מְרִיבָה
𐤌𐤓𐤉𐤁𐤄
Merivah
H4809 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper noun referring to two places associated with episodes of quarrelling or contention between the Israelites and YHWH in the wilderness narrative. Derived from the root meaning 'strife' or 'contention,' it is typically used as a toponym commemorating a significant dispute over water provision. In its lexical senses outside of the toponym, the word refers to a legal dispute, quarrel, or controversy.
Semantic Range
strife, contention, quarrel, dispute (abstract noun); Meribah as a place name signifying an episode of contention (proper noun); by extension, a symbol of testing or disputing the divine
Root / Etymology
From the root ריב (ר־י־ב), meaning 'to strive, contend, dispute.' The feminine noun מְרִיבָה derives from this root and denotes 'strife' or 'contention.' The use as a proper noun for the place name points to the context in which the location was named: a place marked by contention or quarrelling.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Meribah appears as the name of two distinct locations in the wilderness journey of the Israelites: (1) near Rephidim in the wilderness of Sinai (Exodus 17:1–7), and (2) at Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin (Numbers 20:1–13; Deuteronomy 32:51; Psalm 106:32). Both incidents involve the community disputing or quarrelling with Moses (and by extension, with YHWH), specifically over the lack of water. The place name thus memorializes these acts of contention. English translations render the name as 'Meribah,' usually as a direct transliteration; however, the sense of 'contention' or 'place of dispute' may not be fully felt in the English form. The same root is used for legal disputes or quarrels in other contexts in the Hebrew Bible. Over time, the name Meribah becomes emblematic of Israelite faithlessness or testing of YHWH in later biblical poetry and historical reflection (e.g., Psalm 95:8; Ezekiel 47:19). These two places, though geographically distinct, are linked thematically by the shared experience they commemorate.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
the same as מְרִיבָה; Meribah, the name of two places in the Desert; Meribah.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
ריב (r-y-b) — to contend, to quarrel, to dispute
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3080 | יְהוֹיָרִיב | to YHWH-contends |
| H3377 | יָרֵב | may he contend |
| H3401 | יָרִיב | my contenders |
| H3402 | יָרִיב | and to He-Contends |
| H4808 | מְרִיבָה | in dispute-of |
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4809-01 |
מְרִיבָ֔ה | merivah | HNp |
of Meribah | contention | 4 |
H4809-03 |
וּ/מְרִיבָ֑ה | umerivah | HC/Np |
and Meribah | and Contention-Place | 1 |
H4809-02 |
מְרִיבַ֥ת | merivat | HNp |
Meribah | Contention-of | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
6 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4809-03 |
Exodus 17:7 | וּ/מְרִיבָ֑ה | umerivah | HC/Np |
and Meribah | and Contention-Place |
H4809-01 |
Numbers 20:13 | מְרִיבָ֔ה | merivah | HNp |
of Meribah | contention |
H4809-01 |
Numbers 20:24 | מְרִיבָֽה | merivah | HNp |
Meribah | contention |
H4809-02 |
Numbers 27:14 | מְרִיבַ֥ת | merivat | HNp |
Meribah | Contention-of |
H4809-01 |
Deuteronomy 33:8 | מְרִיבָֽה | merivah | HNp |
of Meribah | contention |
H4809-01 |
Psalms 81:8 | מְרִיבָ֣ה | merivah | HNp |
of Meribah | contention |