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עָבוּר

𐤏𐤁𐤅𐤓

ʻâbûwr

H5669 noun

SILEX Entry

Root עבד to pass over, cross, traverse

Definition

A supply of grain that has been stored from a previous harvest, typically referring to grain that has 'crossed over' from one agricultural season to the next and is available at the time of new harvests. The term indicates produce carried over, usually wheat or other cereal grains, distinguishing it from freshly harvested grain. In biblical usage, עָבוּר is grain that has survived the winter, i.e., preserved or old grain still in storage at the time of bringing the new offering.

Semantic Range

stored grain, old grain, grain from previous harvest, preserved grain, grain carried over to next season

Root / Etymology

From the root עָבַר (to pass over, cross); עָבוּר is a nominal form indicating 'that which has passed/been carried over,' here in the sense of produce that has lasted from the previous season. Root meaning ('to pass, cross, go over') informs the notion of grain that has 'passed over' the interval between harvests. Derivation is clear and consistent with the semantic development.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In ancient Israelite society, agriculture was seasonal, and the availability of grain from one harvest to the next was critical for survival. עָבוּר occurs only a few times in the Hebrew Bible (notably Joshua 5:11-12, Leviticus 23:14), always in reference to stored grain available at the time of the grain offering or the onset of the new harvest. It is contrasted with fresh, newly harvested grain. Rabbinic tradition and later translators sometimes rendered עָבוּר as 'old corn' or 'stored grain,' and in Christian translations (such as KJV, 'old corn of the land'), the phrase may mislead modern readers into thinking of corn (maize), which was unknown in the ancient Near East. The meaning is limited to cereal grain carried over from previous years' crops, and does not refer to legumes or other stored foods. The word does not connote decay or inferiority, but rather successful preservation. It contrasts with terms like קָצִיר (fresh harvest, reaped grain), and has no religious connotation in itself; however, the use of עָבוּר is tied to ritual context (firstfruits, offerings) and agricultural cycles. Its meaning is consistent across periods; later rabbinic sources use similar terminology to distinguish stored grain from the newly harvested produce for ritual and legal purposes. 'Old corn' is a translation anachronism since 'corn' in this sense refers only to cereal grain.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

the same as עָבוּר; passed, i.e. kept over; used only of stored grain; old corn.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

עבר (ʿ-b-r) — to pass over, cross, traverse

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4569 מַעֲבָר the crossing-places
H5668 עָבוּר for the sake of
H5674 עָבַר I will cause to pass over
H5675 עֲבַר he crossed over
H5676 עֵבֶר his far sides

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5669-01 מֵ/עֲב֥וּר meavur HR/Ncmsc from the produce from carried-over grain of 2

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5669-01 Joshua 5:11 מֵ/עֲב֥וּר meavur HR/Ncmsc of the produce from carried-over grain of
H5669-01 Joshua 5:12 מֵ/עֲב֣וּר meavur HR/Ncmsc from the produce from carried-over grain of
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