← H5754 H5756 →

עִוָּה

𐤏𐤅𐤄

Ivah

H5755 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

A proper noun referring to a place or district called Ivvah (also Avva or Ivah) mentioned in the Hebrew Bible in the context of Assyrian territorial organization. Its meaning pertains specifically to a geographic location, not to an ethnic group or people. In biblical passages, Ivvah is referenced as the origin of expelled peoples who were resettled elsewhere by the Assyrians.

Semantic Range

Ivvah (also Avva, Ivah), a district or city in Assyria; a place-name associated with Assyrian resettlement policy; contextually, a foreign toponym mentioned in relation to displaced peoples

Root / Etymology

Root uncertain. The origin of the name עִוָּה (Ivvah) is not transparent in Hebrew and may be of non-Semitic (Akkadian or another regional language) origin. The spelling variations (עִוָּה, עַוָּא, עַוָּה) reflect attempts to reflect a foreign toponym in Hebrew script. No direct relation to a known Hebrew root.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Ivvah appears in 2 Kings 17:24 and 2 Kings 18:34 (=Isaiah 37:13) as a district or city in the territory of the Assyrian Empire connected with the practice of population deportation and resettlement under Assyrian rule. The inhabitants of Ivvah were among those deported to Samaria. The Masoretic Text offers some spelling variation (עִוָּה, עַוָּא), likely reflecting an attempt to represent the non-Hebrew name phonetically. The exact location is uncertain; scholars suggest it may correspond with a place near the Euphrates, possibly modern Hit (ancient Ibat/Amat), but identification is not definitive. English translations (e.g., "Ava," "Ivah") render the name variously, sometimes conflating it with similar toponyms. The term is always a geographical reference; it does not refer to ethnic, religious, or political identity directly. The Septuagint usually transliterates the name, without ascribing meaning.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or עַוָּא; (2 Kings 17:24), for עַוָּה; Ivvah or Avva, a region of Assyria; Ava, Ivah.

Bantu Hebrew

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

Root Family

uncertain (Baleadan) — uncertain

Root uncertain uncertain, likely a place-name borrowing, no demonstrated Hebrew root meaning
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1002 בִּירָה the citadel
H105 אֲגַרְטָל bowls of
H1081 בַּלְאֲדָן Baladan
H1085 בִּלְדַּד Bildad
H1095 בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר Belteshatsar

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H5755-02 וְ/עִוָּ֑ה veivah HC/Np and Ivvah and Ivvah and Ivah 3
H5755-01 וּ/מֵ/עַוָּ֤א umeava HC/R/Np and from Avva and from Ivvah and from Ivah 1

Occurrences in Scripture

4 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H5755-01 2 Kings 17:24 וּ/מֵ/עַוָּ֤א umeava HC/R/Np and from Avva and from Ivvah and from Ivah
H5755-02 2 Kings 18:34 וְ/עִוָּ֑ה veivah HC/Np and Ivvah and Ivvah and Ivah
H5755-02 2 Kings 19:13 וְ/עִוָּֽה veivah HC/Np and Ivah and Ivvah and Ivah
H5755-02 Isaiah 37:13 וְ/עִוָּֽה veivah HC/Np and Ivvah and Ivvah and Ivah
← H5754 Hebrew Lexicon H5756 →