Original Word: אֲבַטִּיחַ
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: abattiyach
Pronunciation: ah-vat-tee'-akh
Phonetic Spelling: (ab-at-tee'-akh)
KJV: melon
NASB: melons
Word Origin: [of uncertain derivation]

1. a melon (only plural)

melon

Of uncertain derivation; a melon (only plural) -- melon.

Word Origin
of uncertain derivation
Definition
watermelon
NASB Translation
melons (1).

אֲבַטִּחִים noun [masculine] plural water-melons (Mishna אבטיח, Samaritan ; compare Löw^{No. 297}; Arabic etc.; perhaps loan-word in Hebrew compare Sta^{§ 258}; modern Egyptian ba‰‰ich, bi‰‰ich compare references in Di Numbers 11:5; on formation compare Lag^{BN 10}, who compare Ethiopic aq‰ala) — Egyptian fruit, ׳הָא Numbers 11:5 ("" הִקִּשֻּׁאִים, ֶ˜החָצִיר, הַבְּצָלִים, הַשּׁוּמִים); ᵐ5 τοὺς πέπονας.

Definition and Agricultural Context

אֲבַטִּיחַ denotes the sweet, moisture-laden melon—most likely the watermelon—cultivated beside the Nile and irrigation canals. In the parched Near-Eastern climate it offered immediate refreshment, making it a prized summer crop. Egyptian wall paintings show striped, oblong melons, and archaeobotanical finds confirm their popularity by the fifteenth century B.C. Hardy vines required fertile, well-watered soil, fitting Egypt’s delta far better than Sinai’s wilderness.

Biblical Occurrence

Numbers 11:5 records the word’s only appearance: “We remember the fish we ate freely in Egypt, along with the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic”. The craving rises amid Israel’s complaints over God’s daily manna. The melon thus becomes emblematic of the culinary abundance of Egypt that Israel nostalgically magnified while minimizing the bitterness of bondage.

Symbolic and Theological Observations

1. Selective Memory of the Flesh. The melon illustrates how the heart idolizes past pleasures and forgets past chains. A single, pleasant taste can eclipse divine miracles in the human imagination (Psalm 78:11).
2. Satisfaction from Above. Manna was heaven-sent; melons were earth-grown. The contrast stresses that true life is sustained by every word from God (Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4).
3. Testing of Gratitude. The Spirit later warns that complaining undermines faith (1 Corinthians 10:10). Israel’s longing for melons exposes ingratitude and invites discipline (Numbers 11:33-34).
4. Typology of the Old Life. For believers, Egypt pictures the old slavery to sin (Romans 6:17-18). The melon thus symbolizes delights that seem harmless yet draw the heart backward (Hebrews 11:15).

Historical and Cultural Background

Ancient Egyptian texts and reliefs list melons among table delicacies served to nobility. Workers received them as part of ration lists, explaining the Israelites’ memory of “free” fish and produce—provisions granted to sustain slave labor. By contrast, the Sinai environment offered scant water, highlighting God’s miraculous care entirely apart from Nile agriculture.

Lessons for New Covenant Believers

• Discern Desires: Longing for former comforts can dull zeal for pilgrimage with Christ (Philippians 3:13-14).
• Practice Contentment: “If we have food and clothing, we will be content with these” (1 Timothy 6:8).
• Remember Deliverance: Redemption cost more than any earthly delicacy (1 Peter 1:18-19). Gratitude safeguards against the sin of Numbers 11.

Related Scriptures and Themes

Exodus 16:3 – First complaint about food post-Exodus.

Psalm 105:37-45 – Praise for God’s wilderness provision.

Nehemiah 9:20-21 – Retrospective on manna versus Egypt’s produce.

John 6:31-35 – Jesus as true Bread, surpassing physical fare.

הָֽאֲבַטִּחִ֔ים האבטחים hā’ăḇaṭṭiḥîm hā·’ă·ḇaṭ·ṭi·ḥîm haavattiChimInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts