עַוִּי
𐤏𐤅𐤉
Avi
H5757 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Demonym referring to a member or members of the people group known as the Avvites, an ethnolinguistic group mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, specifically as one of the pre-Israelite peoples inhabiting the southwestern coastal region of Canaan. The term is consistently used in the plural form to denote the collective group ('Avvîm) rather than individuals. Semantic range includes a person from the people of Avvah, as well as, more generally, a member of this non-Israelite group defeated or displaced in historical recollection.
Semantic Range
a member of the Avvites, one from Avvah, collectively the people group occupying part of SW Canaan, pre-Israelite ethnic group
Root / Etymology
Patrial noun formed from the place name עִוָּה ('Awwah/Avvah), employing the standard gentilic suffix -י (-î), meaning 'one from' or 'inhabitant of.' The root of the toponym עִוָּה is uncertain and is not securely connected to any widely attested Hebrew root. The formation עַוִּי follows the pattern of place-based gentilics in Hebrew nomenclature.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, עַוִּי (ʻAvvîy) appears only in the plural (עַוִּים, Avvîm) in passages describing non-Israelite peoples living in the southern coastal Plain (e.g., Deuteronomy 2:23, Joshua 13:3). The Avvites are grouped with other indigenous peoples present in the land prior to Israelite settlement, and are located between the territory associated with the Philistines and the Egyptians. The term has no direct correspondence to later identities such as Philistine or Judean; rather, it refers to a distinct and otherwise obscure ethnic group lost to history, known primarily from biblical traditions. English translations typically render the term as 'Avites' or 'Avims,' which maintain the biblical demonym but do not clarify the specific regional or historical context. No evidence exists for the term 'Jew' in this context, as it postdates the groups under discussion. The term highlights the diversity of inhabiting peoples before and during the earliest stages of Israelite settlement in Canaan. The Avvites' fate—being displaced by Caphtorites (identified with early Philistines)—reflects shifting demographic realities in the southern Levant during the Late Bronze and early Iron Ages. Contrast is found with other regional groups described by similar gentilics, such as Hittites, Jebusites, or Girgashites, each with distinct geographic or cultural referents. The term is notably absent from prophetic or post-exilic texts, signaling its early historic circumscription.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
patrial from עִוָּה; an Avvite or native of Avvah (only plural); Avims, Avites.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
עוה (ʿ-w-h) — to warp, bend, distort (root of toponym uncertain)
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4596 | מְעִי | ruin-heap of |
| H5753 | עָוָה | she acted crookedly |
| H5758 | עִוְיָא | and your perversions |
| H5771 | עָוֺן | distortion-guilt |
| H5773 | עַוְעֶה | moral distortions |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5757-01 |
וְ/הָ/עַוִּֽים | vehaavim | HC/Td/Np |
and the Avites | and the Avvites | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H5757-01 |
Joshua 13:3 | וְ/הָ/עַוִּֽים | vehaavim | HC/Td/Np |
and the Avites | and the Avvites |
H5757-01 |
2 Kings 17:31 | וְ/הָ/עַוִּ֛ים | vehaavim | HC/Td/Ngmpa |
and-the-Avites | and the Avvites |