Hebrew word · H4022

מֶ֫גֶד

umimeged

excellence

Choice thing, finest produce, an excellent gift of nature. It is rare: five times in Deuteronomy 33:13–16 (from heaven, sun, moons, ancient hills, the land and its fullness) and three times in the Song of Songs as megadim, "choice fruits" (4:13, 16; 7:13 [Eng. 7:14]).

Appears 8 times in 7 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

excellence

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Deuteronomy 33:13

Range of meaning

Choice thing, finest produce, an excellent gift of nature. It is rare: five times in Deuteronomy 33:13–16 (from heaven, sun, moons, ancient hills, the land and its fullness) and three times in the Song of Songs as megadim, "choice fruits" (4:13, 16; 7:13 [Eng. 7:14]). Lexicons (BDB, HALOT) link it to an Arabic root meaning glory or excellence. A related word in Ugaritic, the language of a Canaanite city of the Late Bronze Age, may mean provisions or food, but that link is less certain.

Against the English

KJV and WEB "precious things" makes a modern reader think of jewels or treasure. BSB and NIV "precious dew" ties the word to dew. ESV, NRSV and NASB "choice(st) gifts/things" comes closest. The word means the best yield of nature, the kind of thing that ends up on the table.

How it drifted

In 1611 "precious" meant costly or highly valued, and it fitted produce well. Today "precious things" usually suggests gems or keepsakes.

Used elsewhere in the period

The Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible (the Septuagint, made in the last centuries BC) has nothing like "precious" here. It renders meged as hōrai, "seasons" (fruits in their season), which shows the early translators understood it as agricultural yield. The Latin Vulgate has poma, "fruits". In the Song of Songs the word is paired with fruit trees and spices.

From the study of Song of Songs 4:13

Range of meaning

Excellence, choice thing, precious gift, especially the best produce of the land. It appears only in Deut 33:13–16 (five times, in Moses' blessing of Joseph: 'the choice gifts of heaven… of the sun… of the everlasting hills') and in the Song (4:13, 16; 7:14).

Against the English

KJV 'pleasant fruits,' YLT and WEB 'precious fruits,' BSB 'the choicest of fruits,' ESV 'all choicest fruits.' All are fair. 'Pleasant' is the weakest, because the word means the best and costliest, not just nice.

Used elsewhere in the period

Deut 33:13–16; Song 4:16 ('let my beloved… eat its choice fruits'); Song 7:14 ('all choice fruits, new and old, I have laid up for you'). There is a related Aramaic and Arabic root meaning 'glory, excellence.'

From the study of Song of Songs 4:16

Range of meaning

Excellence, choice thing, the finest produce. Always about the best gifts of land and sky. Related to migdānôt, 'precious gifts', like the bridal gifts given to Rebekah (Gen 24:53).

Against the English

KJV 'pleasant fruits' is weak. BSB/ESV 'choicest fruits' and WEB 'precious fruits' are better. The word means what is best and most valuable, not merely nice.

Used elsewhere in the period

Deut 33:13–16 (five times in Moses' blessing of Joseph: 'the choicest gifts of heaven... the choicest fruits of the sun... the choicest gifts of the earth'); Song 4:13 'with choice fruits (pərî məgādîm)'; 7:13 (Eng.)/7:14 (Heb.) 'all choice fruits, new as well as old, which I have laid up for you, my beloved'; Gen 24:53 and Ezra 1:6 migdānôt.

Where it appears

Deuteronomy · 5

  1. Deuteronomy 33:13 מִמֶּ֤גֶד from [the] excellent gift of

    Concerning Joseph he said: “May his land be blessed by the LORD with the precious dew from heaven above and the deep waters that lie beneath,

    Here: "From" plus a rare word for the finest, most valued produce or gift. It appears only in this blessing (five times) and in the Song of Songs for choice fruits. Here the choice gifts come from the sky.

  2. Deuteronomy 33:14 וּמִמֶּ֖גֶד וּמִמֶּ֖גֶד and from [the] excellent gift of

    with the bountiful harvest from the sun and the abundant yield of the seasons,

  3. Deuteronomy 33:15 וּמִמֶּ֖גֶד and from [the] excellent gift of

    with the best of the ancient mountains and the bounty of the everlasting hills,

  4. Deuteronomy 33:16 וּמִמֶּ֗גֶד and from [the] excellent gift of

    with the choice gifts of the land and everything in it, and with the favor of Him who dwelt in the burning bush. May these rest on the head of Joseph and crown the brow of the prince of his brothers.

Song of Songs · 3

  1. Song of Songs 4:13 מְגָדִ֑ים choice<s>

    Your branches are an orchard of pomegranates with the choicest of fruits, with henna and nard,

    Here: 'Fruit of choice things' is a Hebrew way of saying 'the very best fruit.' The word echoes the lavish gifts of nature in Moses' blessing of Joseph (Deut 33:13–16).

  2. Song of Songs 4:16 מְגָדָֽיו׃ choice<s> its

    Awake, O north wind, and come, O south wind. Breathe on my garden and spread the fragrance of its spices. Let my beloved come into his garden and taste its choicest fruits.

    Here: 'Its choice things': a word for the very best produce, the kind of gifts heaven and earth give (Deut 33:13–16). It echoes 'choice fruits' in 4:13 and 7:13, where the woman has 'laid up' such fruits 'for you, my beloved'. 'Its' refers to the garden.

  3. Song of Songs 7:13 מְגָדִ֔ים choice things

    The mandrakes send forth a fragrance, and at our door is every delicacy, new as well as old, that I have treasured up for you, my beloved.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.