עֲרֵמָה (a.re.mah)
a.re.mah
heap
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 8 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Definition
Definition
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word aremah describes a pile or heap, often of grain, stones, or goods gathered together. In ancient agrarian life, this was not just clutter; it was a sign of harvest, provision, and careful stewardship. When people brought their tithes and offerings to the temple, they laid them in heaps, creating visible evidence of communal faithfulness and trust in God’s provision.
Yet the image also carries weight. In prophetic texts, heaps can represent destruction or loss, where what was once abundant is reduced to a scattered pile. This duality reminds us that our resources are temporary gifts. Whether we see abundance or scarcity, the focus remains on who holds the harvest. God sees the heaps built by obedient hands and the empty stores left by disobedience.
For your daily life, this word invites reflection on what you gather and why. Are your efforts building something lasting for God’s kingdom, or are they merely accumulating dust? The Bible encourages us to store up treasures in heaven, where no moth or rust destroys. Let your labor reflect that eternal perspective.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 8 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- the/ heaps3×
- heaps3×
- the/ heap1×
- a heap of1×
- <the>/ heaps of grain1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- עֲרֵמֽוֹת\׃\ \ס1×
- עֲרֵמַ֣ת1×
- עֲרֵמִ֖ים1×
- עֲרֵמ֥וֹת1×
- הָ/עֲרֵמֽוֹת\׃1×
- הָ/עֲרֵמָ֑ה1×
- הָ/עֲרֵמ֣וֹת1×
- הָ/עֲרֵמ֖וֹת1×
- הָ/עֲרֵמ֑וֹת1×
Key Verses
-
II Chronicles 31:6
The children of Israel and Judah, who lived in the cities of Judah, also brought in the tithe of cattle and sheep, and the tithe of dedicated things which were consecrated to Yahweh their God, and laid them in heaps.
This verse shows the heap as a tangible result of collective obedience, where tithes were gathered to support temple worship.
-
Ruth 3:7
When Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. She came softly, uncovered his feet, and lay down.
Here the heap of grain sets the scene for Boaz’s kindness, linking the physical storehouse to human provision and care.
-
Haggai 2:16
Through all that time, when one came to a heap of twenty measures, there were only ten. When one came to the wine vat to draw out fifty, there were only twenty.
The heap here illustrates divine discipline, where expected abundance is reduced to less than half due to misplaced priorities.