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אָבַר

𐤀𐤁𐤓

ʼâbar

H82 verb

SILEX Entry

Root אָבַר to fly, to soar, to move through air

Definition

To fly or soar through the air; primarily used of birds in flight, but can also refer to the movement of other flying creatures or objects. The primary lexical sense is motion through the air with wings.

Semantic Range

to fly, to soar, to glide, move aloft, travel through the air (esp. by birds or flying creatures), poetic depiction of swift movement

Root / Etymology

Root אָבַר (A-B-R), likely of onomatopoeic origin, imitating the sound of wings in flight or the act of flying. The core root meaning conveys 'to move through the air rapidly' or 'to fly.' This verbal root gives rise to various forms denoting flight, such as aviary creatures (עוֹפֵר) and active movement through the air.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The word appears sparingly in biblical Hebrew, most notably in poetic contexts (e.g., Deuteronomy 28:49; Isaiah 60:8), depicting the swift and lofty flight of birds or metaphorically referring to speed or swiftness. The root is distinct from other Hebrew terms for movement, such as עָבַר (to pass over, cross) and עוּף (to fly), though it overlaps semantically with the latter in referring to animals (especially birds) in flight. The emphasis with אָבַר lies in soaring or gliding, rather than rapid flapping. The sense of airborne movement persists through various periods, but the verb itself remains rare and poetic. In later Hebrew, עוף (to fly) largely supplants the root in everyday and narrative contexts. Standard English translations usually render it as 'to fly' or 'to soar,' which conveys the basic action but does not capture its rarity and poetic nuance in Hebrew Scripture. There is no strict alignment with later English concepts (e.g., 'soaring' as distinguished from general flight), but the nuance is suggested in context.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to soar; fly.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

אבר (ʾ-b-r) — to fly, to soar, to move through air

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H46 אָבִיר mighty one of
H47 אַבִּיר mighty one of
H84 אֶבְרָה in his strong wing

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H82-01 יַֽאֲבֶר yaaver HVhi3ms soars he causes to fly 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H82-01 Job 39:26 יַֽאֲבֶר yaaver HVhi3ms soars he causes to fly
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