טָוָה

From the study of Exodus 35:25

Range of meaning

Tavah means to spin, twisting loose fibre (wool or flax) into continuous thread. Matveh means "spun material", yarn. Both words are extremely rare: the verb occurs only in Exod 35:25–26 and the noun only here, so their meaning is fixed by context and by cognates (Arabic ṭawā, to twist or fold; Aramaic usage).

Against the English

All the major versions agree on "spin" and "what they had spun / yarn". YLT's "yarn" and BSB's "yarn" name the product clearly. KJV's "that which they had spun" keeps the link between verb and noun that is in the Hebrew (tavu … matveh: "they spun … spun-stuff").

Used elsewhere in the period

Spinning was the standard work of women across the ancient Near East and Mediterranean. Proverbs 31:19 describes the capable wife putting her hands to the distaff and spindle (different Hebrew words, kishor and pelekh). 2 Kings 23:7 mentions women weaving hangings for Asherah. Spindle whorls (the small weights on hand spindles) are among the most common finds at Iron Age Israelite sites, usually in household contexts. Egyptian tomb paintings (e.g. Beni Hasan) show women spinning flax with drop spindles.