English · KJV
H5844

עָטָה

ʻâṭâh /aw-taw'/ Ask about this word
Roota primitive root
Meaningto wrap, i.e. cover, veil, cloth, or roll
KJV usagearray self, be clad, (put a) cover (-ing, self), fill, put on, turn aside.
Idioms & phrasesidiom surely

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of ʻâṭâh — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word ʻâṭâh, represented by H5844, is a primitive root meaning to wrap, cover, veil, or roll. It appears 17 times across 15 unique verses in the Bible. While its core meaning relates to physical covering, it extends figuratively to concepts such as being clad in an attribute, being filled, or even turning aside.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In scripture, H5844 is used to convey a range of actions and states. Literally, it describes the ritual requirement for a leper to put a covering upon his upper lip Leviticus 13:45. In a display of prophetic symbolism, prophets are told to cover their lips as a sign of being confounded Micah 3:7. The word is also used metaphorically to depict divine action, as when God is clad with zeal as a cloak Isaiah 59:17 or when he promises to array himself with the land of Egypt as a shepherd puts on his garment Jeremiah 43:12. In a unique instance, it describes how the rain filleth the pools in a valley Psalms 84:6.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help illustrate the semantic field of covering and clothing:

  • H3847 lâbash: This root word means to put on a garment or clothe oneself or another. It is often used to describe being arrayed in salvation, righteousness, or strength (Isaiah 61:10, Isaiah 52:1).
  • H4598 mᵉʻîyl: This noun refers to a robe, cloke, coat, or mantle. It is the specific garment that Samuel is covered with 1 Samuel 28:14 and the item used as a metaphor for being covered in confusion Psalms 109:29.
  • H3639 kᵉlimmâh: This word for disgrace, confusion, dishonour, reproach, or shame is often the state that one is covered with. It describes the dishonor that adversaries are to be clothed with (Psalms 109:29, Psalms 71:13).

Theological Significance

The imagery associated with H5844 carries significant weight, illustrating both divine attributes and human conditions.

  • Divine Attire: The word is used to describe God's majestic appearance and readiness for action. He coverest himself with light as with a garment Psalms 104:2 and is clad with zeal as a cloke when enacting vengeance Isaiah 59:17.
  • Sign of Judgment and Shame: To be covered often signifies disgrace. Adversaries are to be covered with reproach and dishonor Psalms 71:13, and God's shortened blessing results in being covered with shame Psalms 89:45.
  • Mourning and Ritual: Covering the lower face is a sign of ceremonial uncleanness Leviticus 13:45 or of being confounded with no answer from God Micah 3:7. Ezekiel is commanded not to cover his lips, a direct contrast that emphasizes the unique nature of his message (Ezekiel 24:17, Ezekiel 24:22).

Summary

In summary, H5844 provides a rich and versatile concept of "covering." It moves beyond the simple act of putting on a garment to paint vivid pictures of divine glory, righteous judgment, and human emotion. Whether describing God clothing Himself in light, a leper performing a ritual act, or an adversary being enveloped in shame, ʻâṭâh demonstrates how a single word can convey being thoroughly wrapped in a physical, emotional, or spiritual reality.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a verb across 17 occurrences, inflected in 14 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

  • יַעְטֶה
  • עֹטֶה
  • יַעְטֶה
  • הֶעֱטִיתָ
  • יַעֲטוּ
  • יַּעַט
  • עָטוּ
  • עָטָה
  • תַעְטוּ
  • תַעְטֶה
  • יַעֲטוּ
  • עָטֹה
  • עֹטְיָה
  • עֹטְ

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H3847 לָבַשׁ or לָבֵשׁ; a primitive root; properly, wrap around, i.e. (by implication) to put on agarment or clothe (oneself, or anot H4598 מְעִיל from מָעַל in the sense of covering; a robe (i.e. upper and outer garment); cloke, coat, mantle, robe. H3639 כְּלִמָּה from כָּלַם; disgrace; confusion, dishonour, reproach, shame.

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 15 verses across 8 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Psalms (6 verses); never once in the other 31.

1
Leviticus
1
1 Samuel
6
Psalms
1
Song of Solomon
2
Isaiah
1
Jeremiah
2
Ezekiel
1
Micah

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.