### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **mimkereth**, represented by `{{H4466}}`, denotes **a sale** or is used in the phrase **sold as**. It is a highly specific term, appearing only **1 time** in **1 unique verse** within the Old Testament. Its meaning is derived from its feminine form of a related word for sale.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The sole use of `{{H4466}}` is in Leviticus, where God establishes a law concerning the Israelites. He declares that because they are His servants, whom He brought out of Egypt, "they shall not be sold **as** bondmen" [[Leviticus 25:42]]. Here, the word is part of a compound phrase that prohibits a specific kind of sale—one that would reduce an Israelite to the permanent status of a chattel slave, contradicting their status as servants of God.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words provide crucial context for the concept of being sold and servitude:
* `{{H4376}}` **mâkar** (to sell): This is the root verb from which `{{H4466}}` is derived. It can mean to sell literally, as when Joseph's brothers **sold** him into Egypt [[Genesis 37:28]], or figuratively, as when the LORD **sold** a disobedient Israel into the hands of their enemies [[Judges 2:14]].
* `{{H5650}}` **ʻebed** (a servant): This term for **servant** or bondman is central to understanding the prohibition in [[Leviticus 25:42]]. God identifies the Israelites as His **servants**, a status of honor and protection, making it unlawful for them to be sold into the permanent bondage implied by the phrase in which `{{H4466}}` appears.
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H4466}}` is significant despite its single appearance, as it underscores a core principle of redemption.
* **Divine Ownership:** The prohibition is founded on God's claim over Israel. Because they are His **servants** (`ebed`), they cannot be sold in a way that transfers ultimate ownership to a human master [[Leviticus 25:42]].
* **Redemption's Limits on Servitude:** God's act of bringing Israel out of Egypt, the "house of **bondage**" [[Exodus 13:3]], establishes a new reality. Their past redemption prevents them from being subjected to the same kind of permanent enslavement again.
* **A Special Status:** The use of `{{H4466}}` in the phrase "sold as bondmen" distinguishes between permissible forms of servitude and a forbidden type of sale. This highlights the unique and protected status of the people God calls "my **servant**" [[Isaiah 42:1]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H4466}}` is a precise legal and theological term. Its one occurrence in scripture is pivotal, establishing that God's redemptive ownership of His people sets a permanent boundary on human-to-human transactions. It codifies the principle that those redeemed by God cannot be treated as mere property, for they already belong to Him as His servants.
TRV