H0737 H0737
A portion or allowance of food, especially a regular ration; also a meal or dinner in a general sense.
Denotes a measured portion of food, most often an official ration granted regularly. Its most poignant usage describes the daily food allowance that Evil-Merodach king of Babylon gave to captive King Jehoiachin — a 'continual allowance' (אֲרֻחָה תָּמִיד, 2 Kgs 25:30; Jer 52:34) — a tiny glimmer of grace at the close of the exile narrative. In Jer 40:5, Gedaliah receives a similar provision. Proverbs 15:17 uses the word differently for a humble domestic meal: 'a dinner of herbs where love is' is better than a fattened ox with hatred. Spanish helpfully contrasts 'ración/provisiones' for the official sense and 'comida' for the household meal.
Senses
1. regular food allowance — A regular food allowance or official ration, typically granted by royal decree. In 2 Kgs 25:30 and the parallel Jer 52:34, the exiled King Jehoiachin receives a 'continual allowance' (אֲרֻחָה תָּמִיד) from the Babylonian king — a recurring daily provision that closes the book of Kings on a note of cautious hope. Jeremiah 40:5 likewise records provisions given to Gedaliah. Spanish 'ración' and 'provisiones' capture the institutional, measured character of this sense. 5×
AR["طَعَامًا", "وَظِيفَةً", "وَظِيفَةٌ", "وَوَظِيفَتُهُ"]·ben["এবং-তার-ভাতা", "এবং-ভাতা-তাঁর", "খাদ্য", "ভাতা"]·DE["[ארחה]", "[ארחת]", "[וארחתו]", "allowance", "und-sein-allowance"]·EN["a-provision", "allowance", "an-allowance", "and-his-allowance"]·FR["[ארחה]", "[ארחת]", "[וארחתו]", "allowance", "et-son-allowance"]·heb["ארוחה", "ארוחת", "ו-ארוחתו"]·HI["और-उसका-भोजन", "और-भोजन-उसका", "भोजन"]·ID["Dan-jatahnya", "bekal-makanan", "dan-jatahnya", "jatah"]·IT["[ארחה]", "[ארחת]", "[וארחתו]", "allowance", "e-suo-allowance"]·jav["Lan-sangu-dhaharan-ipun", "gaji", "lan-gaji", "sangu", "sangu-dhaharan"]·KO["그리고-그-의-수당은", "그리고-수당이-그의", "수당으로", "수당이", "양식과"]·PT["E-alimento-dele", "E-sua-provisão", "alimento-de", "provisão"]·RU["И-содержание-его", "и-содержание-его", "пищу", "содержание"]·ES["Y-su-ración", "porción", "provisiones", "ración", "y-su-porción"]·SW["Na-posho-yake", "na-posho-yake", "posho", "posho-ya-"]·TR["odenegi", "payı", "ve-odenegi", "ve-payı", "yiyecek"]·urd["اور-اُس-کا-وظیفہ", "اور-وظیفہ-اُس-کا", "خوراک", "وظیفہ"]
2. meal, portion of food — A meal or serving of food in a general, domestic context. In Prov 15:17, 'a dinner of herbs where love is' (אֲרֻחַת יָרָק) presents the modest meal as a wisdom proverb, contrasting simplicity with abundance. Unlike the official ration sense, this usage carries no institutional overtones — it is simply a meal set before guests or family. English 'dinner' and Spanish 'comida' both reflect this everyday meaning. 1×
AR["وَجْبَةُ"]·ben["খাবার"]·DE["[ארחת]"]·EN["a-dinner-of"]·FR["ארחת"]·heb["ארוחת"]·HI["भोजन"]·ID["hidangan"]·IT["un-dinner-di"]·jav["dhaharan-saking"]·KO["한-접시"]·PT["porção-de"]·RU["угощение"]·ES["comida-de"]·SW["chakula-cha"]·TR["öğü-"]·urd["کھانا"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† אֲרֻחָה n.f. meal, allowance (of food) abs. Je 40:5; cstr. אֲרֻחַת יָרָק Pr 15:17 a portion of herbs, i.e. a slender meal; elsewhere of allowance given to captive king Jehoiachin, א׳ תָּמִיד a continual allowance 2 K 25:30 = Je 52:34; אֲרֻחָתוֹ ib. = id.