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עִבְרִי

𐤏𐤁𐤓𐤉

ʻIbrîy

H5680 noun

SILEX Entry

Root עבר to cross over, to pass, to traverse

Definition

A member of the people group referred to as the 'Hebrews,' often identifying individuals or groups associated with Abraham and his descendants, especially in contexts of ethnic distinction or social status vis-à-vis non-Israelite peoples. The term is employed in biblical narratives to distinguish these people from surrounding populations, frequently highlighting the outsider or marginal status of Israelites, or their origins as a group that crossed over or came from 'beyond.'

Semantic Range

person from beyond (possibly river or territory), descendant of Eber (Ever), member of the Hebrews, outsider in relation to host peoples, foreigner, designation for Israelite(s) in distinctive sociopolitical contexts

Root / Etymology

From the noun עֵבֵר (‘Ever’), by patronymic formation; עֵבֵר itself derives from the root עבר, meaning 'to cross over, to pass.' Thus, עִבְרִי is literally 'one from (the lineage of) Eber/Ever,' or 'one who crosses over.' Some suggest it denotes an individual from beyond a river or boundary. The precise relation to the figure 'Eber' in Genesis is debated; etymology uncertain as to whether the word primarily references descent from Eber or a broader concept of geographic crossing.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Throughout the Hebrew Bible, עִבְרִי (ʻIbrîy) is used to refer to Abraham (Genesis), his descendants, and the people of Israel in contexts where their distinctiveness from surrounding groups is being emphasized, often in interactions with Egyptians, Canaanites, or Mesopotamians (e.g., Genesis 14:13; Exodus 1:15). In early narrative (patriarchal and exodus periods), the term often carries connotations of foreignness, migration, or servitude, and does not by itself denote national or religious identity as 'Israelite.' By the monarchic era, Israelite and Judahite identities are more prominent, and עִבְרִי surfaces mostly in archaizing, poetic, or outsider speech contexts. Later, 'Hebrew' became an ethnonym for the people as a whole, but in biblical Hebrew it typically signals social distance, foreignness, or marginalized status. English translators often render the term 'Hebrew,' but this can obscure its ancient nuances; the term did not carry the same religious connotations as later 'Jew' or 'Judean.' Contrast with יִשְרְאֵלִי (Israelite), which marks full communal or covenantal belonging.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

patronymic from עֵבֵר; an Eberite (i.e. Hebrew) or descendant of Eber; Hebrew(-ess, woman).

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

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

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4569 מַעֲבָר the crossing-places
H5668 עָבוּר for the sake of
H5669 עָבוּר from carried-over grain of
H5674 עָבַר I will cause to pass over
H5675 עֲבַר he crossed over

Word Forms

12 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5680-02 הָ/עִבְרִ֑ים haiverim HTd/Ngmpa the Hebrews the crossers-over 12
H5680-01 הָ/עִבְרִ֑י haiveri HTd/Ngmsa the Hebrew the crosser-over 5
H5680-07 עִבְרִ֖י iveri HNgmsa Hebrew cross-over man 5
H5680-06 הָֽ/עִבְרִיֹּ֑ת haiveriyot HTd/Ngfpa are the Hebrew women; the Hebrew women 3
H5680-08 עִבְרִ֖ים iverim HNgmpa Hebrews crossers-over 2
H5680-10 וְ/הָ/עִבְרִ֗ים vehaiverim HC/Td/Ngmpa and-the-Hebrews and the crossers-over 1
H5680-12 וְ/עִבְרִ֗ים veiverim HC/Ngmpa and Hebrews crossers-over 1
H5680-04 הָֽ/עִבְרִיָּ֔ה haiveriyah HTd/Ngfsa the Hebrew woman the Hebrew woman 1
H5680-03 הָֽ/עִבְרִיּ֔וֹת haiveriot HTd/Ngfpa to the Hebrew women the Hebrew women 1
H5680-09 לָ/עִבְרִ֔ים laiverim HRd/Ngmpa to the Hebrews to the Crossers-over 1

Occurrences in Scripture

34 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5680-01 Genesis 14:13 הָ/עִבְרִ֑י haiveri HTd/Ngmsa the Hebrew the crosser-over
H5680-07 Genesis 39:14 עִבְרִ֖י iveri HNgmsa Hebrew cross-over man
H5680-01 Genesis 39:17 הָֽ/עִבְרִ֛י haiveri HTd/Ngmsa the Hebrew the crosser-over
H5680-02 Genesis 40:15 הָ/עִבְרִ֑ים haiverim HTd/Ngmpa of the Hebrews the crossers-over
H5680-07 Genesis 41:12 עִבְרִ֗י iveri HNgmsa Hebrew cross-over man
H5680-02 Genesis 43:32 הָֽ/עִבְרִים֙ haiverim HTd/Ngmpa Hebrews the crossers-over
H5680-06 Exodus 1:15 הָֽ/עִבְרִיֹּ֑ת haiveriyot HTd/Ngfpa of the Hebrews, the Hebrew women
H5680-03 Exodus 1:16 הָֽ/עִבְרִיּ֔וֹת haiveriot HTd/Ngfpa to the Hebrew women the Hebrew women
H5680-06 Exodus 1:19 הָֽ/עִבְרִיֹּ֑ת haiveriyot HTd/Ngfpa are the Hebrew women; the Hebrew women
H5680-02 Exodus 2:6 הָֽ/עִבְרִ֖ים haiverim HTd/Ngmpa the Hebrews the crossers-over
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