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אֲרָב

𐤀𐤓𐤁

Arav

H694 noun

SILEX Entry

Root אָרַב to lie in wait, ambush, lurk

Definition

Name of a location, ʼĂrâb, specifically a settlement in southern Judah, attested as a populated place within the tribal allotment of the Judahites. The lexical function is that of a proper noun denoting a geographical site, not an ethnic term or descriptor. It retains its quality as a toponym throughout biblical literature.

Semantic Range

(proper noun) a settlement in southern Judah; name of a place; not an ethnic or regional designation

Root / Etymology

Derived from the Hebrew root אָרַב (ʾ-r-b), 'to lie in wait, ambush.' The connection between the place name and the root meaning is likely associative, either referring to a site notable for its strategic, concealed position or once known as a place of ambushes. However, in the biblical texts, it functions as a distinct proper noun without indication of an underlying common noun sense.

Historical & Contextual Notes

ʼĂrâb (אֲרָב) is referenced in the territorial lists of Judah in the Hebrew Bible (e.g., Joshua 15:52), specifically among towns in the southern hill country. It is not used to refer to ethnic 'Arabs' or the nomadic peoples known elsewhere by a similar root (עָרַב, H6152). The English translation 'Arab' in some versions is a transliteration of the place name, not a reference to modern or classical Arab identity. The location is only attested in the context of the Judahite territorial descriptions and does not bear substantial narrative significance. This toponym should not be confused with terms referring to the region of Arabia or to Arab peoples, as these employ a different Hebrew spelling (עָרָבָה or עֲרָבִים). The meaning and use remain stable from the earliest to later biblical periods, always designating the specific location and not an ethnic or generic regional term.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from אָרַב; ambush; Arab, a place in Palestine; Arab.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

ארב (ʾ-r-b) — to lie in wait, ambush, lurk

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3993 מַאֲרָב in ambush of
H693 אָרַב I lay in wait
H696 אֹרֶב his ambush
H698 אׇרֳבָה ambush-sites of
H699 אֲרֻבָּה apertures

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H694-01 אֲרַ֥ב arav HNp Arab Arav 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H694-01 Joshua 15:52 אֲרַ֥ב arav HNp Arab Arav
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