Lexical Summary aremah: Heap, Pile Original Word: עָרֵם Strong's Exhaustive Concordance heap of corn, sheaf (Jer. 50:26) or (feminine) aremah {ar-ay-maw'}; from aram; a heap; specifically, a sheaf -- heap (of corn), sheaf. see HEBREW aram NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom aram Definition a heap NASB Translation heap (2), heap of grain (1), heaps (5), rubble (1), sacks of grain (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs עֲרֵמָה noun feminine heap; — absolute ׳ע Ruth 3:7; construct עֲרֵמַת Haggai 2:16; Songs 7:3; plural עֲרֵמוֺת absolute Nehemiah 13:15 +, construct Nehemiah 3:34; absolute עֲרִמִים Jeremiah 50:26; — heap of rubbish (עָפָר) Nehemiah 3:34; ׳ע = ruin-heap Jeremiah 50:26; = grain-heap (of threshed grain,  unthreshed, according to Wetzstl.c.), Haggai 2:16; Nehemiah 13:15; Ruth 3:7; חִטִּים ׳ע Cant 7:3; of grain and fruit 2 Chronicles 31:6 (twice in verse); 2Chronicles 31:7,8,9. II. ערם (√ of following; compare Arabic Topical Lexicon Summary of Biblical UsageThe noun עָרֵם describes a heap or pile—usually of harvested produce, tithes, building debris, or spoils of war. In the eleven occurrences the word swings between two poles: abundant blessing and humiliating desolation. Its settings move from the threshing floor of Ruth to the reforms of Hezekiah, to the rubble of post-exilic Jerusalem, and finally to prophetic oracles of judgment. In every context the heap is a public testimony: of covenant faithfulness when full, and of covenant violation when reduced or destroyed. Agricultural and Domestic Heaps Ruth 3:7 shows the normal village use. After winnowing, “Boaz … went to lie down at the far end of the grain pile”. The heap is the tangible reward of honest labor, protected overnight from theft or moisture, and therefore a fitting backdrop for Ruth’s request for redemption. Likewise Song of Songs 7:2 turns the image into romantic poetry: “Your waist is a mound of wheat encircled by lilies”. Abundance and beauty blend, revealing that the covenant God who fills barns also blesses marriage and intimacy. Heaps as Measures of Blessing in Hezekiah’s Revival Tithing reform under King Hezekiah dominates five occurrences (2 Chronicles 31:6-9). The nation responds to the king’s call by bringing firstfruits of “cattle and sheep … and they laid them in large heaps” (2 Chronicles 31:6). Work began in the third month (the time of Pentecost and wheat harvest) and finished in the seventh (Feast of Tabernacles), marking the entire harvest cycle. Hezekiah’s astonished question, “Where did all these heaps come from?” draws Azariah’s reply, “Since the people began to bring their contributions to the house of the LORD, we have had enough to eat and plenty to spare, for the LORD has blessed His people” (2 Chronicles 31:10). The heaps stand as visible evidence that obedience releases divine provision. Heaps of Rubble and Scorn during Reconstruction In Nehemiah 4:2 Sanballat mocks Jerusalem’s builders: “Can they revive the stones from the heaps of rubble—burned as they are?”. Here the heap is the wreckage left by Babylon. The scoffer sees only hopeless debris; Nehemiah sees raw material for covenant restoration. The same word reappears when Nehemiah confronts Sabbath violations (Nehemiah 13:15). Merchandise heaped on beasts violates the rest God ordained. The lesson is clear: uncontrolled commerce turns legitimate abundance into spiritual threat. Prophetic Heaps of Judgment Jeremiah 50:26 orders Babylon’s destruction: “Break open her granaries; pile her up like heaps …”. The very symbol of plenty becomes the pyre of her demise. Haggai 2:16 speaks to post-exilic drought: “When one came to a heap of twenty measures, there were only ten”. Half-empty heaps expose prior neglect of the temple. The same sign that once celebrated obedience now exposes disobedience. Theological Themes 1. Covenant Reciprocity Full heaps honor the divine–human partnership (Deuteronomy 28:8). Empty or burning heaps confirm covenant sanctions (Leviticus 26:20). 2. Visible Accountability Because heaps are public and measurable, they embody truth before God and neighbor. Tithes piled in the temple courts encouraged further generosity; rubble heaps in Jerusalem summoned collective resolve to rebuild. 3. Transition from Scarcity to Sufficiency Scripture traces a narrative arc: ruined heaps (Nehemiah 4:2) → restored heaps (2 Chronicles 31) → eschatological fullness when “the threshing floors shall be full of grain” (Joel 2:24). Ministry Significance • Stewardship: Congregations that “honor the LORD with your wealth” will find, as under Hezekiah, that generosity multiplies resources. Christological Reflection Jesus, laid in a borrowed grave among the “stones from the heaps,” rose as “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20). In Him, the rubble of sin becomes the cornerstone of a new creation, and the ultimate heap of divine provision is not grain but grace “pressed down, shaken together, and running over” (Luke 6:38). Key References Ruth 3:7; 2 Chronicles 31:6-9; Nehemiah 4:2; Nehemiah 13:15; Song of Songs 7:2; Jeremiah 50:26; Haggai 2:16 Forms and Transliterations הָעֲרֵמ֑וֹת הָעֲרֵמ֖וֹת הָעֲרֵמ֣וֹת הָעֲרֵמָ֑ה הָעֲרֵמֽוֹת׃ הערמה הערמות הערמות׃ מֵעֲרֵמ֥וֹת מערמות עֲרֵמ֥וֹת עֲרֵמִ֖ים עֲרֵמַ֣ת עֲרֵמֽוֹת׃ ערמות ערמות׃ ערמים ערמת ‘ă·rê·maṯ ‘ă·rê·mîm ‘ă·rê·mō·wṯ ‘ărêmaṯ ‘ărêmîm ‘ărêmōwṯ areMat areMim areMot hā‘ărêmāh hā‘ărêmōwṯ hā·‘ă·rê·māh hā·‘ă·rê·mō·wṯ haareMah haareMot mê‘ărêmōwṯ mê·‘ă·rê·mō·wṯ meareMotLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Ruth 3:7 HEB: לִשְׁכַּ֖ב בִּקְצֵ֣ה הָעֲרֵמָ֑ה וַתָּבֹ֣א בַלָּ֔ט NAS: at the end of the heap of grain; and she came KJV: at the end of the heap of corn: and she came INT: to lie the end of the heap came secretly 2 Chronicles 31:6 2 Chronicles 31:6 2 Chronicles 31:7 2 Chronicles 31:8 2 Chronicles 31:9 Nehemiah 4:2 Nehemiah 13:15 Songs 7:2 Jeremiah 50:26 Haggai 2:16 11 Occurrences |
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strip flesh from bone (to eatit), strip leaves from trees (said of camels); 
bark of tree (stripped off)).