אָבִיב
𐤀𐤁𐤉𐤁
ʼâbîyb
H24 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
The stage of grain development in which the ears are fresh, young, and still green—typically barley nearing ripeness but before it becomes fully dry or harvest-ready. By extension, designates the lunar month ('Aviv') in the Israelite calendar corresponding to the period when barley reaches this stage, marking the beginning of the agricultural and liturgical year.
Semantic Range
young ear of grain, fresh barley, green ears, agricultural stage of ripeness; name of the first lunar month of the Israelite calendar; period of early spring
Root / Etymology
From the root אבב (uncertain/unused), but likely related to the idea of budding or development. The term itself describes the condition of young grain, not the underlying etymological meaning of any extant verbal root. Etymology uncertain due to lack of a visible Hebrew verb; the word's usage suggests association with growth and maturing plant life.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In ancient Israelite society, 'אָבִיב' referred first to the agricultural milestone—the development of barley to the point where its ears have formed and the grain is still fresh and moist. This timing was crucial, as the festival of Passover (Pesach) and the beginning of the Israelite sacred year depended on the appearance of barley in the 'aviv' stage. The term came to denote the first month of the Israelite calendar, initially called 'Aviv' (Exodus 13:4, 23:15, Deuteronomy 16:1), later replaced by the Babylonian name 'Nisan' after the exile (Nehemiah 2:1, Esther 3:7). In all biblical instances, 'aviv' refers to either the barley stage or the month named for it, never to maize or to generic 'corn.' English translations often render this as 'Abib,' obscuring the direct agricultural connotation. Differentiated from רֵאשִׁית ('reshit,' 'first,' 'beginning') and חֹדֶשׁ ('chodesh,' 'month'), 'aviv' uniquely ties the calendar to observable natural phenomena.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from an unused root (meaning to be tender); green, i.e. a young ear of grain; hence, the name of the month Abib or Nisan; Abib, ear, green ears of corn (not maize).
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
אב (ʾ-b) — fatherhood, ancestry, origination, source
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1 | אָב | father of |
| H15 | אָבֶה | my father |
| H2 | אַב | your fathers |
| H21 | אֲבִי | my father |
| H29 | אֲבִיָּה | My Father is Yah |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H24-02 |
הָ/אָבִֽיב | haaviv | HTd/Ncmsa |
of Abib | fresh green ear | 6 |
H24-01 |
אָבִ֔יב | aviv | HNcmsa |
fresh ears | his father | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
8 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H24-01 |
Exodus 9:31 | אָבִ֔יב | aviv | HNcmsa |
was in the ear | his father |
H24-02 |
Exodus 13:4 | הָ/אָבִֽיב | haaviv | HTd/Ncmsa |
of Abib | fresh green ear |
H24-02 |
Exodus 23:15 | הָֽ/אָבִ֔יב | haaviv | HTd/Ncmsa |
of Abib | fresh green ear |
H24-02 |
Exodus 34:18 | הָ/אָבִ֑יב | haaviv | HTd/Ncmsa |
of Abib | fresh green ear |
H24-02 |
Exodus 34:18 | הָֽ/אָבִ֔יב | haaviv-2 | HTd/Ncmsa |
of Abib | fresh green ear |
H24-01 |
Leviticus 2:14 | אָבִ֞יב | aviv | HNcmsa |
fresh ears | his father |
H24-02 |
Deuteronomy 16:1 | הָ/אָבִ֔יב | haaviv | HTd/Ncmsa |
of Abib | fresh green ear |
H24-02 |
Deuteronomy 16:1 | הָֽ/אָבִ֗יב | haaviv-2 | HTd/Ncmsa |
of Abib | fresh green ear |