Hebrew word · H4521

מְנָת

menat

portion

An allotted share or portion, from the root m-n-h 'to count out, assign'. It can mean a person's lot in life (Ps 16:5, 'Yahweh is my allotted portion'; Ps 11:6; Jer 13:25), a share of food sent as a gift (Esth 9:19, 22), or, in temple settings, the shares owed to clergy (Neh 12:44, 47; 13:10).

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

What it means

portion

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 2 Chronicles 31:4

Range of meaning

An allotted share or portion, from the root m-n-h 'to count out, assign'. It can mean a person's lot in life (Ps 16:5, 'Yahweh is my allotted portion'; Ps 11:6; Jer 13:25), a share of food sent as a gift (Esth 9:19, 22), or, in temple settings, the shares owed to clergy (Neh 12:44, 47; 13:10).

Against the English

KJV, WEB and YLT keep 'portion'. Some modern versions add 'due', which makes the sense of an obligation clear. BSB's 'make a contribution' sounds to modern ears like a voluntary donation, and it loses the idea of an assigned, owed share.

How it drifted

In modern English 'contribution' brings to mind fundraising and optional giving. The Hebrew word is about allocation: something set aside for a particular party by rule.

Used elsewhere in the period

The word is rare and mostly late, appearing chiefly in books of the Persian period. In Neh 12:44 the related plural is used for 'the portions required by the torah for the priests and Levites'. Neh 13:10 describes what happens when the 'portions of the Levites' were not given: the Levites 'fled each to his field'. The Greek Septuagint here uses meris 'part, share'.

From the study of Jeremiah 13:25

Range of meaning

A share or portion handed out, especially one given by God. It can be a priest's portion, a share of food, or a cup of destiny.

Against the English

English 'portion' is accurate. What it can lose is the sense of an allocator who measures out the share by hand.

Used elsewhere in the period

Ps 11:6: fire, sulphur and scorching wind are 'the portion of their cup' for the wicked. Ps 16:5: 'YHWH is my allotted portion and my cup.' Neh 12:44, 47 use it for portions assigned to priests and Levites.

From the study of Nehemiah 12:44

Range of meaning

An assigned portion or allotted share. It can mean a share of food sent to someone (Esth 9:19, 22, where the form is manot), or one's lot in life ('YHWH is my allotted portion', Ps 16:5). It is a late word, found mainly in books written after the Exile.

Against the English

KJV's 'portions of the law' is literal but unclear. WEB's 'portions appointed by the law' and BSB's 'portions specified by the Law' make the meaning plain. They are the shares the Torah assigns.

Used elsewhere in the period

Nehemiah uses it again in 12:47 (daily portions for singers and gatekeepers) and 13:10 ('the portions of the Levites had not been given'). The underlying law is Num 18, where priests receive contributions and firstfruits and Levites receive the tithe 'as their inheritance' instead of land, together with Deut 14:27–29 and 18:1–8.

Where it appears

2 Chronicles · 2

  1. 2 Chronicles 31:3 וּמְנָת֩ and [the] portion of

    The king contributed from his own possessions for the regular morning and evening burnt offerings and for the burnt offerings on the Sabbaths, New Moons, and appointed feasts, as written in the Law of the LORD.

  2. 2 Chronicles 31:4 מְנָ֥ת [the] portion of

    Moreover, he commanded the people living in Jerusalem to make a contribution for the priests and Levites so that they could devote themselves to the Law of the LORD.

    Here: The share allotted to the priests and Levites under the torah: offerings, firstfruits and tithes. The same word was used of the king's own share in v. 3, so king and people each supply their assigned part.

Nehemiah · 3

  1. Nehemiah 12:44 מְנָא֣וֹת [the] portions of

    And on that same day men were appointed over the rooms that housed the supplies, contributions, firstfruits, and tithes. The portions specified by the Law for the priests and Levites were gathered into these storerooms from the fields of the villages, because Judah rejoiced over the priests and Levites who were serving.

    Here: The allotted shares. This is a late Hebrew word for a person's assigned portion, used again in 12:47 and 13:10.

  2. Nehemiah 12:47 מְנָי֛וֹת [the] portions of

    So in the days of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah, all Israel contributed the daily portions for the singers and gatekeepers. They also set aside daily portions for the Levites, and the Levites set aside daily portions for the descendants of Aaron.

  3. Nehemiah 13:10 מְנָי֥וֹת [the] portions of

    I also learned that because the portions for the Levites had not been given to them, all the Levites and singers responsible for performing the service had gone back to their own fields.

    Here: The fixed shares owed to the Levites out of the tithes and contributions stored in the temple (Neh 12:44, 47). These were their living, not a meal served at the table.

Psalms · 2

  1. Psalm 11:6 מְנָ֣ת [the] portion of

    On the wicked He will rain down fiery coals and sulfur; a scorching wind will be their portion.

    Here: This is a measured-out share, what someone is counted out and assigned. The judgment is not random. It is their apportioned lot.

  2. Psalm 63:10 מְנָ֖ת [the] portion of

    They will fall to the power of the sword; they will become a portion for foxes.

Jeremiah · 1

  1. Jeremiah 13:25 מְנָת־ [the] portion of

    This is your lot, the portion I have measured to you,” declares the LORD, “because you have forgotten Me and trusted in falsehood.

    Here: A share that someone hands out. Psalms use it for the cup or share God gives, whether blessing (Ps 16:5) or judgment (Ps 11:6). It repeats and strengthens 'lot'.

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