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עַכְבָּר

𐤏𐤊𐤁𐤓

ʻakbâr

H5909 noun

SILEX Entry

Root עכב to ensnare, hinder, creep

Definition

A small rodent, particularly the common mouse; in several contexts, used as a typical unclean animal in Israelite ritual law and often as a symbol of destruction or impurity. Also occasionally mentioned in passages involving plagues or idolatrous practices.

Semantic Range

mouse, small rodent, animal considered unclean, source of destruction (plague context), symbol of impurity (particularly in cultic or idolatrous settings)

Root / Etymology

From the root עכב (to ensnare, hinder, or possibly related to creeping/crawling), sometimes connected with עַכָּבִישׁ (spider), although the derivation is uncertain. The lexical form derives from the base root but its precise etymological path is unclear.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, עַכְבָּר is referenced primarily in legal and narrative texts regarding unclean animals (e.g., Leviticus 11:29; Isaiah 66:17). It appears as a representative of creatures considered ritually impure and sometimes as an agent of disease, such as in the context of the Philistine plague in 1 Samuel 6. Early Israelite texts focus on its cultic/ritual uncleanness, while later references (prophetic/post-exilic) highlight its association with idolatrous practices. English translations as 'mouse' are accurate for zoological identification, but the cultural connotation in biblical texts often centers on its impurity, more than its physical characteristics. The term is distinguished from other small creatures such as the חֹלֶד (mole/rat), and is one of several animals explicitly named in purity legislation. In later periods, especially in rabbinic tradition, the nuance of ritual impurity remains central.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

probably from the same as עַכָּבִישׁ in the secondary sense of attacking; a mouse (as nibbling); mouse.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

עכב (ʿ-ḵ-b) — ensnare, hinder, creep

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H5908 עַכָּבִישׁ web-spinner

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H5909-04 וְ/הָ/עַכְבָּ֖ר vehaakhebar HC/Td/Ncmsa and the mouse and the mouse 2
H5909-01 עַכְבְּרֵ֣י akheberey HNcmpc mice mice of 2
H5909-02 עַכְבְּרֵי/כֶ֗ם akhebereykhem HNcmpc/Sp2mp your mice your creeping-rodents 1
H5909-03 וְ/עַכְבְּרֵ֣י veakheberey HC/Ncmpc and the golden mice and mice of 1

Occurrences in Scripture

6 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H5909-04 Leviticus 11:29 וְ/הָ/עַכְבָּ֖ר vehaakhebar HC/Td/Ncmsa and the mouse and the mouse
H5909-01 1 Samuel 6:4 עַכְבְּרֵ֣י akheberey HNcmpc mice mice of
H5909-02 1 Samuel 6:5 עַכְבְּרֵי/כֶ֗ם akhebereykhem HNcmpc/Sp2mp your mice your creeping-rodents
H5909-01 1 Samuel 6:11 עַכְבְּרֵ֣י akheberey HNcmpc mice of mice of
H5909-03 1 Samuel 6:18 וְ/עַכְבְּרֵ֣י veakheberey HC/Ncmpc and the golden mice and mice of
H5909-04 Isaiah 66:17 וְ/הָ/עַכְבָּ֑ר vehaakhebar HC/Td/Ncmsa and the mouse and the mouse
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