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עָבָה

𐤏𐤁𐤄

ʻâbâh

H5666 verb

SILEX Entry

Root עבה to be thick, to be dense, to become massive

Definition

To be thick, dense, or massive. This verb denotes the physical state of being or becoming thick or dense, whether describing physical substances (such as vegetation, clouds, smoke, or even hair and fat) or, in rarer metaphorical contexts, density or intensity (such as the thickening of darkness).

Semantic Range

to be thick, to grow dense, to become massive or impenetrable (of clouds, woods, smoke, darkness, or similar substances); to thicken physically

Root / Etymology

Root עבה, whose core meaning relates to thickness or density. The verb עָבָה derives directly from this root and retains its core semantic field in its verbal forms. The root is distinct from, but sometimes conflated with, עב״ (ayin-bet-ayin), which refers to clouds or gloominess.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, עָבָה appears in a small number of texts, primarily in poetic or descriptive contexts. It is mostly used of physical phenomena, such as the thickening of clouds (e.g., Job 15:26), dense forests, or other masses. The term is not especially common and is not typically used in a metaphorical or abstract sense except by extension. It is distinct from terms like עב (cloud, mass), even though both can refer to density or thickness; עב primarily designates the thick mass or body itself (especially clouds), while עָבָה describes the state or process of thickening or becoming dense. Later biblical and post-biblical usage maintains this basic sense, and standard English translations as 'to be thick' are generally accurate, though they may not capture the full physical vividness that the Hebrew term conveys. The word does not carry significant theological or symbolic connotations and is not used of people or ethnic groups. Variants such as יַעְבֶּה (jussive, 'let it be thick') are in keeping with the physical or meteorological context.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to be dense; be (grow) thick(-er).

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

אבה (ʾ-b-h) — to be willing, to desire, to consent

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H14 אָבָה he was willing
H16 אֵבֶה papyrus reed
H17 אֲבוֹי Ah, woe!
H34 אֶבְיוֹן man in want
H35 אֲבִיּוֹנָה the desire-arousing caper berry

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5666-01 עָבָ֖ה avah HVqp3ms is thicker he was willing 2
H5666-02 עָבִ֣יתָ avita HVqp2ms you became thick you grew thick 1

Occurrences in Scripture

3 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5666-02 Deuteronomy 32:15 עָבִ֣יתָ avita HVqp2ms you became thick you grew thick
H5666-01 1 Kings 12:10 עָבָ֖ה avah HVqp3ms is thicker he was willing
H5666-01 2 Chronicles 10:10 עָבָ֖ה avah HVqp3ms is thicker he was willing
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