Hebrew word · H4554

מִסְפּוֹא

mispo'

fodder

Fodder or provender for pack animals. The exact makeup is unknown and may have included grain. It appears only five times in the Hebrew Bible (Gen 24:25, 32; 42:27; 43:24; Judg 19:19), always for travellers' animals.

Appears 5 times in 5 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

fodder, feed

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 24:32

Range of meaning

Fodder or provender for pack animals. The exact makeup is unknown and may have included grain. It appears only five times in the Hebrew Bible (Gen 24:25, 32; 42:27; 43:24; Judg 19:19), always for travellers' animals.

Against the English

KJV 'provender' is accurate but archaic. 'Feed' or 'fodder' are clear modern equivalents.

Used elsewhere in the period

In the Joseph story (Gen 42:27; 43:24) the brothers' donkeys get fodder at a lodging place. In Judg 19:19 an old man in Gibeah hosts a Levite and his donkeys with the same pair, straw and fodder.

From the study of Genesis 43:24

Range of meaning

Fodder or provender for animals. It occurs only five times: Genesis 24:25, 24:32, 42:27, 43:24 and Judges 19:19. It is distinguished from teven (straw, chopped straw) in Gen 24:25 and Judg 19:19, so it was probably a grain-based or mixed feed.

Against the English

KJV/YLT 'provender' and WEB/NIV 'fodder' are accurate. The BSB's 'food' is correct but loses the technical term.

Used elsewhere in the period

Gen 24:25, 32: Rebekah offers and Laban gives 'straw and fodder' to the camels of Abraham's servant, in the same sequence as here (house, water for feet, fodder). Judg 19:19–21: the old man of Gibeah feeds the Levite's donkeys and gives water for feet. Gen 42:27: a brother opens his sack to give mispo to his donkey and finds his silver, the discovery that set off the fear behind this chapter.

Where it appears

Genesis · 4

  1. Genesis 24:25 מִסְפּ֖וֹא fodder

    Then she added, “We have plenty of straw and feed, as well as a place for you to spend the night.”

  2. Genesis 24:32 וּמִסְפּוֹא֙ and fodder

    So the man came to the house, and the camels were unloaded. Straw and feed were brought to the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of his companions.

    Here: 'And fodder', a more general word for animal feed (possibly grain or a mixed feed), always used for pack animals of travellers (Gen 42:27; 43:24; Judg 19:19). Laban had already offered this in v. 25.

  3. Genesis 42:27 מִסְפּ֛וֹא fodder

    At the place where they lodged for the night, one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey, and he saw his silver in the mouth of the sack.

  4. Genesis 43:24 מִסְפּ֖וֹא fodder

    And the steward took the men into Joseph’s house, gave them water to wash their feet, and provided food for their donkeys.

    Here: Animal feed, probably mixed fodder rather than plain straw (Gen 24:25 lists it beside straw). Feeding a guest's animals was part of receiving him properly.

Judges · 1

  1. Judges 19:19 מִסְפּוֹא֙ fodder

    even though there is both straw and feed for our donkeys, and bread and wine for me and the maidservant and young man with me. There is nothing that we, your servants, lack.”

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