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אֵב

𐤀𐤁

ʼêb

H4 noun

SILEX Entry

Root uncertain to sprout, be green, be fresh (root-level meanings assumed from context)

Definition

A green plant, specifically young or fresh vegetation, especially in the context of sprouting leaves or shoots; by extension, fruit or produce during its earliest stage of development. Used almost exclusively in early Aramaic sections of the Bible to denote verdant growth or new foliage, with an emphasis on the freshness and vitality of the plant life described.

Semantic Range

fresh shoot, green leaf, verdant plant, sprout, early fruit

Root / Etymology

Root/Etymology: Root uncertain. While possibly related to the Hebrew root אָבָה (to desire, wish) or to a cognate in other Semitic languages conveying 'greenness' or 'freshness,' the precise origin is unclear. The term functions as an Aramaic noun referring to young or newly sprouted plant life, distinct from common Hebrew botanical terminology.

Historical & Contextual Notes

This word appears primarily in the Aramaic portions of the Hebrew Bible (notably Daniel 4:12, 14, 21, 23), consistently describing verdant, growing plant life as a sign of vitality, abundance, or renewal. The term emphasizes youth and freshness as opposed to mature produce (for which יֶלֶד or פֶּרִי would be used in Hebrew). English translations often render it as 'leaves' or 'fresh growth' rather than simply 'fruit,' which risks downplaying its actual emphasis on green, living shoots. The usage is not widespread in Classical Hebrew literature outside of Aramaic passages, and thus remains a distinctive linguistic feature of the biblical Aramaic texts. In post-biblical Aramaic, its meaning retains this early freshness and greenness, focused less on mature fruit and more on sprouting life.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

(Aramaic) corresponding to אֵב; {a green plant}; fruit.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

אב (ʾ-b) — greenness, sprouting, fresh growth

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1 אָב father of
H15 אָבֶה my father
H2 אַב your fathers
H21 אֲבִי my father
H24 אָבִיב his father

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H4-02 וְ/אִנְבֵּ֣/הּ veinebeh AC/Ncmsc/Sp3ms and-its-fruit and his fresh shoot 2
H4-01 אִנְבֵּ֑/הּ inebeh ANcmsc/Sp3ms its-fruit its fresh shoot 1

Occurrences in Scripture

3 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H4-02 Daniel 4:9 וְ/אִנְבֵּ֣/הּ veinebeh AC/Ncmsc/Sp3ms and-its-fruit and his fresh shoot
H4-01 Daniel 4:11 אִנְבֵּ֑/הּ inebeh ANcmsc/Sp3ms its-fruit its fresh shoot
H4-02 Daniel 4:18 וְ/אִנְבֵּ֣/הּ veinebeh AC/Ncmsc/Sp3ms and-its-fruit and his fresh shoot
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