תֵּל אָבִיב
𐤕𐤋 𐤀𐤁𐤉𐤁
Tel Aviv
H8512 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A settlement or location named 'Tel-Aviv' or 'Tel Abib,' literally meaning 'mound of spring' or 'mound of new growth.' In biblical reference (Ezekiel 3:15), it designates a specific village or community among the Israelite exiles situated by the Kebar Canal in Babylonia. The name combines the concepts of a raised mound (archaeological tell) and the renewal of growth represented by 'spring' or 'fresh ears of grain.' The term does not appear as a generic noun but as a proper place name in the singular biblical attestation.
Semantic Range
Tel-abib (proper name of an exilic settlement), mound of new growth, mound of spring, mound of green ears (grain)
Root / Etymology
A compound from two Hebrew roots: תֵּל (tel) meaning 'mound, ruin-mound, artificial hill' and אָבִיב (aviv) meaning 'spring, fresh growth, maturity of grain.' The combination indicates either 'Mound of Spring (grain)' or 'Mound of Fresh Growth.' The form is a proper noun constructed as an appositional compound.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Têl ʼÂbîyb occurs only in Ezekiel 3:15, referring to a locale among the Israelite (not Judean or later Jewish) deportees in Babylonia during the early 6th century BCE. The name evokes a sense of restoration or hope amid exile, contrasting the image of ruins (tel) with new life (aviv). In post-biblical periods, the name was re-used (notably as the Hebrew name of modern Tel Aviv), but that later city is unrelated geographically. The LXX transliterates the name, and English versions typically use 'Tel-abib.' Unlike the later geographical term 'Judean' (Jew) or the religious term 'Judaism,' this name refers specifically to a site relevant to the exilic community. The proper noun does not denote a general settlement type.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from תֵּל and אָבִיב; mound of green growth; Tel-Abib, a place in Chaldaea; Tel-abib.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
אב (ʾ-b) — fatherhood, ancestry, origin, source
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1 | אָב | father of |
| H15 | אָבֶה | my father |
| H2 | אַב | your fathers |
| H21 | אֲבִי | my father |
| H24 | אָבִיב | his father |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8512-01 |
אָ֠בִיב | aviv | HNp |
Abib | his father | 1 |
H8512-02 |
תֵּ֣ל | tel | HNp |
Tel | mound-of | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8512-02 |
Ezekiel 3:15 | תֵּ֣ל | tel | HNp |
Tel | mound-of |
H8512-01 |
Ezekiel 3:15 | אָ֠בִיב | aviv | HNp |
Abib | his father |