← H5673 H5675 →

עָבַר

𐤏𐤁𐤓

ʻâbar

H5674 verb

SILEX Entry

Root עבר to cross, pass over, go beyond

Definition

To pass over, cross, or traverse a physical or conceptual boundary; to proceed beyond or through, whether literally (crossing a river, territory, or threshold) or figuratively (overcoming, transgressing, or passing a point of time or action). Used in a wide variety of contexts, including: moving from one side to another, the passing of years or time, the act of transgressing a command or limit, removal or taking away, experiencing or enduring an event, causing something or someone to cross or move, and in specific idioms such as proclaiming (as in 'to make something pass over the lips') and in euphemisms for sexual intercourse (to cover or enter).

Semantic Range

to cross (a river, road, boundary), to traverse a distance, to go through, to pass by, to pass away (cease to exist), to make something or someone cross, to transfer, to remove, to escape, to transgress a law or command, to proclaim (cause to be proclaimed), to cover sexually, to incite anger, to alter, to travel, to change condition, to be delivered or handed over

Root / Etymology

Root ע-ב-ר (עָבַר); core meaning: to cross, pass over. The verb derives directly from the root, with the base idea of movement from one side to another, whether physical, temporal, or metaphorical. Its various stems (Qal, Piel, Hiphil, etc.) express simple, intensive, and causative nuances of 'passing over' or 'causing to pass over.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

עָבַר is one of the most widely used and polyvalent verbs in Biblical Hebrew, covering literal, spatial movement (crossing a river, entering a land), temporal transitions (passing days or years), as well as metaphorical senses (transgression of laws, removal, transferal, changing status). In legal and prophetic contexts, it often refers to transgressing commandments or authority, hence developments such as 'transgressor.' The act of proclaiming (e.g., Jubilees, announcements) involves the idiomatic use 'to make pass over' the land or people. In some texts, the root also forms the basis for terms for 'traveller' or 'wayfarer' (עֹבֵר דֶּרֶךְ). The term also appears in sexual euphemism and in idioms for causing things to cease or be removed. In later Hebrew/Judean usage, related nouns came to denote 'Hebrew' (עִבְרִי), likely referring to one 'from beyond' (the river). English translations vary widely; no single rendering captures all uses. Differentiated from other motion verbs (e.g., בּוֹא 'to come', יָצָא 'to go out', חלף 'to pass by'). Frequency and breadth of use remain constant from early biblical to late Second Temple periods, while post-biblical usage increasingly narrows towards the idea of 'transgress.'

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to cross over; used very widely of any transition (literal or figurative; transitive, intransitive, intensive, causative); specifically, to cover (in copulation); alienate, alter, [idiom] at all, beyond, bring (over, through), carry over, (over-) come (on, over), conduct (over), convey over, current, deliver, do away, enter, escape, fail, gender, get over, (make) go (away, beyond, by, forth, his way, in, on, over, through), have away (more), lay, meddle, overrun, make partition, (cause to, give, make to, over) pass(-age, along, away, beyond, by, -enger, on, out, over, through), (cause to, make) [phrase] proclaim(-amation), perish, provoke to anger, put away, rage, [phrase] raiser of taxes, remove, send over, set apart, [phrase] shave, cause to (make) sound, [idiom] speedily, [idiom] sweet smelling, take (away), (make to) transgress(-or), translate, turn away, (way-) faring man, be wrath.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

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

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4569 מַעֲבָר the crossing-places
H5668 עָבוּר for the sake of
H5669 עָבוּר from carried-over grain of
H5675 עֲבַר he crossed over
H5676 עֵבֶר his far sides

Word Forms

130 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5674-61 עֹבֵ֖ר over HVqrmsa passing by one crossing over 49
H5674-88 וַ/יַּעֲבֹ֤ר vayaavor HC/Vqw3ms and he passed through and he crossed over 38
H5674-02 עָבַ֔ר avar HVqp3ms crossed he crossed over 30
H5674-63 עֹבְרִ֖ים overim HVqrmpa passing over the crossing-ones 29
H5674-126 יַעֲבֹ֤ר yaavor HVqi3ms pass he will cross over 27
H5674-15 עָבְר֖וּ averu HVqp3cp passed over they crossed over 26
H5674-94 וְ/עָבַ֣ר veavar HC/Vqq3ms and passed and he crossed over 24
H5674-81 וַ/יַּֽעַבְרוּ֩ vayaaveru HC/Vqw3mp and they crossed and they crossed over 21
H5674-45 לַ/עֲבֹר֙ laavor HR/Vqc to cross over to cross over 14
H5674-40 עִבְר֣וּ iveru HVqv2mp pass over Cross over! 13

Occurrences in Scripture

562 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5674-80 Genesis 8:1 וַ/יַּעֲבֵ֨ר vayaaver HC/Vhw3ms and caused to pass and he caused to cross
H5674-88 Genesis 12:6 וַ/יַּעֲבֹ֤ר vayaavor HC/Vqw3ms and he passed through and he crossed over
H5674-02 Genesis 15:17 עָבַ֔ר avar HVqp3ms passed he crossed over
H5674-69 Genesis 18:3 תַעֲבֹ֖ר taavor HVqj2ms pass by may you cross over
H5674-71 Genesis 18:5 תַּעֲבֹ֔רוּ taavoru HVqi2mp you shall pass on you will cross over
H5674-05 Genesis 18:5 עֲבַרְתֶּ֖ם avaretem HVqp2mp you have passed you all crossed over
H5674-61 Genesis 23:16 עֹבֵ֖ר over HVqrmsa current one crossing over
H5674-24 Genesis 30:32 אֶֽעֱבֹ֨ר eevor HVqi1cs I will pass through I will cross over
H5674-88 Genesis 31:21 וַ/יַּעֲבֹ֣ר vayaavor HC/Vqw3ms and crossed over and he crossed over
H5674-24 Genesis 31:52 אֶֽעֱבֹ֤ר eevor HVqi1cs will pass I will cross over
← H5673 Hebrew Lexicon H5675 →