אָמָה

Genesis 20:17 וְאַמְהֹתָ֖יו and female slaves his

Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maidservants, so that they could again bear children—

Here: The slave women of the royal household. They were the king's property, and some of them could bear his children. Their fertility mattered to the king's line and to his wealth.

Genesis 21:10 הָאָמָ֥ה הָאָמָ֣ה the slave woman

and she said to Abraham, “Expel the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac!”

Here: Sarah defines Hagar by legal status alone: a female slave, the household's property. She does not use Hagar's name.

Genesis 21:12 אֲמָתֶ֔ךָ slave woman your

But God said to Abraham, “Do not be distressed about the boy and your maidservant. Listen to everything that Sarah tells you, for through Isaac your offspring will be reckoned.

Here: Hagar. The word is the same one Sarah used ('this slave woman,' v.10), but God says 'your slave woman.' That recognizes she belongs to Abraham's household and is tied to him, since she bore his son.

Genesis 21:13 הָאָמָ֖ה the slave woman

But I will also make a nation of the slave woman’s son, because he is your offspring.”

Genesis 30:3 אֲמָתִ֥י maidservant my

Then she said, “Here is my maidservant Bilhah. Sleep with her, that she may bear children for me, so that through her I too can build a family.”

Genesis 31:33 הָאֲמָהֹ֖ת the maidservants

So Laban went into Jacob’s tent, then Leah’s tent, and then the tents of the two maidservants, but he found nothing. Then he left Leah’s tent and entered Rachel’s tent.

Exodus 2:5 אֲמָתָ֖הּ maid her

Soon the daughter of Pharaoh went down to bathe in the Nile, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank. And when she saw the basket among the reeds, she sent her maidservant to retrieve it.

Exodus 20:10 וַאֲמָֽתְךָ֜֙ and female servant your

but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God, on which you must not do any work—neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant or livestock, nor the foreigner within your gates.

Here: A female slave of the household. Her rest is guaranteed alongside the male slave's; the owner may not take back the day.

Exodus 20:17 וַאֲמָתוֹ֙ and female servant his

You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, or his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

Here: 'And his female slave'. A bound woman of the household. Her labour, and sometimes her sexual and marital status (Exod 21:7–11), were under the master's control.

Exodus 21:7 לְאָמָ֑ה to a female slave

And if a man sells his daughter as a servant, she is not to go free as the menservants do.

Exodus 21:20 אֲמָתוֹ֙ female slave his

If a man strikes his manservant or maidservant with a rod, and the servant dies by his hand, he shall surely be punished.

Exodus 21:26 אֲמָת֖וֹ female slave his

If a man strikes and blinds the eye of his manservant or maidservant, he must let the servant go free as compensation for the eye.

Here: "His slave-woman." ʾāmāh is a female slave of the household. It is the same word used in 21:7–11 for a daughter sold as a slave-wife. She is owned. She is not a paid maid.

Exodus 21:27 אֲמָת֖וֹ female slave his

And if he knocks out the tooth of his manservant or maidservant, he must let the servant go free as compensation for the tooth.

Exodus 21:32 אָמָ֑ה a female slave

If the ox gores a manservant or maidservant, the owner must pay thirty shekels of silver to the master of that servant, and the ox must be stoned.

Exodus 23:12 אֲמָתְךָ֖ female slave your

For six days you are to do your work, but on the seventh day you must cease, so that your ox and your donkey may rest and the son of your maidservant may be refreshed, as well as the foreign resident.

Here: A female slave belonging to the household. Her son was a houseborn slave, about the lowest-ranking person in an Israelite household.

Leviticus 25:6 וְלַאֲמָתֶ֑ךָ and to female slave your

Whatever the land yields during the Sabbath year shall be food for you—for yourself, your manservant and maidservant, the hired hand or foreigner who stays with you,

Leviticus 25:44 וַאֲמָתְךָ֖ וְאָמָֽה׃ and female slave your, and a female slave

Your menservants and maidservants shall come from the nations around you, from whom you may purchase them.

Deuteronomy 5:14 וַ֠אֲמָתֶךָ וַאֲמָתְךָ֖ and female servant your

but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God, on which you must not do any work—neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your ox or donkey or any of your livestock, nor the foreigner within your gates, so that your manservant and maidservant may rest as you do.

Here: A slave woman of the household. She was among the most vulnerable people in it, and she is named alongside the male slave.

Deuteronomy 5:21 וַאֲמָתוֹ֙ and female servant his

You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house or field, or his manservant or maidservant, or his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

Here: 'And his female slave': a woman bound to the household. She could also be taken as a secondary wife.

Deuteronomy 12:12 וְאַמְהֹתֵיכֶ֑ם and female servants your

And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God—you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levite within your gates, since he has no portion or inheritance among you.

Here: "And your female slaves." Women of the lowest standing in the household are included too.

Deuteronomy 12:18 וַאֲמָתֶ֔ךָ and female servant your

Instead, you must eat them in the presence of the LORD your God at the place the LORD your God will choose—you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levite within your gates. Rejoice before the LORD your God in all you do,

Here: 'And your female slave'. She also eats at the table and rejoices before God. The social bottom of the household is included by name.

Deuteronomy 15:17 לַאֲמָתְךָ֖ to maidservant your

then take an awl and pierce it through his ear into the door, and he will become your servant for life. And treat your maidservant the same way.

Deuteronomy 16:11 וַאֲמָתֶךָ֒ and female servant your

and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God in the place He will choose as a dwelling for His Name—you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levite within your gates, as well as the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widows among you.

Here: A female bondservant. She is the lowest-status member of the household, and she too is included by name.

Deuteronomy 16:14 וַאֲמָתֶ֔ךָ and female servant your

And you shall rejoice in your feast—you, your sons and daughters, your menservants and maidservants, and the Levite, as well as the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widows among you.

Here: A female slave of the household. She was the lowest in standing of the family members listed, yet she is named here.

Judges 9:18 אֲמָתוֹ֙ female slave his

but you have risen up against my father’s house this day and killed his seventy sons on a single stone, and you have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the leaders of Shechem because he is your brother—

Judges 19:19 וְלַֽאֲמָתֶ֔ךָ and for maidservant your

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.”

Ruth 3:9 אֲמָתֶ֔ךָ אֲמָ֣תְךָ֔ maidservant your

“Who are you?” he asked. “I am your servant Ruth,” she replied. “Spread the corner of your garment over me, for you are a kinsman-redeemer.”

Here: A polite way of referring to oneself. In 2:13 she called herself his shifchah, the lowest kind of servant girl, and said she was not even equal to one of those. Here she uses amah, a word for a female dependent who could become a wife or secondary wife. It is a quiet step up toward the request that follows.

1 Samuel 1:11 אֲמָתֶ֗ךָ אֲמָתֶ֔ךָ לַאֲמָתְךָ֖ maidservant your, to maidservant of your

And she made a vow, saying, “O LORD of Hosts, if only You will look upon the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, not forgetting Your maidservant but giving her a son, then I will dedicate him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall ever touch his head.”

Here: “Your maidservant.” A humble way of referring to oneself before a superior. It also places her under God's household protection.

1 Samuel 1:16 אֲמָ֣תְךָ֔ maidservant your

Do not take your servant for a wicked woman, for all this time I have been praying out of the depth of my anguish and grief.”

1 Samuel 25:24 אֲמָֽתְךָ֙ אֲמָתֶֽךָ׃ maidservant your

She fell at his feet and said, “My lord, may the blame be on me alone, but please let your servant speak to you; hear the words of your servant.

Here: A woman of the household under a master's authority, used here as a formula of deference. She is the wife of a very rich man and not actually David's servant, so the word is a chosen position, placing her under his protection.

1 Samuel 25:25 אֲמָ֣תְךָ֔ maidservant your

My lord should pay no attention to this scoundrel Nabal, for he lives up to his name: His name means Fool, and folly accompanies him. I, your servant, did not see my lord’s young men whom you sent.

1 Samuel 25:28 אֲמָתֶ֑ךָ maidservant your

Please forgive your servant’s offense, for the LORD will surely make a lasting dynasty for my lord, because he fights the LORD’s battles. May no evil be found in you as long as you live.

Here: 'Your maidservant' is the courtly way of saying 'me'. A wealthy wife speaks of herself as David's servant and so takes the lowest position in the conversation.

1 Samuel 25:31 אֲמָתֶֽךָ׃ ס maidservant your

then my lord will have no remorse or guilt of conscience over needless bloodshed and revenge. And when the LORD has dealt well with my lord, may you remember your servant.”

1 Samuel 25:41 אֲמָֽתְךָ֙ maidservant your

She arose, bowed facedown, and said, “Here is your servant, ready to serve and to wash the feet of my lord’s servants.”

2 Samuel 6:20 אַמְה֣וֹת [the] maidservants of

When David returned home to bless his own household, Saul’s daughter Michal came out to meet him. “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today!” she said. “He has uncovered himself today in the sight of the maidservants of his subjects, like a vulgar person would do.”

Here: Slave-girls. They are low in rank and they are women. That is the audience she finds most humiliating.

2 Samuel 6:22 הָֽאֲמָהוֹת֙ the maidservants

and I will humiliate and humble myself even more than this. Yet I will be honored by the maidservants of whom you have spoken.”

2 Samuel 14:15 אֲמָתֽוֹ׃ maidservant his

Now therefore, I have come to present this matter to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. Your servant thought, ‘I will speak to the king. Perhaps he will grant the request of his maidservant.

2 Samuel 14:16 אֲמָת֖וֹ maidservant his

For the king will hear and deliver his maidservant from the hand of the man who would cut off both me and my son from God’s inheritance.’

2 Samuel 20:17 אֲמָתֶ֔ךָ maidservant your

When he had come near to her, the woman asked, “Are you Joab?” “I am,” he replied. “Listen to the words of your servant,” she said. “I am listening,” he answered.

1 Kings 1:13 לַאֲמָֽתְךָ֙ to maidservant your

Go at once to King David and say, ‘My lord the king, did you not swear to your maidservant, “Surely your son Solomon will reign after me, and he will sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?’

1 Kings 1:17 לַֽאֲמָתֶ֔ךָ to maidservant your

“My lord,” she replied, “you yourself swore to your maidservant by the LORD your God: ‘Surely your son Solomon will reign after me, and he will sit on my throne.’

1 Kings 3:20 וַאֲמָֽתְךָ֙ and maidservant your

So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I was asleep. She laid him in her bosom and put her dead son at my bosom.

Ezra 2:65 וְאַמְהֹֽתֵיהֶם֙ and female servants their

in addition to their 7,337 menservants and maidservants, as well as their 200 male and female singers.

Nehemiah 7:67 וְאַמְהֹֽתֵיהֶם֙ and female servants their

in addition to their 7,337 menservants and maidservants, as well as their 245 male and female singers.

Job 19:15 וְ֭אַמְהֹתַי and female servants my

My guests and maidservants count me as a stranger; I am a foreigner in their sight.

Job 31:13 וַאֲמָתִ֑י and female servant my

If I have rejected the cause of my manservant or maidservant when they made a complaint against me,

Here: 'And my slave-woman.' Job names her separately. That stresses that the women of his household, who were even more vulnerable, also had their cases heard.

Psalm 86:16 אֲמָתֶֽךָ׃ maidservant your

Turn to me and have mercy; grant Your strength to Your servant; save the son of Your maidservant.

Here: "Your slave-woman." A son born to a man's female slave was born into that man's household and belonged to it from birth. The psalmist is saying: I am not a hired hand or a recent purchase. I was born yours.

Psalm 116:16 אֲמָתֶ֑ךָ maidservant your

Truly, O LORD, I am Your servant; I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant; You have broken my bonds.

Here: 'Your slave-woman.' To be the son of the master's own slave-woman is to be born into his household. You were not bought or taken in later; you have belonged from birth. It may also suggest a mother who was herself devoted to YHWH.

Nahum 2:7 וְאַמְהֹתֶ֗יהָ and maidservants its

It is decreed that the city be exiled and carried away; her maidservants moan like doves, and beat upon their breasts.

Here: Female slaves or maidservants belonging to 'her': the women of the household, the palace, or a goddess's temple. With the city pictured as a woman, they can also stand for the city's own women.