קִבְרוֹת הַתַּאֲוָה
𐤒𐤁𐤓𐤅𐤕 𐤄𐤕𐤀𐤅𐤄
Qiverot Hataavah
H6914 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A geographical location name in the wilderness period, meaning 'Graves of Desire' or 'Graves of Longing,' referencing the episode where Israelites buried those who died after consuming quail following their craving. The term combines 'graves' (qibrot) and 'the craving' (ha-ta'avah), denoting the locus of this significant event rather than merely a generic burial site.
Semantic Range
graves of desire, graves of longing, graves of craving, graves where those who craved died; name of Israelite encampment in the wilderness
Root / Etymology
From the feminine plural noun קֶבֶר (kever, 'grave') and the definite article הַ (ha-) with the noun תַּאֲוָה (ta'avah, 'desire, craving'). Thus, קִבְרוֹת (qibrot) = 'graves (of)' + הַתַּאֲוָה (hat-ta'avah) = 'the craving/desire.' The full phrase is a composite toponym, not derived from a productive noun form but descriptive of the locale's historical significance.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Kibroth-hattaavah appears in Numbers 11:34 and is mentioned again in Numbers 33:16–17 and Deuteronomy 9:22 as a significant stop during the Israelite wilderness journey. The name memorializes the incident where people craving meat ate quail and subsequently died, with their burial site named accordingly. The toponym exemplifies a recurring biblical practice of naming locations after key events. The standard English rendering 'Kibroth-hattaavah' is a direct transliteration, sometimes paraphrased as 'Graves of Craving/Desire,' but such paraphrase may lose the idiomatic resonance of the original. No evidence links this site to later Judean identity or practice, nor is it associated with Israelite burial customs beyond its commemorative function. There are no known shifts in the meaning or use of the toponym in later Hebrew literature, and its primary association remains with this episode and its legacy as a cautionary tale about unchecked desire.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from the feminine plural of קֶבֶר and תַּאֲוָה with the article interposed; graves of the longing; Kibroth-hat-Taavh, a place in the Desert; Kibroth-hattaavah.
Bantu Hebrew
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קבר, תאוה (q-b-r; t-ʾ-w-h) — to bury, grave, grave site; desire, craving, longing, lust
Word Forms
5 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6914-02 |
הַֽתַּאֲוָ֑ה | hataavah | HNp |
of craving | Graves of the Craving | 5 |
H6914-03 |
מִ/קִּבְר֧וֹת | miqiverot | HR/Np |
from the graves | from Graves of the Craving | 2 |
H6914-04 |
קִבְר֣וֹת | qiverot | HNp |
graves | Graves of the Craving | 1 |
H6914-01 |
בְּ/קִבְרֹ֥ת | beqiverot | HR/Np |
at Kibroth | in Graves of Craving | 1 |
H6914-05 |
וּ/בְ/קִבְרֹ֖ת | uveqiverot | HC/R/Np |
and at the graves | and in Graves of the Craving | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
10 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6914-04 |
Numbers 11:34 | קִבְר֣וֹת | qiverot | HNp |
graves | Graves of the Craving |
H6914-02 |
Numbers 11:34 | הַֽתַּאֲוָ֑ה | hataavah | HNp |
of craving | Graves of the Craving |
H6914-03 |
Numbers 11:35 | מִ/קִּבְר֧וֹת | miqiverot | HR/Np |
from the Graves | from Graves of the Craving |
H6914-02 |
Numbers 11:35 | הַֽתַּאֲוָ֛ה | hataavah | HNp |
of Craving | Graves of the Craving |
H6914-01 |
Numbers 33:16 | בְּ/קִבְרֹ֥ת | beqiverot | HR/Np |
at Kibroth | in Graves of Craving |
H6914-02 |
Numbers 33:16 | הַֽתַּאֲוָֽה | hataavah | HNp |
Hattaavah | Graves of the Craving |
H6914-03 |
Numbers 33:17 | מִ/קִּבְרֹ֣ת | miqiverot | HR/Np |
from the graves | from Graves of the Craving |
H6914-02 |
Numbers 33:17 | הַֽתַּאֲוָ֑ה | hataavah | HNp |
of craving | Graves of the Craving |
H6914-05 |
Deuteronomy 9:22 | וּ/בְ/קִבְרֹ֖ת | uveqiverot | HC/R/Np |
and at the graves | and in Graves of the Craving |
H6914-02 |
Deuteronomy 9:22 | הַֽתַּאֲוָ֑ה | hataavah | HNp |
of Hattaavah | Graves of the Craving |