The Hebrew word meytab means the best or most excellent of something. It derives from the root yatab (H3190, to be good, do well) and denotes the superlative quality — the very finest or most desirable portion. It appears in contexts where the choicest land, possessions, or offerings are described.
When Pharaoh told Joseph to settle his family in the meytab — the best — of Egypt's land, it demonstrated God's providential care for His covenant people even in a foreign land. When Israel was to make restitution for theft, they were to pay from the meytab of their own fields. This principle of giving the best runs throughout Scripture and reaches its culmination in God's own gift: He did not give from His leftovers but gave His very best — His only Son — for the redemption of the world.