H4241 H4241
Preservation of life, sustenance, livelihood; also raw/quick flesh in Levitical diagnosis
Derived from the root khayah ('to live'), this noun names whatever sustains, restores, or manifests life. Joseph recognizes God's purpose in sending him to Egypt 'for the preservation of life' (Gen 45:5), and Ezra prays for 'a little reviving' in bondage (Ezra 9:8-9). In the priestly skin-disease laws, it takes on a precise medical sense: the 'quick' or raw flesh visible within a lesion (Lev 13:10, 24). A third strand is simple material sustenance, as when the Midianites left no 'livelihood' in Israel (Judg 6:4) or Micah offers a Levite 'your living' (Judg 17:10).
Senses
1. preservation of life, reviving — Preservation or restoration of life, reviving. In Gen 45:5 Joseph declares God sent him ahead lemikhy(y)ah -- 'for preservation of life.' Ezra 9:8-9 uses it twice for a 'little reviving' in the midst of servitude. Spanish 'para-preservacion-de-vida' and German 'zur-Lebenserhaltung' both emphasize the active, purposeful sustaining of life. The 2 Chr 14:13 usage extends this to military survival: no recovery was possible for the defeated Cushites. 4×
AR["إِحْياءً","حَياةٍ","لِ-إِحْيَاءٍ"]·ben["জীবন","জীবনের-জন্য"]·DE["[מחיה]","von-lebte","zur-Lebenserhaltung"]·EN["a-little-reviving","for-preservation-of-life","reviving","survival"]·FR["[מחיה]","pour-preservation-de-vie"]·heb["ל-מחיה","מחיה"]·HI["जीवन","जीवन-के-लिए","जीवित"]·ID["kehidupan","untuk-penghidupan","yang-selamat"]·IT["[מחיה]","per-preservation-di-vita"]·jav["gesang-sakedhik","gesang-sekedhik","ingkang-gesang","kangge-nguripi"]·KO["살림을-위하여","살아남음이","삶","삶을"]·PT["para-preservação-de-vida","sobrevivente","um-pouco-de-vida","vida"]·RU["выживших","для-сохранения-жизни","оживление"]·ES["para-preservación-de-vida","sobreviviente","un-poco-de-vida"]·SW["kupona","kwa-ajili","uhai"]·TR["canlanma","yaşam","yaşatmak-için"]·urd["زندگی","زندگی-کے-لیے"]
2. raw/quick flesh (Levitical term) — Raw or quick flesh visible in a skin lesion -- a technical diagnostic term in the Levitical purity code. In Lev 13:10 and 13:24 (mikhyat basar khai), the construct form describes the living tissue exposed beneath diseased skin, signaling impurity. Translations universally shift to clinical vocabulary: English 'raw-flesh-of,' Spanish 'vitalidad-de,' reflecting the biological vitality that makes this flesh diagnostically significant. 2×
AR["حَيَاةُ","وَ-حَيَاةُ"]·ben["এবং-কাঁচা-মাংস","সুস্থ-মাংস"]·DE["roh-Fleisch-von","und-roh-Fleisch-von"]·EN["and-raw-flesh-of","raw-flesh-of"]·FR["et-raw-chair-de","raw-chair-de"]·heb["ו-מחית","מחית"]·HI["और-उगाई","जीवित"]·ID["daging-mentah","dan-daging-mentah"]·IT["e-vivo-carne-di","vivo-carne-di"]·jav["gesang","lan-gesang"]·KO["그리고-살아있는","살아있는"]·PT["e-vida-de","vida-de"]·RU["живое","и-живое"]·ES["vitalidad-de","y-vitalidad-de"]·SW["na-nyama-hai-ya","nyama-hai-ya"]·TR["iyileşmesi","ve-iyileşmesi"]·urd["اور-ذرا","ذرا"]
3. sustenance, livelihood — Material sustenance, food, or livelihood -- the concrete provisions needed for daily life. In Judg 6:4 the Midianites destroyed every mikhy(y)ah in Israel, and in Judg 17:10 it denotes the wages and provisions offered to a hired Levite. Spanish 'sustento' and French 'sustenance' straightforwardly render this as material provision, distinct from the more theological 'preservation of life' in sense 1. 2×
AR["قوتاً","وَ-مَعِيشَتَكَ"]·ben["এবং-তোমার-খাদ্য","জীবিকা"]·DE["sustenance","und-dein-lebend"]·EN["and-your-living","sustenance"]·FR["et-ton-vivant","sustenance"]·heb["ו-מחיתך","מחיה"]·HI["और-तेरा-भोजन","जीविका"]·ID["dan-makananmu","makanan"]·IT["e-tuo-living","sustenance"]·jav["lan-pangan-panjenengan","pangan"]·KO["너의-음식을","양식을"]·PT["e-teu-sustento","sustento"]·RU["и-пропитание-твоё","пропитания"]·ES["sustento","y-tu-sustento"]·SW["chakula","na-chakula-chako"]·TR["geçim","ve-geçimini"]·urd["اور-تیرا-کھانا","رزق"]
Related Senses
H5921a 1. upon, on, over (spatial) (5443×)H0413 1. directional: to, toward (5366×)H1121a 1. son, male offspring, descendant (4914×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)H4428 1. king, human ruler (2518×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)H6440 1. before, in front of (spatial) (1870×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H3027 1. physical hand (body part) (1596×)H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)H1697 1. word, speech, utterance (1235×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† מִחְיָה n.f. preservation of life, sustenance, מ׳ Gn 45:5 + 4 times; cstr. מִחְיַת Lv 13:10, 24; sf. מִחְיָתֶ֑ךָ Ju 17:10;— 1. preservation of life Gn 45:5 (E), 2 Ch 14:12. 2. sustenance Ju 6:4; 17:10. 3. reviving, Ezr 9:8, 9. 4. the quick (בָּשָׂר) מִחְיַת the quick (or raw spot) of the flesh Lv 13:10, 24 (P).