Hebrew word · H4241

מִחְיָה

michyah

recovery

From the root ḥāyâ, "to live." It means preservation of life, means of living or sustenance, and reviving. In Leviticus it even names the "quick," living raw flesh of a wound.

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

What it means

1) preservation of life, sustenance

1a) preservation of life

1b) sustenance

1c) reviving

1d) the quick of the flesh, live flesh, tender or raw flesh

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 Genesis 45:5

Range of meaning

From the root ḥāyâ, "to live." It means preservation of life, means of living or sustenance, and reviving. In Leviticus it even names the "quick," living raw flesh of a wound.

Against the English

"To preserve life" (KJV, WEB) and "to save lives" (BSB) both work. The Hebrew is a noun, "for life-keeping," and it leans toward survival through provision more than toward rescue from danger.

Used elsewhere in the period

Leviticus 13:10, 24 (raw, living flesh); Judges 6:4 and 17:10 (sustenance, means of living); 2 Chronicles 14:13; Ezra 9:8–9 ("a little reviving"). The Septuagint renders it eis zōēn, "for life."

From the study of Ezra 9:8

Range of meaning

From the root 'to live'. It means what keeps something alive: preservation of life (Genesis 45:5), food or sustenance (Judges 6:4; 17:10), recovery (2 Chronicles 14:13), and even the 'raw, live flesh' in a skin disease (Leviticus 13:10, 24).

Against the English

KJV and ESV-type 'a little reviving'; WEB 'revive us a little'; BSB 'new life' (and BSB drops 'a little'); YLT 'a little quickening'.

How it drifted

Since the 18th century 'revival' and 'reviving' have meant organized spiritual awakenings in English-speaking Christianity, and this verse's KJV phrase is sometimes borrowed for that. The Hebrew means survival and the means to live.

Used elsewhere in the period

Genesis 45:5–7: Joseph says 'God sent me before you to preserve life (michyah)... to keep for you a remnant (she'erit) on earth and to keep alive for you a great escape (peleitah).' That is the same cluster of words as Ezra 9:8. Ezra 9:9 repeats michyah to explain it: to rebuild the house of God.

From the study of Ezra 9:9

Range of meaning

A noun from ḥāyâ, "to live". It means preservation of life, a means of living, sustenance (Judg 6:4; 17:10), or reviving. In Leviticus 13:10, 24 it even describes "raw" or "live" flesh in a wound. In Genesis 45:5 Joseph says God sent him ahead "for preservation of life" (ləmiḥyâ).

Against the English

KJV and NASB say "a reviving", YLT "a quickening", BSB and NIV "new life", WEB "to revive us". "New life" can sound like inner spiritual renewal. The Hebrew is more concrete: they survived and got their breath back.

How it drifted

Modern church language attaches "revival" and "new life" to spiritual awakenings or conversion.

Used elsewhere in the period

Genesis 45:5, 2 Chronicles 14:13 (no survivors), Judges 6:4 and 17:10. Verse 8 has "a little miḥyâ in our bondage". The Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation) renders it with zōopoiēsis, "a making alive".

Where it appears

Genesis · 1

  1. Genesis 45:5 לְמִֽחְיָ֔ה for preservation of life

    And now, do not be distressed or angry with yourselves that you sold me into this place, because it was to save lives that God sent me before you.

    Here: "For life-keeping." It comes first in its clause for emphasis: the purpose was keeping people alive. The word has overtones of food and survival, which fits a famine.

Leviticus · 2

  1. Leviticus 13:10 וּמִֽחְיַ֛ת and a raw spot of

    The priest will examine him, and if there is a white swelling on the skin that has turned the hair white, and there is raw flesh in the swelling,

  2. Leviticus 13:24 מִֽחְיַ֣ת [the] raw spot of

    When there is a burn on someone’s skin and the raw area of the burn becomes reddish-white or white,

Judges · 2

  1. Judges 6:4 מִֽחְיָה֙ sustenance

    encamping against them as far as Gaza and destroying the produce of the land. They left Israel with no sustenance, neither sheep nor oxen nor donkeys.

  2. Judges 17:10 וּמִחְיָתֶ֑ךָ and sustenance your

    “Stay with me,” Micah said to him, “and be my father and priest, and I will give you ten shekels of silver per year, a suit of clothes, and your provisions.” So the Levite went in

2 Chronicles · 1

  1. 2 Chronicles 14:13 מִֽחְיָ֔ה preservation

    Then Asa and his army pursued them as far as Gerar. The Cushites fell and could not recover, for they were crushed before the LORD and His army. So the people of Judah carried off a great amount of plunder

Ezra · 2

  1. Ezra 9:8 מִֽחְיָ֥ה reviving

    But now, for a brief moment, grace has come from the LORD our God to preserve for us a remnant and to give us a stake in His holy place. Even in our bondage, our God has given us new life and light to our eyes.

    Here: Means of staying alive, a fresh lease on life. It is the same word Joseph uses in Genesis 45:5 ('to preserve life'), right beside the words for remnant and escaped survivors.

  2. Ezra 9:9 מִֽחְיָ֗ה reviving

    Though we are slaves, our God has not forsaken us in our bondage, but He has extended to us grace in the sight of the kings of Persia, giving us new life to rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins, and giving us a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem.

    Here: A 'means of staying alive' or 'reviving'. It picks up v. 8's 'a little reviving'. It means survival and renewed vitality, not a spiritual revival meeting.

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