Hebrew word · H572

אַמְתַּ֫חַת

'amtechot

sack

A sack or travel bag for carrying grain. It is probably related to the root mātaḥ, 'to spread out', which would make it a bag that opens wide or is stretched.

Appears 15 times in 12 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

1) sack, flexible container (for grain)

2) (TWOT) spread out

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 43:22

Range of meaning

A sack or travel bag for carrying grain. It is probably related to the root mātaḥ, 'to spread out', which would make it a bag that opens wide or is stretched.

Against the English

'Sacks' (KJV, BSB, WEB) or 'bags' (YLT). Either is fine.

Used elsewhere in the period

It appears only in Genesis 42-44, about fifteen times. The story also uses the ordinary word śaq, 'sack', in 42:25, 27, 35. Scholars debate whether the two words mean different containers or are simply stylistic variation, possibly reflecting different strands of tradition. The Greek Septuagint renders ʾamtaḥat as marsippos, 'pouch, bag'.

From the study of Genesis 43:12

Range of meaning

A sack or bag, probably named from a root meaning 'spread out' or 'stretch', so something like 'expandable bag'. It is used for carrying grain and belongings on a donkey.

Against the English

'Sacks' (BSB, KJV, WEB) and 'bags' (YLT) are both fine.

Used elsewhere in the period

In the whole Hebrew Bible it occurs only in Gen 42–44, where it alternates with the common word saq ('sack', 42:25, 27, 35). Some source critics have used this switching in vocabulary to argue that two strands of the story were woven together. Others treat it as simple variation in style. Either way, it has no bearing on the meaning here.

From the study of Genesis 43:21

Range of meaning

'Sack, bag' for carrying grain, probably from a root meaning 'to spread out / stretch'. It occurs only in Genesis 42–44.

Against the English

Almost all versions: 'sack(s)'. YLT 'bag'. No real drift.

Used elsewhere in the period

Used alongside saq ('sack', also the word for sackcloth) in 42:25–28; in 44:1–12 the silver cup is hidden in Benjamin's amtakhat. The repetition makes the sack a recurring stage-prop of the Joseph story.

Where it appears

Genesis · 15

  1. Genesis 42:27 אַמְתַּחְתּֽוֹ׃ sack his

    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.

  2. Genesis 42:28 בְאַמְתַּחְתִּ֑י in sack my

    “My silver has been returned!” he said to his brothers. “It is here in my sack.” Their hearts sank, and trembling, they turned to one another and said, “What is this that God has done to us?”

  3. Genesis 43:12 אַמְתְּחֹֽתֵיכֶם֙ sacks your

    Take double the silver with you so that you may return the silver that was put back into the mouths of your sacks. Perhaps it was a mistake.

    Here: Travel sacks or bags for grain. The word appears in the Bible only in the Joseph story (Gen 42–44).

  4. Genesis 43:18 בְּאַמְתְּחֹתֵ֙ינוּ֙ in sacks our

    But the brothers were frightened that they had been taken to Joseph’s house. “We have been brought here because of the silver that was returned in our bags the first time,” they said. “They intend to overpower us and take us as slaves, along with our donkeys.”

  5. Genesis 43:21 אַמְתְּחֹתֵ֔ינוּ אַמְתַּחְתּ֔וֹ sacks our, sack his

    But when we came to the place we lodged for the night, we opened our sacks and, behold, each of us found his silver in the mouth of his sack! It was the full amount of our silver, and we have brought it back with us.

    Here: 'Our sacks'. A word found only in the Joseph story (Gen 42–44): the grain bags they loaded on their donkeys, which were opened at the top to get fodder or food.

  6. Genesis 43:22 בְּאַמְתְּחֹתֵֽינוּ׃ in sacks our

    We have brought additional silver with us to buy food. We do not know who put our silver in our sacks.”

    Here: A rare word for a grain sack or travel bag. In the Bible it appears only in the Joseph story (Gen 42-44).

  7. Genesis 43:23 בְּאַמְתְּחֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם in sacks your

    “It is fine,” said the steward. “Do not be afraid. Your God, the God of your father, gave you the treasure that was in your sacks. I received your silver.” Then he brought Simeon out to them.

    Here: A word found only in the Joseph story (Gen 42–44): the travel-bags or grain-packs on the donkeys. The same sacks become the scene of the cup-'theft' set-up in chapter 44.

  8. Genesis 44:1 אַמְתְּחֹ֤ת אַמְתַּחְתּֽוֹ׃ [the] sacks of, sack his

    Then Joseph instructed his steward: “Fill the men’s sacks with as much food as they can carry, and put each one’s silver in the mouth of his sack.

  9. Genesis 44:2 אַמְתַּ֣חַת [the] sack of

    Put my cup, the silver one, in the mouth of the youngest one’s sack, along with the silver for his grain.” So the steward did as Joseph had instructed.

  10. Genesis 44:8 אַמְתְּחֹתֵ֔ינוּ sacks our

    We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found in the mouths of our sacks. Why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house?

  11. Genesis 44:11 אַמְתַּחְתּ֖וֹ אַמְתַּחְתּֽוֹ׃ sack his

    So each one quickly lowered his sack to the ground and opened it.

  12. Genesis 44:12 בְּאַמְתַּ֖חַת in [the] sack of

    The steward searched, beginning with the oldest and ending with the youngest—and the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack.

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