← H4573 H4575 →

מַעֲדָן

𐤌𐤏𐤃𐤍

maʻădân

H4574 noun

SILEX Entry

Root עדן to be soft, to be delicate, to be pleasant

Definition

A choice or exquisite food, delicacy, or (by extension) something that affords delight or pleasure. The word primarily refers to fine foods that are enjoyed as luxuries, but can also be more abstract, signaling something which provides delight or is especially pleasing.

Semantic Range

delicacy, luxury food, dainty dish, (by extension) pleasure, delight, something pleasurable or delightful

Root / Etymology

From the root עָדַן (ʿ-d-n), which carries the sense of being soft, tender, or delicate. The form מַעֲדָן is a noun derived from this root, signifying an object or item characterized by delicacy or delightfulness.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, מַעֲדָן is used for luxurious, rich, or dainty foods, often highlighting abundance or the enjoyment of pleasurable sustenance (e.g., Genesis 49:20, Proverbs 29:17, Jeremiah 51:34). Its usage focuses on tangible, material delight—specifically luxury foods—as opposed to general happiness or joy (cf. שִׂמְחָה 'joy' or תַּעֲנוּג 'pleasure, enjoyment'). In later biblical and post-biblical Hebrew, the term is sometimes abstracted to denote general delight or enjoyment, but this is not the primary biblical usage. The feminine form מַעֲדַנָּה occurs rarely but carries the same meaning. English translations often render it as 'delicacies,' 'dainties,' or 'luxuries,' though the broader abstract sense ('delight') is only contextually appropriate where the 'object' of delight is unspecified. Notably, some English tradition translates the term as 'dainties' (KJV), which accurately captures the connotation of rare, valued, or luxurious food rather than just 'foods' in general.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or (feminine) מַעֲדַנָּה; from עָדַן; a delicacy or (abstractly) pleasure (adverbially, cheerfully); dainty, delicately, delight.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

עדן (ʿ-d-n) — softness, delicacy, pleasantness

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H5719 עָדִין delicate woman
H5720 עָדִין Delicate One
H5721 עֲדִינָא Refined-one
H5722 עֲדִינוֹ Adino
H5727 עָדַן and they delighted themselves

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H4574-01 לְ/מַ֣עֲדַנִּ֔ים lemaadanim HR/Ncbpa delicacies luxury delicacies 1
H4574-04 מַעֲדַנֹּ֑ת maadanot HNcbpa cheerfully choice delicacies 1
H4574-03 מַעֲדַנִּ֣ים maadanim HNcbpa delight choice delicacies 1
H4574-02 מַֽעֲדַנֵּי maadaney HNcbpc delicacies delicacies of 1

Occurrences in Scripture

4 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H4574-02 Genesis 49:20 מַֽעֲדַנֵּי maadaney HNcbpc delicacies delicacies of
H4574-04 1 Samuel 15:32 מַעֲדַנֹּ֑ת maadanot HNcbpa cheerfully choice delicacies
H4574-03 Proverbs 29:17 מַעֲדַנִּ֣ים maadanim HNcbpa delight choice delicacies
H4574-01 Lamentations 4:5 לְ/מַ֣עֲדַנִּ֔ים lemaadanim HR/Ncbpa delicacies luxury delicacies
← H4573 Hebrew Lexicon H4575 →