אַפְּתֹם (ap.p.tom)
ap.p.tom
revenue
A:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- A:N-M
Word Overview
The noun aptom refers to a treasury or storehouse, specifically one that holds royal revenues. It appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, in Ezra 4:13, where officials describe the city as a "royal city" and note that its taxes, tribute, and customs had been paid from ancient times.
Its origin is likely Persian or Aramaic rather than native Hebrew, reflecting the administrative language of the empire. The word points to the financial infrastructure of the state, emphasizing how resources were collected and stored for the king’s use. In this single context, it helps explain why the local leaders opposed rebuilding: they viewed the city’s economic independence as a threat to imperial control.
Because it occurs just once, aptom does not develop a broad theological meaning. Instead, it serves as a historical marker of Persian governance, showing how financial obligations were tied to political loyalty. Translators typically render it "revenue" or "tax," capturing its practical role in the narrative rather than any spiritual significance.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word aptom appears only once in Scripture, describing the royal treasury that collected taxes and customs for the Persian king. In Ezra 4:13, it highlights how financial obligations were tied to political loyalty. The local leaders feared that rebuilding Jerusalem would mean losing this steady income.
While this term does not carry deep spiritual instruction, it reminds us that God works within real-world systems of power and economics. Even when nations use resources to control people, God’s purposes remain secure. We can trust that He oversees both the treasury and the temple.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ certainly1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וְ/אַפְּתֹ֥ם1×
Key Verses
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Ezra 4:13
Be it known now to the king that if this city is built and the walls finished, they will not pay tribute, custom, or toll, and in the end it will be hurtful to the kings.
This verse uses aptom to show how the opponents argued that rebuilding Jerusalem would cut off the king's revenue, revealing their political motive.