אֲלֻמָה (a.lum.mah)
a.lum.mah
sheaf
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The noun aḇulâ, or more precisely here aḥullah (Strong’s H0485), refers to a sheaf of grain, specifically one that has been bound together. It appears in only two verses in the Hebrew Bible, both found in Genesis 37 during Joseph’s famous dream. In this narrative, the sheaves stand upright while the other sheaves bow down to it, creating a vivid image of hierarchy and future authority.
The word emphasizes the act of binding or gathering stalks into a single unit. This physical description carries symbolic weight, as later interpreters have viewed the bound sheaf as a figure for Israel gathered together. The term does not describe loose grain but a cohesive bundle, suggesting unity and order within the harvest.
Translators consistently render this word as "sheaf," preserving its agricultural context. The rarity of the term highlights its specific role in the Joseph narrative, where it serves as the central visual metaphor for divine election and reversal of fortune. Its limited usage ensures that readers focus on the dramatic tension of the dream rather than general farming practices.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word aḥullah describes a bundle of grain stalks tied together into a single unit. In Genesis 37, Joseph sees this image in a dream where his sheaf stands tall while the others bow to it. This visual metaphor highlights how God can elevate someone unexpectedly and bring order out of chaos.
For your faith, this word reminds you that unity has purpose. Just as loose stalks are gathered into a strong sheaf, believers are bound together in Christ. The dream points forward to Joseph’s rise, showing that God’s plans often work through humble beginnings and surprising reversals.
When life feels scattered or uncertain, remember the strength found in being gathered. Your value is not in standing alone but in being part of a larger, divinely ordered harvest. Trust that God sees your place in His story, even when the path ahead is unclear.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- to/ sheaf/ my1×
- sheaves/ your1×
- sheaves/ his1×
- sheaves1×
- sheaf/ my1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- לַ/אֲלֻמָּתִֽ/י\׃1×
- אֲלֻמֹּתָֽי/ו\׃1×
- אֲלֻמֹּ֣תֵי/כֶ֔ם1×
- אֲלֻמָּתִ֖/י1×
- אֲלֻמִּים֙1×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 37:7
for behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and behold, your sheaves came around, and bowed down to my sheaf.”
This verse introduces the sheaf as the central symbol of Joseph’s future authority and divine election.
-
Psalms 126:6
He who goes out weeping, carrying seed for sowing, will certainly come again with joy, carrying his sheaves.
Here the sheaf represents the joyful culmination of labor, contrasting with the weeping sower to show God’s faithfulness in restoration.