperation. Because grain was staple food, the sheaf naturally became a symbol of provision, prosperity, and the faithfulness of God in annual cycles of sowing and reaping (Leviticus 23:10-15; Ruth 2:7). Symbolism in Joseph’s dream In Joseph’s narrative, the sheaf that “rose and stood upright” (Genesis 37:7) prefigures his elevation in Egypt. The surrounding sheaves bowing depict his brothers eventually submitting to his God-ordained authority (Genesis 42:6). The motif of the sheaf is therefore a vehicle of revelation, validating Joseph’s destiny and God’s sovereign orchestration of family, national, and ultimately redemptive history. The repetition of אֲלֻמָּה four times in the single verse intensifies the theme, emphasizing that what seems mundane (a bundle of grain) can carry prophetic weight when God speaks. Prophetic and messianic patterns 1. Type of Christ. Joseph’s experience anticipates Christ’s humiliation and exaltation (Philippians 2:6-11). Like Joseph’s sheaf, Jesus is raised up and all will bow (Isaiah 45:23; Romans 14:11). Connections to worship and feast days The sheaf offering at Firstfruits signified that the entire harvest belonged to the Lord. By lifting the initial bundle, Israel acknowledged divine ownership of every subsequent sheaf. This practice undergirds the ethics of generosity (Deuteronomy 24:19) and anticipates Pentecost, when the Spirit empowers the church to gather a global harvest. Literary and theological threads • Humiliation before exaltation: the path from the field to the throne mirrors God’s pattern for faithful servants. Ministry applications 1. Perseverance in sowing. Psalm 126:6 encourages workers who labor amid tears—missionaries, pastors, parents—to trust that faithful sowing will yield rejoicing. Related themes and passages • Gleaning laws (Leviticus 19:9-10) protect the poor and alien. Summary אֲלֻמָּה, though an everyday term for a sheaf of grain, becomes in Scripture a multilayered emblem of divine revelation, providential elevation, redemptive hope, and missionary calling. From Joseph’s prophetic dream to the pilgrim’s triumphant return in Psalm 126, the bound sheaf testifies that God turns labor into abundance, tears into celebration, and humble obedience into eternal fruit. Forms and Transliterations אֲלֻמִּים֙ אֲלֻמָּתִ֖י אֲלֻמֹּ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם אֲלֻמֹּתָֽיו׃ אלמים אלמתי אלמתיו׃ אלמתיכם לַאֲלֻמָּתִֽי׃ לאלמתי׃ ’ă·lum·mā·ṯî ’ă·lum·mîm ’ă·lum·mō·ṯāw ’ă·lum·mō·ṯê·ḵem ’ălummāṯî ’ălummîm ’ălummōṯāw ’ălummōṯêḵem alummaTi alumMim alummoTav alumMoteiChem la’ălummāṯî la·’ă·lum·mā·ṯî laalummaTiLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 37:7 HEB: אֲנַ֜חְנוּ מְאַלְּמִ֤ים אֲלֻמִּים֙ בְּת֣וֹךְ הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה NAS: we were binding sheaves in the field, KJV: For, behold, we [were] binding sheaves in the field, INT: we were binding sheaves hope the field Genesis 37:7 Genesis 37:7 Genesis 37:7 Psalm 126:6 5 Occurrences |
    |