מִנְחָה153 H4503
Gift, tribute, offering; from secular presents between persons, through vassal tribute, to the grain/cereal offering of the Levitical cult.
Minchah traces a fascinating semantic arc from the everyday to the sacred. In its oldest narrative uses, it simply means a gift — Jacob's present to Esau (Gen 32:14), the brothers' gift to Joseph (Gen 43:11). In political contexts it narrows to tribute — the compulsory payment a vassal brings to an overlord, as in Ehud's tribute to Eglon (Judg 3:15). But in the Priestly literature it becomes the highly technical term for the grain or cereal offering described in Leviticus 2, consisting of fine flour mixed with oil and frankincense. The Arabic evidence is particularly revealing: secular uses trigger hadiyya ('gift/present'), political uses trigger jizya or kharaj ('tribute'), while cultic uses trigger taqdima ('formal presentation') — three distinct Arabic words for what Hebrew covers with one. This layered polysemy preserves the theological insight that worship is, at its deepest level, an act of giving.
3. gift/present (secular) — A secular gift or present between humans — 18 occurrences in narrative, especially Genesis. Jacob's elaborate gift to appease Esau (Gen 32:14-22) is the classic example: he sends flocks in waves as a minchah, hoping to 'cover his face.' The brothers carry minchah to the Egyptian official who is Joseph (Gen 43:11, 25-26). Arabic decisively shifts to hadiyya ('gift/present') rather than any cultic vocabulary, and German switches from Opfer to Geschenk ('present'). Korean 선물 (seonmul, 'gift') confirms the non-sacred frame. This sense preserves the word's etymological core: something 'brought forward' in an act of social exchange. 18×
AR["الْ-هَدِيَّةَ","الْهَدِيَّةُ","بِ-الْهَدِيَّةِ","بِ-تَقْدِمَةٍ","تَقدِمَتَهُ","هَديَّةً","هَدِيَّةً","هَدِيَّةٌ","هَدِيَّتِ-ي","وَاحِدٍ","وَهَدِيَّةً"]·ben["-উপহার","-উপহার-দিয়ে","আমার-উপহার","উপহার","উপহারের-জন্য-","এবং-উপহার","তার-উপহার","সহিত-নৈবেদ্য"]·DE["Opfergabe","Speisopfer","das-Geschenk","ein-Geschenk","ein-gift","gift","mein-Geschenk","mit-dem-Geschenk","mit-ein-Speisopfer","sein-gift","und-Speisopfer","und-gift"]·EN["a-gift","a-tribute","and-a-gift","and-gift","gift","his-gift","my-gift","the-gift","with-a-gift","with-the-gift"]·FR["avec-le-don","dans-offrande","don","et-gift","et-offrande","gift","le-don","mon-don","offrande","son-gift","un-don","un-gift"]·heb["ב-ה-מנחה","ב-מנחה","ה-מנחה","ו-מנחה","מִנְחָה","מִנְחָתוֹ","מנחה","מנחה-ו","מנחה-י"]·HI["अपनी-भेंट","और-भेंट","भेंट","भेंट-अपनी-उसकी","भेंट-से","मिन्खाह","में-भेंट-के-साथ","मेरी-भेंट"]·ID["dan-hadiah","dengan-persembahan","persembahan","persembahan-itu","persembahan-ku","persembahannya"]·IT["con-il-dono","dono","e-dono","e-offerta","il-dono","mio-dono","offerta","suo-dono","un-dono"]·jav["kalayan-pisungsung","kangge-raja","lan-bebungah","lan-pisungsung","pisungsung","pisungsung-kawula","pisungsung-punika","pisungsungè"]·KO["-예물-로","그-선물로","그-선물이","그-의-선물","그리고-선물을","그리고-예물을","그의-선물을","나의-선물을","선물로","선물을","선물이다","예물을"]·PT["com-o-presente","com-presente","e-presente","o-presente","presente","presente-meu","presente-seu","sua-oferta"]·RU["-дар","-даром","дар","дар-мой","дар-свой","дара","и-дар","с-даром"]·ES["con-el-presente","con-presente","el-presente","ofrenda-de-él","presente","presente-mío","regalo","su-ofrenda","tributo","y-presente"]·SW["-zawadi","hii","kwa-zawadi","kwangu","na-zawadi","zawadi","zawadi-yake"]·TR["-armağanla","-hediye","-hediyeyi","-hediyeyle","armagan","armağan","armağan-olarak","armağanını","hediye","hediyemi","hediyesini-onun","ve-hediye"]·urd["اور-تحفہ","اور-تحفے","اپنا-ہدیہ","تحفہ","تحفے-سے","میرا-تحفہ","نذر-سے","نذرانہ","نذرانہ-اس","نذرانہ-وہ","نذرانے-کے-طور-پر","ہدیہ-اپنا"]
Gen 32:13, Gen 32:18, Gen 32:20, Gen 32:21, Gen 33:10, Gen 43:11, Gen 43:15, Gen 43:25, Gen 43:26, 1 Sam 10:27, 1 Kgs 10:25, 2 Kgs 8:8 (+6 more)
▼ 3 more senses below
Senses
1. grain/cereal offering (cultic) — The technical Priestly grain or cereal offering — the dominant sense at 139 occurrences, concentrated in Leviticus, Numbers, and Ezekiel. Leviticus 2 defines minchah as fine flour with oil and frankincense, a portion burned on the altar and the rest eaten by the priests (Lev 2:1-3). The term extends to the grain component that accompanies animal sacrifices (Num 15:4-9; 28-29). German Speiseopfer ('food offering') and French offrande de grain ('grain offering') both use specialized cultic vocabulary here. Arabic taqdima ('formal cultic presentation') consistently distinguishes this from the secular hadiyya. Malachi's vision of a 'pure minchah' offered among the nations (Mal 1:11) shows the word at its most theologically expansive. 139×
AR["لِ-تَقْدِمَةٍ","لِتَقْدِمَةٍ","لِـ-تَقْدِمَةٍ","وَ-تَقْدِمَتَهُمْ","وَ-تَقْدِمَتُهُمْ","وَتَقْدِمَتُهَا","وَتَقْدِمَتُهُمْ"]·ben["এবং-তাদের-ভক্ষ্য-নৈবেদ্য","এবং-তাদের-শস্য-উৎসর্গ","নৈবেদ্যের-জন্য","ভক্ষ্য-নৈবেদ্য-রূপে।","শস্য-উৎসর্গের-জন্য","শস্য-নৈবেদ্যের-জন্য"]·DE["fuer-Speiseopfer","und-ihr-Getreide-Opfergabe","zu-Speisopfer"]·EN["and-their-grain-offering","for-grain-offering"]·FR["et-leur-grain-offrande","offrande","pour-offrande-de-grain"]·heb["ו-מנחה","ל-מנחה"]·HI["अन्नबलि-के-लिए","और-अन्नबलि-इनकी","और-अन्नबलि-उनकी","और-उनके-अन्नबलि","भेंट-के-लिए","में-तेल"]·ID["beserta-persembahan-biji-bijian-mereka","dan-korban-sajian-mereka","dan-persembahan-sajian-mereka","dengan-persembahan-makanan-mereka","sebagai-korban-sajian","untuk-korban-sajian","untuk-persembahan-biji-bijian","untuk-persembahan-sajian"]·IT["a-offerta","e-loro-grano-offerta","per-oblazione","per-offerta-di-grano"]·jav["Lan-kurban-dhaharanipun","kagem-kurban-dhaharan","kangge-kurban-dhaharan","kangge-pisungsung-dhaharan","kanggé-kurban-dhaharan","lan-pisungsung-dhaharan-ipun"]·KO["곡식-제물로","그리고-그것들의-소제는","그리고-그들의-소제","소제-로","소제를-위하여","에-소제물을-위하여"]·PT["E-oferta-de-cereais-deles","e-oferta-de-cereais-deles","e-oferta-de-cereais-sua","e-sua-oferta-de-cereal","para-oferta-de-cereais"]·RU["для-приношения","для-хлебного-приношения","и-хлебное-приношение-их"]·ES["Y-ofrenda-de-ellos","para-ofrenda","para-ofrenda-de-grano","y-ofrenda-de-ellos","y-su-ofrenda-de-grano"]·SW["Umnhtm","kwa-sadaka-ya-nafaka","na-sadaka-yake-ya-nafaka","na-sadaka-zao-za-nafaka"]·TR["-e-tahla-sunu","-için-tahıl-sunusu","-tahıl-sunu-için","tahıl-sunusu-için","ve-tahıl-sunuları","ve-tahıl-sunuları-onların","ve-tahıl-sunusunu"]·urd["اور-اُن-کا-نذرانہ","اور-اُن-کی-نذر","اور-نذر-اُن-کی","لئے-نذر-کی-قربانی-کے","نذر-کے-لیے","نذرانے-کے-لیے"]
2. offering/oblation (general cultic) — Any offering or oblation presented to God — 39 occurrences where minchah denotes a general cultic gift without specific restriction to grain. The paradigmatic instance is Genesis 4:3-5, where both Cain's produce and Abel's animal offering are called minchah, demonstrating that the word predates its Levitical specialization. Similarly in Judges 6:18 Gideon prepares a minchah that includes meat and broth. Spanish ofrenda and German Opfergabe ('offering-gift') capture this broader cultic sense. The distinction from sense 1 is real: here the emphasis is on the act of presenting to God rather than on the specific flour-and-oil composition prescribed in Leviticus. 39×
AR["التَّقْدِمَةُ","تَقدِمَةً","تَقْدِمَةً","تَقْدِمَةٍ","وَ-التَّقْدِمَةَ","وَ-تَقْدِمَةً","وَ-تَقْدِمَةٌ","وَتَقْدِمَةً","وَتَقْدِمَةٍ"]·ben["উপহার","উৎসর্গ","এবং-নৈবেদ্য","ও-নৈবেদ্য","ও-নৈবেদ্যের-সাথে","তুলে-আন","নৈবেদ্য","নৈবেদ্যের"]·DE["Opfer","Opfergabe","Speisopfer","ein-Opfer","ein-Speisopfer","und-Opfergabe","und-Speisopfer"]·EN["a-grain-offering","an-offering","and-a-grain-offering","and-grain-offering","and-offering","grain-offering","offering"]·FR["de-offrande","et-de-offrande","et-offrande","offrande"]·heb["ו-מנחה","וּ-מנחה","מִנחה","מנחה"]·HI["और-अन्नबलि","और-भेंट","भेंट"]·ID["dan-persembahan","korban-sajian","persembahan"]·IT["e-offerta","offerta"]·jav["kurban-dhaharan","kurban-dhédhér","lan-pisungsung","lan-pisungsung-dhaharan","pisungsung","pisungsung-dhaharan"]·KO["그리고-소제들을","그리고-소제로","그리고-소제와","그리고-예물-을","그리고-제물을","소제를","소제물-과","예물-을","예물을","제물","제물로","제물을"]·PT["e-a-oferta-de-cereais","e-oferta","e-oferta-de-cereais","e-ofertas","oferenda","oferta","oferta-de-cereal"]·RU["дар","и-приношение","и-приношением","и-приношения","приношение","хлебное-приношение","хлебную-жертву"]·ES["ofrenda","y-ofrenda"]·SW["minchah","na-sadaka","na-sadaka-ya-nafaka","sadaka","sadaka-ya-nafaka","sadaka-za-nafaka"]·TR["sunu","sunuyu","tahil-sunusu","tahıl-sunusu","ve-sunu","ve-sunu-","ve-sunuyu","ve-tahıl-sunusu"]·urd["اور-نذر","اور-نذر-کو","اور-نذریں","اور-ہدیہ","نذر","نذرانہ","ہدیہ"]
Gen 4:3, Gen 4:4, Gen 4:5, Num 16:15, Judg 6:18, 1 Sam 2:17, 1 Sam 2:29, 1 Sam 2:29, 1 Sam 3:14, 1 Sam 26:19, 1 Chr 16:29, 2 Chr 32:23 (+27 more)
4. tribute (political/vassal) — Compulsory political tribute from a vassal or subject to a sovereign — 15 occurrences in Judges, Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles. Ehud's tribute to Eglon (Judg 3:15-18) is the narrative archetype; the conquered Moabites and Arameans bear minchah to David (2 Sam 8:2, 6); subject kings bring tribute to Solomon (1 Kgs 5:1). Arabic uses jizya or kharaj ('tax/tribute') here, Spanish shifts to tributo, and German to Tribut — all political vocabulary utterly distinct from cultic terminology. The word's ability to mean both 'gift to God' and 'tribute to a king' reflects the ancient Near Eastern worldview where the line between worship and political submission was thin: both involved bringing something precious to one who held power over you. 15×
AR["الْهَدِيَّةَ","الْهَدِيَّةِ","تَقْدِمَةً","جِزيَةً","جِزْيَةً","جِزْيَةٍ","هَدِيَّةً"]·ben["আনছিল","উপহার","উপহার-","উপহারের","উপহারের-","দায়ূদ","নজরানা","বহনকারীরা"]·DE["Speisopfer","Tribut","der-tribute","ein-tribute"]·EN["a-tribute","the-tribute","tribute"]·FR["de-offrande","le-tribut","offrande","tribut","un-tribut"]·heb["ה-מנחה","מנחה"]·HI["उपहार-की","कर","भेंट","भेंट-को","भेंट-को।"]·ID["persembahan","upeti"]·IT["il-tribute","offerta","tributo","un-tribute"]·jav["pisungsung","pisungsung-punika","upeti"]·KO["공물","공물-을","공물을","그-공물을","예물과","예물을","조공을"]·PT["o-tributo","tributo"]·RU["дань","дар"]·ES["el-tributo","tributo"]·SW["kodi","na-wakimtumikia","ushuru","zawadi"]·TR["de-sununun","de-sunuyu","haracı","haraç","harç","hediye","sunu"]·urd["تحفہ","تحفے","خراج","خراج۔","نذر","نذرانہ","نذرانہ-کے","ہدیہ"]
Judg 3:15, Judg 3:17, Judg 3:18, Judg 3:18, 2 Sam 8:2, 2 Sam 8:6, 1 Kgs 4:21, 2 Kgs 17:3, 2 Kgs 17:4, 1 Chr 18:2, 1 Chr 18:6, 2 Chr 17:5 (+3 more)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
מִנְחָה153 n.f. gift, tribute, offering (NH id.; Ph. מנחת; 𝔗 מִנְחָתָא on Arabic v. supr.);—abs. מ׳ Gn 4:3 + 81 times; cstr. מִנְחַת Lv 2:7 + 22 times; sf. מִנְחָתִי Gn 33:10 + 3 times; + 41 times sfs. sg.; pl. sf. מִנְחֹתֶיךָ ψ 20:4; מִנְחֹתֵיכֶם Nu 29:39 Am 5:22;— †1. gift, present Gn 32:14, 19, 21, 22 (E), 33:10; 43:11, 15, 25, 26 (J), Ju 6:18 1 S 10:27 1 K 10:25=2 Ch 9:24 2 K 8:8, 9;…