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אַמָּה

𐤀𐤌𐤄

Amah

H522 noun

SILEX Entry

Root אמה mother, cubit, female servant

Definition

Proper name referring to a specific geographic feature: Ammah, a hill mentioned as a location north of Gibeon used as a rallying or boundary point in the narrative of 2 Samuel 2:24. The word serves as a toponym, not functioning as a common noun in this context.

Semantic Range

proper name for a hill, geographic feature; not used as a common noun in this context

Root / Etymology

From the root אמה (aleph-mem-he), which generally means 'mother' or 'cubit' in Hebrew. In this case, the application as a place name (Ammah) is likely derived either from an association with the noun meaning 'mother' (possibly a figurative or metaphorical use, as seen elsewhere in place-naming), or from the specialized use as 'cubit,' though the semantic link is unclear. The direct derivation for the toponym remains uncertain.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In 2 Samuel 2:24, Ammah is described as a hill situated north of Gibeon, where Abner was pursued by the servants of David. The meaning of the name in this geographical context is not explained in the biblical text, nor is its exact location identified in later historical records. The underlying root אמה is common in Hebrew with primary senses of 'mother' and 'cubit' (an ancient unit of measure), but the exact connection of these meanings to the toponym is unclear. The KJV reflects the transliterated Hebrew (Ammah) in its translation. The term appears only in this specific context as a proper name and does not function as a general term for hill or any landscape feature, nor is it otherwise applied to a people or population. This entry should not be confused with the much more frequent common noun אמה ('cubit'; 'maidservant'), though all are derived from the same root employing different senses. There is no evidence that the term carries any of the ethnic or religious implications attached to later periods and meanings.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

the same as אַמָּה; Ammah, a hill in Palestine; Ammah.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

אמה (ʾ-m-h) — mother, foundation, forearm length as measure

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H368 אֵימִים Terror-Ones
H4965 מֶתֶג הָאַמָּה the cubit-measure
H519 אָמָה forearm-length measure
H520 אַמָּה forearm-measure
H524 אֻמָּה the people-groups

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H522-01 אַמָּ֔ה amah HNp Ammah forearm-length unit 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H522-01 2 Samuel 2:24 אַמָּ֔ה amah HNp Ammah forearm-length unit
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