4022. meged
Lexical Summary
meged: Excellence, preciousness, bounty

Original Word: מֶגֶד
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: meged
Pronunciation: MEH-ged
Phonetic Spelling: (meh'-ghed)
KJV: pleasant, precious fruit (thing)
NASB: choice, choice things
Word Origin: [from an unused root probably meaning to be eminent]

1. (properly) a distinguished thing
2. hence something valuable, as a product or fruit

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
pleasant, precious fruit thing

From an unused root probably meaning to be eminent; properly, a distinguished thing; hence something valuable, as a product or fruit -- pleasant, precious fruit (thing).

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from an unused word
Definition
excellence
NASB Translation
choice (5), choice things (3), fruits* (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
מֶ֫גֶד noun masculine excellence (Late Hebrew id., choice fruit; Syriac fruit; Arabic glory, honour, nobility); — ׳מ construct Deuteronomy 33:13 4t. Deuteronomy 33; plural מְגָדִים Cant 4:13; Song 7:14; suffix מְגָדָיו Cant 4:16 — excellence: excellent or choice things; always of gifts of nature: שָׁמַיִם ׳מ Deuteronomy 33:13 i.e. (natural) gifts of heaven; תְּבוּאֹת שֶׁמֶשׁ ׳מ Deuteronomy 33:14; גֶּרֶשׁ יְרָחִים ׳מ Deuteronomy 33:14; גִּבְעוֺת עוֺלָם ׳מ Deuteronomy 33:15 ("" ראֹשׁ הַרֲרֵי קֶדֶם); אֶרֶץ וּמְלֹאָהּ ׳מ; plural abstract ׳מְּרִי מ (= excellent fruit) Songs 4:13,16; ׳מ alone = foregoing, Songs 7:14.

Topical Lexicon
Scope and Key Idea

מֶגֶד describes the best, sweetest, most sought-after produce of creation. Wherever the word appears, it signals lavish blessing—agricultural abundance in the literal sense, and by extension every rich gift that flows from the Creator’s favor.

Distribution in Scripture

Eight uses cluster in two passages: the farewell Blessing of Moses over Joseph (Deuteronomy 33:13–16, five occurrences) and the Song of Songs (4:13; 4:16; 7:13, three occurrences). Together they frame מֶגֶד as both covenant provision for the tribe that would feed the nations and as the fragrant fruit of covenant love.

Blessing of Joseph in Deuteronomy 33

1. Breadth of the gift. Moses prays that Joseph’s territory enjoy “the precious dew from heaven above and the deep waters that lie beneath” (Deuteronomy 33:13). Every layer—sky, soil, subterranean aquifers—is enlisted to deliver bounty.
2. Cycle of time. Twice in verse 14 the word marks produce driven by “the sun” and “the moons,” underscoring continual, rhythmic fruitfulness through days and months.
3. Geography of plenty. Verse 15 applies the term to “the best of the ancient mountains and the bounty of the everlasting hills,” portraying upland fertility and mineral wealth.
4. Earth filled, heaven endorsed. The series climaxes: “with the best gifts of the earth and its fullness, and the favor of Him who dwelt in the burning bush” (33:16). Divine Presence secures earthly prosperity; abundance is covenantal, not accidental.

Historical note: Ephraim and Manasseh later occupied some of Canaan’s richest pasturelands (Joshua 17). Their strategic grain supplies in the northern hill country helped sustain the United Monarchy under David and Solomon and, centuries later, became the prize sought by Aramean and Assyrian invaders. The promise of מֶגֶד proved both blessing and strategic trust test.

Imagery in the Song of Songs

1. Garden delight. “Your shoots are an orchard of pomegranates with choice fruits (מֶגֶד)” (Song of Songs 4:13). The beloved’s life overflows with nourishing sweetness; covenant intimacy produces harvest.
2. Awakening fragrance. “Let my beloved come into his garden and taste its choice fruits” (4:16). Desire is portrayed as the rightful enjoyment of God-given bounty.
3. Ripened love. “The mandrakes send forth fragrance, and at our doors are every choice fruit, new as well as old” (7:13). Mature marriage holds both fresh experiences and time-seasoned memories, all under the banner of מֶגֶד.

Pastoral observation: where Deuteronomy focuses on corporate provision, the Song applies the same term to personal, covenant fidelity. Both spheres—public and private—are meant to display God’s generous heart.

Covenant and Creation Themes

• Eden restored: Abundance echoes Genesis 1–2; the land “good and very good” reappears in Israel’s inheritance and in the lovers’ garden.
• Twelve-tribe witness: Joseph’s plentiful allotment positioned Israel to bless surrounding peoples (compare Genesis 49:22; Acts 7:10-14).
• Sabbath rhythm: Sun and moons (Deuteronomy 33:14) highlight cyclical trust—harvests depend on God’s set times, reminding Israel to rest and to praise.

Christological Significance

Old Testament bounty foreshadows the “grace in place of grace already given” (John 1:16). Jesus, the greater Joseph, secures the fullness promised:
• Material: He feeds multitudes (John 6:11-13) and prepares a final banquet (Revelation 19:9).
• Spiritual: By His Spirit believers bear “the fruit of righteousness” (Philippians 1:11).
• Eschatological: The New Jerusalem’s tree of life yields fruit every month (Revelation 22:2), uniting the Deuteronomy cycle of moons with eternal plenty.

Practical Ministry Insights

• Gratitude discipline: Recognize all provisions—paychecks, harvests, answered prayers—as מֶגֶד entrusted by God.
• Stewardship mandate: Joseph’s blessing obliges generosity; churches can mirror this by supporting famine relief and missionary supply lines.
• Marriage counseling: The Song of Songs portrays physical affection as God-honoring abundance; couples should cultivate “choice fruits” of enjoyment and faithfulness.
• Preaching application: Link agricultural metaphors to spiritual fruitfulness (Galatians 5:22-23), showing that inner character growth is as divinely sourced as external crops.

Related Hebrew Vocabulary

• טוֹב, “goodness,” speaks of inherent quality; מֶגֶד emphasizes select, praiseworthy yield.
• בְּרוֹכָה, “blessing,” describes the act; מֶגֶד often details the tangible outcome.
• פְּרִי, “fruit,” is generic; מֶגֶד highlights the cream of that fruit.

The eight occurrences of מֶגֶד thus weave a single testimony: the God who calls a people to Himself also lavishes them with the finest gifts, that they might enjoy Him, testify to His generosity, and anticipate the unending harvest of the age to come.

Forms and Transliterations
וּמִמֶּ֖גֶד וּמִמֶּ֗גֶד וממגד מְגָדִ֑ים מְגָדִ֔ים מְגָדָֽיו׃ מִמֶּ֤גֶד מגדיו׃ מגדים ממגד mə·ḡā·ḏāw mə·ḡā·ḏîm megaDav məḡāḏāw megaDim məḡāḏîm mim·me·ḡeḏ miMeged mimmeḡeḏ ū·mim·me·ḡeḏ umiMeged ūmimmeḡeḏ
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Englishman's Concordance
Deuteronomy 33:13
HEB: יְהֹוָ֖ה אַרְצ֑וֹ מִמֶּ֤גֶד שָׁמַ֙יִם֙ מִטָּ֔ל
NAS: [be] his land, With the choice things of heaven,
KJV: [be] his land, for the precious things of heaven,
INT: of the LORD his land the choice of heaven the dew

Deuteronomy 33:14
HEB: וּמִמֶּ֖גֶד תְּבוּאֹ֣ת שָׁ֑מֶשׁ
NAS: And with the choice yield of the sun,
KJV: And for the precious fruits
INT: the choice yield of the sun

Deuteronomy 33:14
HEB: תְּבוּאֹ֣ת שָׁ֑מֶשׁ וּמִמֶּ֖גֶד גֶּ֥רֶשׁ יְרָחִֽים׃
NAS: of the sun, And with the choice produce
KJV: [brought forth] by the sun, and for the precious things put forth
INT: yield of the sun the choice produce of the months

Deuteronomy 33:15
HEB: הַרְרֵי־ קֶ֑דֶם וּמִמֶּ֖גֶד גִּבְע֥וֹת עוֹלָֽם׃
NAS: mountains, And with the choice things of the everlasting
KJV: mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting
INT: mountains of the ancient the choice hills of the everlasting

Deuteronomy 33:16
HEB: וּמִמֶּ֗גֶד אֶ֚רֶץ וּמְלֹאָ֔הּ
NAS: And with the choice things of the earth
KJV: And for the precious things of the earth
INT: the choice of the earth fullness

Songs 4:13
HEB: עִ֖ם פְּרִ֣י מְגָדִ֑ים כְּפָרִ֖ים עִם־
NAS: of pomegranates With choice fruits, henna
KJV: of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits;
INT: with fruits choice henna with

Songs 4:16
HEB: וְיֹאכַ֖ל פְּרִ֥י מְגָדָֽיו׃
NAS: And eat its choice fruits!
KJV: and eat his pleasant fruits.
INT: and eat fruits choice

Songs 7:13
HEB: פְּתָחֵ֙ינוּ֙ כָּל־ מְגָדִ֔ים חֲדָשִׁ֖ים גַּם־
NAS: are all choice [fruits], Both new
KJV: and at our gates [are] all manner of pleasant [fruits], new
INT: our doors are all choice new again

8 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 4022
8 Occurrences


mə·ḡā·ḏāw — 1 Occ.
mə·ḡā·ḏîm — 2 Occ.
mim·me·ḡeḏ — 1 Occ.
ū·mim·me·ḡeḏ — 4 Occ.

4021
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