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עֶרֶב

𐤏𐤓𐤁

ʻereb

H6153 noun

SILEX Entry

Root ערב to mix, to mingle, to become evening

Definition

The period of evening; the time after sunset marking the transition from day to night, particularly as the sky grows dim. In biblical contexts, 'עֶרֶב' commonly denotes the time between sunset and complete darkness, often associated with the onset of a new day in traditional reckoning. The word can refer specifically to twilight, early or late evening, or the period of daily cessation of activity.

Semantic Range

evening, dusk, twilight, period of day after sunset and before full darkness, onset of night, transitionary time between day and night, time designated for evening rituals or sacrifices

Root / Etymology

From the root ע־ר־ב (ערב), which primarily means 'to mix, become mixed, mingle'. In the form עֶרֶב, the term relates metaphorically to the mixing or mingling of day and night as darkness approaches. The root form does not inherently mean 'evening' but conveys the concept of mixing or blending, which informs the lexical meaning of ‘evening’ as the time when the distinctness of day and night becomes mingled.

Historical & Contextual Notes

'עֶרֶב' is used throughout the Hebrew Bible to mark significant times for rituals (e.g., the timing of sacrifices in Exodus and Leviticus), and is central to Israelite reckoning of days beginning at sundown (e.g., Gen 1:5, 'and there was evening, and there was morning'). The period is sometimes precisely defined (e.g., 'בֵּין הָעַרְבָּיִם', 'between the evenings', referring to late afternoon or twilight) and sometimes used loosely for any period after sunset. The English ‘evening’ is generally appropriate, though modern Western concepts of evening (as simply post-work hours) do not fully match the biblical sense, which spans sunset through deepening dusk, and is tied to religious and societal practices. In post-biblical Hebrew, 'עֶרֶב' continues to designate the 'evening' period, with similar time range but shifting liturgical and social associations. Not to be confused with 'לַיְלָה' (night), which refers to the later period of darkness. English translations occasionally use 'even', 'eventide', or 'dusk', but they may miss the flexibility or breadth of time coupled to 'עֶרֶב'.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from עָרַב; dusk; [phrase] day, even(-ing, tide), night.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

ערב (ʿ-r-b) — to mix, to mingle, to become evening

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1026 בֵּית הָעֲרָבָה the arid plain
H4627 מַעֲרָב in your trade-goods
H4628 מַעֲרָב the sunset-region
H6148 עָרַב he became surety
H6149 עָרֵב you were pleasing

Word Forms

16 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6153-07 הָ/עָֽרֶב haarev HTd/Ncmsa the evening the mingling-evening 39
H6153-05 עֶ֥רֶב erev HNcmsa evening twilight mingling 18
H6153-03 בָּ/עֶ֔רֶב baerev HRd/Ncmsa in the evening in the mingling dusk 16
H6153-08 הָ/עֶ֖רֶב haerev HTd/Ncmsa the evening the mingling-evening 12
H6153-06 הָ/עַרְבָּֽיִם haarebayim HTd/Ncmda the evenings the two twilights 11
H6153-01 עָ֑רֶב arev HNcmsa evening evening mingling 7
H6153-02 בָּ/עָֽרֶב baarev HRd/Ncmsa in the evening in the mingling dusk 6
H6153-13 בָ/עֶ֔רֶב vaerev HRd/Ncmsa in the evening mingling dusk 5
H6153-10 לָ֭/עֶרֶב laerev HRd/Ncmsa in the evening toward evening twilight 4
H6153-11 מֵ/עֶ֥רֶב meerev HR/Ncmsa from evening from mingling dusk 4

Occurrences in Scripture

134 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6153-05 Genesis 1:5 עֶ֥רֶב erev HNcmsa evening twilight mingling
H6153-05 Genesis 1:8 עֶ֥רֶב erev HNcmsa evening twilight mingling
H6153-05 Genesis 1:13 עֶ֥רֶב erev HNcmsa evening twilight mingling
H6153-05 Genesis 1:19 עֶ֥רֶב erev HNcmsa evening twilight mingling
H6153-05 Genesis 1:23 עֶ֥רֶב erev HNcmsa evening twilight mingling
H6153-05 Genesis 1:31 עֶ֥רֶב erev HNcmsa evening twilight mingling
H6153-05 Genesis 8:11 עֶ֔רֶב erev HNcmsa evening twilight mingling
H6153-03 Genesis 19:1 בָּ/עֶ֔רֶב baerev HRd/Ncmsa in the evening in the mingling dusk
H6153-05 Genesis 24:11 עֶ֔רֶב erev HNcmsa of evening twilight mingling
H6153-01 Genesis 24:63 עָ֑רֶב arev HNcmsa evening evening mingling
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