Original Word: מִסְפוֹא
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: micpow'
Pronunciation: mis-PO
Phonetic Spelling: (mis-po')
KJV: provender
NASB: fodder, feed
Word Origin: [from an unused root meaning to collect]

1. fodder

provender

From an unused root meaning to collect; fodder -- provender.

Word Origin
from an unused word
Definition
fodder
NASB Translation
feed (2), fodder (3).

מִסְמּוֺא noun masculine^{Genesis 24:25} fodder; — always absolute ׳מ, Genesis 24:25, elsewhere object of נָתַן Genesis 24:32; Genesis 43:24 (all J) Genesis 42:27 (E) Judges 19:19.

Definition and Scope

מִסְפוֹא denotes fodder or provender prepared for beasts of burden—typically straw mixed with grain or cut forage kept on hand for camels, donkeys, horses, and oxen. The word assumes a settled agrarian context where domesticated animals were integral to travel, trade, and agricultural labor.

Biblical Occurrences

1. Genesis 24:25 – Rebekah assures Abraham’s servant, “We have plenty of straw and feed, as well as room to spend the night.”
2. Genesis 24:32 – Upon arrival, “he unloaded the camels and gave them straw and feed.”
3. Genesis 42:27 – On the journey home from Egypt, “one of them opened his sack to feed his donkey” and discovered his silver.
4. Genesis 43:24 – Joseph’s steward “brought water for them to wash their feet and provided feed for their donkeys.”
5. Judges 19:19 – The traveling Levite tells his prospective host, “We have both straw and feed for our donkeys,” emphasizing self-sufficiency.

Cultural and Historical Background

In the patriarchal and tribal periods, pack animals extended the range of commerce and migration. Because journeys often traversed arid zones with sparse grazing, travelers carried or secured fodder in advance. Offering mispōʾ to a guest’s animals was therefore an indispensable element of hospitality, equal in courtesy to providing water for foot washing or bread for the traveler himself (compare Genesis 18:4–5). Possessing surplus fodder indicated wealth and readiness to honor others; withholding it signaled inhospitable neglect.

Theological and Ministry Implications

Hospitality in Scripture consistently intertwines concern for people and their livestock. The gracious provision of mispōʾ reflects the biblical ethic that “the righteous care for the needs of their animals” (Proverbs 12:10). Scenes featuring this term underscore:
• Covenant kindness: Rebekah’s generous offer prefigures the covenant marriage between Isaac and Rebekah, a union that advances God’s redemptive plan (Genesis 24).
• Providential care: The hidden silver in the brothers’ sacks, found while feeding their donkeys, heightens the drama of Joseph’s reconciliation narrative and demonstrates God’s unseen governance (Genesis 42–43).
• Moral contrast: In Judges 19, the Levite’s assurance that he has fodder highlights the failure of the men of Gibeah to provide basic hospitality, exposing the spiritual decay of Israel during the period of the judges.

Symbolic Insights

1. Sustenance for beasts parallels God’s promise to sustain all creation (Psalm 104:14).
2. Readiness to supply fodder mirrors spiritual preparedness; just as animals require feed, believers require the nourishment of the Word (Matthew 4:4).
3. The mention of mispōʾ in pivotal narratives subtly reminds readers that God’s covenant purposes operate amid mundane details; nothing is too small for divine concern.

Practical Applications

• Cultivate hospitality that attends to the full spectrum of guest needs, whether human or animal.
• Practice stewardship of resources, recognizing that provision for animals is part of faithful dominion.
• Use everyday acts of care—like feeding livestock—as occasions to testify to God’s generous character.

Related Scripture Themes

Hospitality – Romans 12:13; Hebrews 13:2

Providence – Matthew 6:26; Philippians 4:19

Stewardship of Creation – Genesis 1:28; Proverbs 27:23

Summary

מִסְפוֹא appears only five times, yet its presence illuminates a biblical theology of hospitality, stewardship, and divine providence. By recording the simple act of providing fodder, Scripture calls believers to honor God in the ordinary, trusting that He who “gives food to all flesh” (Psalm 136:25) also furthers His gracious purposes through the humble care of animals.

וּמִסְפּוֹא֙ ומספוא מִסְפּ֖וֹא מִסְפּ֛וֹא מִסְפּוֹא֙ מספוא mis·pō·w misPo mispōw ū·mis·pō·w umispO ūmispōwInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts