Original Word: עֹמֶר
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: `omer
Pronunciation: OH-mer
Phonetic Spelling: (o'-mer)
KJV: omer, sheaf
Word Origin: [from H6014 (עָמַר - To bind sheaves)]

1. (properly) a heap, i.e. a sheaf
2. also an omer, as a dry measure

omer, sheaf

From amar; properly, a heap, i.e. A sheaf; also an omer, as a dry measure -- omer, sheaf.

see HEBREW amar

I. עֹ֫מֶר noun masculine^{Leviticus 23:11} sheaf (swath, row of fallen grain, Wetzst^{Z. f. Ethnol. 1873, 273 (Syriac Dreschtafel)}, against him Vogelst^{Landwirthschaft in Pal, 61} who translates heap of sheaves); — ׳ע absolute Deuteronomy 24:19; Leviticus 23:11,12,15, construct Leviticus 23:10; figurative of food (absolute) Job 24:10; plural עֳמָרִים literal Ruth 2:7,15.

II. עֹ֫מֶר noun masculine^{Exodus 16:22} omer (compare Arabic small drinking cup or bowl; relation to I. ׳ע obscure); — a measure, only Exodus 16; — the measure itself Exodus 16:18; Exodus 16:32; Exodus 16:33; amount measured Exodus 16:16; Exodus 16:22; = 1/10 ephah Exodus 16:36; ᵐ5 γόμορ.

Overview of the Term

The Hebrew word עֹמֶר (’ōmer) denotes a specific dry measure that also came to mean a sheaf of harvested grain. Its biblical uses fall naturally into two arenas: (1) daily sustenance during Israel’s wilderness journey, and (2) formal worship and agricultural life in the Land. Across both arenas the unit underscores the Lord’s provision and the covenant obligations of gratitude and justice.

The Omer in the Wilderness (Exodus 16)

When manna first appeared, an ’ōmer served as “the tenth part of an ephah” (Exodus 16:36) and defined each person’s daily allotment. “Gather as much as each of you needs,” Moses said, “an omer for each person” (Exodus 16:16). Whether individuals gathered much or little, “the one who gathered much had no excess, and the one who gathered little had no shortage” (Exodus 16:18). The measure thus became a tangible lesson in divine equality: all Israel lived by grace, none lacking, none hoarding. Moses later preserved “an omer of manna” before the LORD (Exodus 16:33) as a perpetual testimony to future generations. The stored portion, placed beside the Ark, pointed to God’s faithfulness and prefigured the Bread of Life who would come down from heaven (John 6:31-35).

Cultic Use: The Wave Sheaf Offering (Leviticus 23:10-15)

After entering the Promised Land, Israel was commanded: “Bring to the priest a sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest” (Leviticus 23:10). On the day after the Sabbath during Passover week, the priest “is to wave the sheaf before the LORD, so that you may be accepted” (Leviticus 23:11). With the wave-sheaf came an accompanying burnt offering and grain offering “two-tenths of an ephah” (Leviticus 23:12-13), linking the omer to sacrificial worship.

This rite inaugurated the countdown to Shavuot (Pentecost): “From the day after the Sabbath […] count off seven full weeks. You shall count off fifty days” (Leviticus 23:15-16). Hence the period became known in Jewish tradition as Sefirat HaOmer, the counting of the omer. From a Christian perspective, the waving of the first-sheaf foreshadows Christ’s resurrection, “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20), while Pentecost celebrates the outpouring of the Spirit, the harvest of souls.

Agricultural and Social Ethics

The omer also appears in laws protecting the poor. “When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it. It shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow” (Deuteronomy 24:19). Ruth 2 records how Ruth gleaned behind Boaz’s reapers and “beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an omer of barley” (Ruth 2:17, implied by 2:7, 2:15). Here the measure embodies covenant kindness: the needy are preserved through the generosity of the landowner, illustrating the gospel pattern of redemption.

Socio-Economic Implications (Job 24:10)

Job laments oppressive landlords who “carry away the sheaves of the poor” (Job 24:10). The misuse of the omer signifies systemic injustice that provokes divine displeasure. In prophetic perspective, honest scales and measures belong to the essence of righteousness (Leviticus 19:35-36; Amos 8:4-6).

Typological and Christological Significance

1. Provision: Daily manna in omer units highlights Christ as the sufficiency of God’s people (Matthew 6:11).
2. Preservation: The memorial omer stored before the LORD anticipates the eternal memorial of Christ’s finished work in the heavenly sanctuary (Hebrews 9:24).
3. Firstfruits: The waved omer signals resurrection hope, fulfilled in Jesus and extended to those “raised with Him” (Colossians 3:1).
4. Harvest: Pentecost’s culmination after forty-nine days of counting pictures the ingathering of nations through the gospel (Acts 2).

Lessons for Contemporary Ministry

• Dependence: Ministries flourish when they recognize that daily bread—spiritual and material—lies in God’s hand, not in human effort.
• Equity: The wilderness omer challenges leaders to ensure that abundance is shared and scarcity eliminated within the body of Christ.
• Worship: Firstfruits giving remains a principle of honoring God with the earliest and best of one’s increase (Proverbs 3:9).
• Justice: Faith-based communities must guard against exploitative practices that “rob the poor” of their sheaves, advocating for fair wages and compassionate outreach.

Summary

From manna in the desert to sheaves in the field, the ’ōmer functions as a measure of provision, remembrance, worship, and justice. Rooted in historical events yet rich in theological symbolism, it calls believers to trust God’s daily supply, celebrate the resurrection’s firstfruits, and embody covenant faithfulness toward the vulnerable.

בָֽעֳמָרִ֔ים בָעֹ֔מֶר בעמר בעמרים הָֽעֳמָרִ֛ים הָעֹ֑מֶר הָעֹ֖מֶר הָעֹ֙מֶר֙ הָעֹ֛מֶר העמר העמרים וְהָעֹ֕מֶר והעמר עֹ֖מֶר עֹ֛מֶר עֹ֣מֶר עֹֽמֶר׃ עמר עמר׃ ‘ō·mer ‘ōmer ḇā‘omārîm ḇā‘ōmer ḇā·‘o·mā·rîm ḇā·‘ō·mer hā‘omārîm hā‘ōmer hā·‘o·mā·rîm hā·‘ō·mer haOmer hoomaRim Omer vaOmer vehaOmer voomaRim wə·hā·‘ō·mer wəhā‘ōmerInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts