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זִמְרָה

𐤆𐤌𐤓𐤄

zimrâh

H2173 noun

SILEX Entry

Root זמר to prune, trim, cut; cultivate

Definition

Select fruit, produce of highest quality, often brought as tribute or offering; the word denotes the best or choice yield from trees or vines, particularly fruit bearing significance for economic or cultic purposes. The term is used for the most desirable or select agricultural produce.

Semantic Range

choice or select fruit, best produce, choicest yield from the land, delicacies, best agricultural products

Root / Etymology

From the Hebrew root זמר (z-m-r), meaning 'to prune' or 'to trim (vines or trees).' The noun zimrâh is a derivative referring to that which comes as a result of pruning: the fruit considered to be the best or most carefully cultivated. The root's core meaning relates to the act of pruning, but the noun primarily denotes the resulting produce, not the action itself.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, זִמְרָה appears, for example, in Genesis 43:11, where Jacob instructs his sons to take 'some of the zimrâh of the land' as a gift for the Egyptian official. Here, the word clearly refers to the choicest fruits or products available in the land, likely those which were prized both for their quality and as suitable for diplomatic gifts. The use is specific to quality, not type, emphasizing selection and value. The term is distinct from other Hebrew words for fruit such as פֶּרִי (peri), which serve as more generic terms. In post-biblical or poetic usage, different derivatives from the same root (e.g., זֶמֶר, song) are distinct in meaning and should not be confused with זִמְרָה as 'choice fruit.' Later translation traditions sometimes render the word simply as 'fruit' or 'best things,' but this can obscure its nuance of selectiveness and high quality. The underlying sense of 'pruned' relates to the agricultural practice of improving the quality of fruit through careful cultivation, a practice understood in agrarian Israelite society.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from זָמַר; pruned (i.e. choice) fruit; best fruit.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

זמר (z-m-r) — to prune, trim, cut; cultivate

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H2156 זְמוֹרָה the pruned vine-shoot
H2158 זָמִיר with musical songs
H2159 זָמִיר the pruned shoot
H2160 זְמִירָה Zemirah
H2167 זָמַר I will make music in praise

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H2173-01 מִ/זִּמְרַ֤ת mizimerat HR/Ncfsc of the best products from choice fruit of 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H2173-01 Genesis 43:11 מִ/זִּמְרַ֤ת mizimerat HR/Ncfsc of the best products from choice fruit of
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