H0519 H0519
amah -- a female servant or handmaid; used both as a social status term and a self-deprecating form of address
The feminine noun amah ('maid, handmaid') designates a female servant or slave in the household, closely synonymous with shiphchah though sometimes implying slightly higher status. Its 56 occurrences span legal codes (Exod 20:10, 17; 21:20), patriarchal narratives (Gen 21:10-13, Hagar and Sarah), and courtly speech where women use 'your handmaid' as a humble self-reference before kings, prophets, or God (1 Sam 1:11, Hannah; 1 Sam 25:24-25, Abigail; 2 Sam 14:6, the wise woman of Tekoa). This dual function -- literal social designation and deferential self-address -- is a distinctive feature of the word. Spanish sierva, French servante, and German Magd all capture the core servant meaning consistently.
Senses
1. female servant, maidservant — A female servant within a household, used both as a social designation in legal contexts (Exod 20:10; 21:20) and as a deferential self-reference by women addressing superiors -- Hannah before Yahweh (1 Sam 1:11), Abigail before David (1 Sam 25:24). Spanish sierva, French servante, and German Magd reflect this single semantic range across all 56 occurrences. 56×
AR["أمَتَكَ", "أمَتُكَ", "أمَتِكَ", "أَمَتَهُ", "أَمَتُكَ", "أَمَتِكَ", "أَمَتِهِ", "وَ-أَمَتُكَ", "وَأَمَتُكَ"]·ben["এবং-তোমার-দাসী", "তার-দাসীকে", "তার-দাসীর", "তোমার-দাসী", "তোমার-দাসীর", "দাসী-তোমার"]·DE["Magd", "dein-Magd", "dein-maidservant", "deiner-Magd", "sein-maidservant", "und-dein-weiblich-Knecht"]·EN["and-your-female-servant", "his-maidservant", "your-maidservant"]·FR["et-ton-femelle-serviteur", "son-servante", "ton-servante"]·heb["אמת-ך", "אמתו", "אמתך", "אמתך-ך", "ו-אמתך"]·HI["अपनी-दासी-की", "और-तेरी-दासी", "और-दासी-तेरी", "तुम्हारी-दासी-का", "तेरी-दासी", "तेरी-दासी-का", "तेरी-दासी-की", "दासी-अपनी", "दासी-तेरी"]·ID["dan-hamba-perempuan-mu", "dan-hambamu-perempuan", "hamba perempuanmu", "hamba perempuannya", "hamba-perempuanmu", "hambamu"]·IT["e-tuo-femmina-servo", "suo-serva", "tua-serva", "tuo-serva"]·jav["abdi-panjenengan", "abdi-èstri-nipun", "abdi-èstri-panjenengan", "lan-abdi-estri-panjenengan", "lan-abdi-èstri-ira", "lan-abdi-èstri-panjenengan"]·KO["그리고-너의-여종과", "그리고-너의-여종이", "그리고-네-여종과", "그리고-네-여종이", "그의-여종을", "그의-여종의", "너의-여종을", "너의-여종의", "네-여종은", "네-여종을", "네-여종의", "네-여종이", "당신의-여종", "당신의-여종의", "당신의-여종입니다"]·PT["e-tua-serva", "serva-tua", "sua-serva", "tua-serva"]·RU["и-раба-твоя", "и-рабыня-твоя", "раба-твоя", "рабу-твою", "рабы-твоей", "рабыни-своей", "рабыни-твоей", "рабыню-свою", "служанка-твоя", "служанки-твоей", "служанкой-твоей"]·ES["su-sierva", "tu-sierva", "y-sierva-tuya", "y-tu-sierva"]·SW["mjakazi-wake", "mjakazi-wako", "mtumishi", "na-kijakazi-wako", "na-mjakazi-wako", "na-mtumwa-wako-wa-kike", "wa-mjakazi-wako", "wala-mjakazi-wako"]·TR["-hizmetçinin", "cariyen", "cariyeni", "cariyenin", "cariyesini", "cariyesinin", "cariyien", "hizmetçin", "ve-cariyem", "ve-cariyen", "ve-kadın-kölen"]·urd["اور-تیری-لونڈی", "اور-لونڈی-تیری", "اپنی-لونڈی", "اپنی-لونڈی-کی", "اپنی-لونڈی۔", "تمہاری-لونڈی-کا", "تیری-لونڈی", "تیری-لونڈی-کی", "تیری-لونڈی-کی۔"]
Gen 20:17, Gen 21:10, Gen 21:10, Gen 21:12, Gen 21:13, Gen 30:3, Exod 2:5, Exod 20:10, Exod 20:17, Exod 21:7, Exod 21:20, Exod 21:26 (+38 more)
Related Senses
G2962 1. Lord (divine title) (661×)H0136 1. Lord (divine title) (440×)H0113 1. lord, human superior (249×)G1849 1. authority, power (91×)H6485a 2. Qal: punish, bring judgment (63×)H8198 1. maidservant, female slave (63×)G2962 2. master, lord (human authority) (61×)H0034 1. needy, poor, destitute (61×)H6041 1. poor, needy person (55×)H0113 2. master, owner of servants (49×)H4910 1. Qal: to have dominion, exercise power over (44×)H1800 1. poor, needy (socioeconomic) (38×)H3515 1. heavy, severe, grievous (36×)G4434 1. (34×)G5092 1. honor, esteem, respect (33×)H6485a 4. Qal: visit, attend to, care for (32×)H3513 1. honor / show respect (Piel) (30×)H4910 2. Qal: to rule, govern (administrative authority) (27×)H4513 1. withhold, restrain, hold back (25×)G1658 1. free (23×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† אָמָה n.f. maid, handmaid (Ph. אמת, Arabic أَمَةٌ, Sab. אמת in n.pr. Sab.Denkm.20, Aramaic ܐܰܡܬܳܐ Assyrian amtu ZimBP 67)—א׳ abs. Gn 21:10 +; sf. אֲמָתִי Gn 30:3 +, etc.; pl. abs. אֲמָהֹת Gn 31:33 2 S 6:22; cstr. אַמְהוֹת 2 S 6:20; אַמְהֹתַי Jb 19:15 etc.—maid, handmaid. 1. lit. maidservant (= שִׁפְחָה q.v., wh. however sometimes more servile; rarely P in Hex) Gn 30:3; 31:33 (‖ שִׁפְחָה 29:24,…