Original Word: עֲדַף
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: `adaph
Pronunciation: ah-daf'
Phonetic Spelling: (aw-daf')
KJV: be more, odd number, be (have) over (and above), overplus, remain
NASB: excess, left over, balance
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to be (causatively, have) redundant

be more, odd number, be have over and above, remain

A primitive root; to be (causatively, have) redundant -- be more, odd number, be (have) over (and above), overplus, remain.

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to remain over, be in excess
NASB Translation
balance (1), excess (4), left over (4).

[עָדַף] verb remain over, be in excess, synonym of סרח q. v., only P H (Late Hebrew id., Aramaic עָדִיף superior (to); Arabic be profuse, IV. let down veil, or curtain, etc.; plentifulness); —

Qal Participle סֶרַח הָעֹדֵף Exodus 26:12 the surplus (of curtains) that remains over, so feminine הָעֹדֶ֫פֶת Exodus 26:12, and הָעֹדֵף as substantive Exodus 26:13 the excess in (ב) length; הָעֹדֵף = the surplus of food Exodus 16:23, of price of field Leviticus 25:27; הָעֹדְפִים עַלֿ those over and above, Numbers 3:46,49, compare Numbers 3:48 (no עַלֿ).

Hiph`il Perfect3masculine singular הֶעְדִּיף Exodus 16:18 have a surplus (of manna; opposed to הֶחְסִיר).

Root Idea and Range of Meaning

עֲדַף consistently denotes what is “left over,” “surplus,” or “exceeds.” Whether the word describes food, fabric, years, or people, it points to God-given excess that must be handled according to His revealed order.

Provision and Equality (Exodus 16:18, 23)

When manna first appeared, Israel’s instinct was to hoard. Yet “whoever gathered much had no excess, and whoever gathered little had no shortage” (Exodus 16:18). עֲדַף underlines a miracle of proportionality: God supplied each household precisely what it needed. The same term governs Sabbath preparation (Exodus 16:23), where what “remained” was divinely preserved. The episodes teach two complementary truths—daily dependence and Sabbath rest—both safeguarded by the Lord’s management of surplus.

Craftsmanship of the Tabernacle (Exodus 26:12-13)

In describing the goat-hair curtains, Moses twice marks “the half curtain that is left over” (עֲדַף). The remaining cubit was to “hang over the rear of the tabernacle” (26:13). Even fabric excess was assigned purpose; nothing random appeared in the dwelling place of God. Surplus served beauty, proportion, and protection, illustrating that apparent leftovers contribute to divine design.

Economic Equity in the Jubilee Code (Leviticus 25:27)

The redemption formula for sold land instructs the seller to “refund the excess” (עֲדַף) years’ worth of value when repurchasing his property. The term frames surplus not as profit to exploit but as value to restore. Jubilee legislation thus converts excess into an instrument of familial stability and covenant faithfulness.

Redemption of the Firstborn (Numbers 3:46-49)

Because Israel’s firstborn sons outnumbered Levi’s males by 273, the “excess” (עֲדַף) required ransom money. Moses collected “five shekels for each one” (Numbers 3:47) and gave it to Aaron. Surplus people, like surplus wealth, came under redemption. The passage stresses substitutionary logic that anticipates fuller atonement: the many are covered by the appointed priesthood through divinely set valuation.

Theological Themes

1. Divine Sufficiency: God measures both need and excess, securing equity among His people.
2. Stewardship of Surplus: Whether material, temporal, or relational, all overflow belongs to the Lord and must be redirected toward His purposes.
3. Redemption Motif: Extra firstborn Israelites foreshadow the need for a greater Redeemer who pays for all human surplus of guilt.
4. Sacred Order: Even the smallest residue of curtain fabric illustrates intentional design within worship.

Ministry Reflections

• Congregational Provision—Church benevolence funds should mirror manna economics, balancing abundance and lack so that “he who gathered much had no excess.”
• Facilities and Resources—Leftover or under-used assets, like the tabernacle’s half curtain, can extend ministry reach rather than sit idle.
• Financial Counseling—Leviticus 25 underscores fair recalculation when circumstances change, encouraging transparent, restorative practices.
• Gospel Presentation—Numbers 3 prepares hearts to see Christ as the ultimate payment for humanity’s “excess” beyond the priesthood’s capacity.

Practical Application for Believers

Personal budgets, church planning, and mission initiatives should all ask: “What has God allowed to ‘remain’ with me, and how can that surplus advance His kingdom?” By treating every עֲדַף as entrusted overflow, Christians live out the rhythm of reliance, rest, and redemptive generosity woven through the Torah’s nine strategic uses of the term.

בָּעֹדֵ֔ף בעדף הֶעְדִּיף֙ הָ֣עֹדֵ֔ף הָעֹ֣דְפִ֔ים הָעֹֽדְפִים֙ הָעֹדְפִ֖ים הָעֹדֵ֔ף הָעֹדֶ֔פֶת העדיף העדף העדפים העדפת bā‘ōḏêp̄ bā·‘ō·ḏêp̄ baoDef hā‘ōḏêp̄ hā‘ōḏep̄eṯ hā‘ōḏəp̄îm hā·‘ō·ḏe·p̄eṯ hā·‘ō·ḏə·p̄îm hā·‘ō·ḏêp̄ haoDef haoDefet haodeFim he‘·dîp̄ he‘dîp̄ heDifInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts