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אָבֵל מִצְרַיִם

𐤀𐤁𐤋 𐤌𐤑𐤓𐤉𐤌

Avel Mitserayim

H67 noun

SILEX Entry

Root אבל, מצרים to mourn, to be grassy or meadow-like; Egypt (as a proper place name)

Definition

A place-name meaning 'Meadow of Egypt' or 'Mourning-place of Egypt,' referring to a location east of the Jordan near the Jordan River, associated with the mourning ritual for Jacob by Joseph and his retinue on their journey from Egypt (Genesis 50:11). The name signifies either a grassy area belonging to, or in proximity to, Egypt, or is derived from the mourning ('abel' as 'mourning') conducted there, resulting in dual meaning possibilities attested in the passage.

Semantic Range

meadow of Egypt, mourning of Egypt, a place near the Jordan associated with Egyptian mourning rituals for Jacob, toponym indicating a site of significant mourning, punning reference to both landscape and event

Root / Etymology

The compositional term is formed from two elements: אָבֵל (ʼāvēl), from the root אבל (A-B-L), which can mean either 'meadow, grassy place' or 'mourning,' and מִצְרַיִם (Mitsrayim), the standard Hebrew name for Egypt. The root אבל in the context of place-names often refers to meadow or grassy area, but in narrative context, a pun on 'mourning' is foregrounded by the Genesis account. Hence, the etymology shows an intentional play on words based on both senses.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In Genesis 50:11, the name is deliberately coined and explained in the narrative in connection with the mourning rites performed by Joseph and the Egyptian retinue for Jacob. The broader context of Israelite place-names incorporating 'Abel' usually designates meadowlands, but here, the text itself makes a wordplay between mourning (אבל) and the toponymic pattern. The passage recognizes both the literal meaning ('meadow of Egypt') and the occasion-specific ('mourning of Egypt'). The identification of the site remains uncertain in later periods, and it is only mentioned in this context. Later translations and traditions sometimes conflate the meaning, rendering it as 'the mourning of Egypt' or maintaining 'Abel-mizraim' as a fixed toponym. The term does not refer to a permanent settlement known from extra-biblical sources, and its significance is limited to this funereal occasion described for the patriarchal period. It is not to be confused with later ethnonyms such as 'Jew' or 'Judean.'

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from אָבֵל and מִצְרַיִם; meadow of Egypt; Abel-Mitsrajim, a place in Palestine; Abel-mizraim.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

אבל (ʾ-b-l) — mourning, lamentation; meadow, grassy place

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H56 אָבַל but indeed
H57 אָבֵל mourning man
H5767 עַוָּל indeed, however
H59 אָבֵל Meadow
H60 אֵבֶל mourning-of

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H67-02 מִצְרַ֔יִם mitserayim HNp Mizraim the Dual Enclosures (Egypt) 1
H67-01 אָבֵ֣ל avel HNp Abel mourning meadow 1

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H67-01 Genesis 50:11 אָבֵ֣ל avel HNp Abel mourning meadow
H67-02 Genesis 50:11 מִצְרַ֔יִם mitserayim HNp Mizraim the Dual Enclosures (Egypt)
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