יַבֶּשֶׁת
𐤉𐤁𐤔𐤕
yabbesheth
H3006 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Dryness, arid area, or parched soil; refers to physical ground characterized by a lack of moisture, especially land exposed after water has receded. The word encompasses the idea of dry ground as distinct from water, focusing on the state or condition of dryness more than the material itself. Sometimes denotes the land made visible after a flood or retreat of water.
Semantic Range
dryness, dry ground, arid area, parched soil, land exposed after water recedes, land as opposed to sea
Root / Etymology
From the root יבש (y-b-sh), meaning 'to be dry, dry up, wither.' יַבֶּשֶׁת (yabbesheth) is a feminine form derived from this root, likely used as an alternate form to יַבָּשָׁה (yabbashah), retaining the core idea of dryness or arid ground.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The form יַבֶּשֶׁת (yabbesheth) appears rarely and is best understood as a variant or poetic/legal alternate to the more common יַבָּשָׁה (yabbashah; 'dry ground'). Both terms derive from the root יבש but differ in form and possibly nuance. In the Hebrew Bible, these terms most often appear in narratives describing the dividing of waters (such as the crossing of the Reed Sea or the Jordan) to expose land for passage, marking a transition from a dangerous or impassable situation to deliverance or conquest. English translation as 'dry ground' is generally accurate, but the Hebrew term may carry additional connotations of dryness as a physical property, and sometimes as a theological motif of deliverance. The English term 'dry land' does not always reflect the full sense of exposure from water or the miraculous aspect in the biblical context. The use of יַבֶּשֶׁת does not carry later land connotations and does not indicate geographic or territorial identity, focusing strictly on physical condition.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a variation of יַבָּשָׁה; dry ground; dry land.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
יבש (y-b-sh) — to be dry, dry up, wither, become parched
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H3001 | יָבֵשׁ | to dry up |
| H3002 | יָבֵשׁ | the parched ones |
| H3003 | יָבֵשׁ | in Yabesh |
| H3004 | יַבָּשָׁה | on the dry land |
| H3007 | יַבֶּשֶׁת | the dry land |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3006-01 |
בַּ/יַּבָּֽשֶׁת | bayabashet | HRd/Ncfsa |
on the dry ground | parched ground | 1 |
H3006-02 |
וְ֝/יַבֶּ֗שֶׁת | veyabeshet | HC/Ncfsa |
and-dry-land | parched ground | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H3006-01 |
Exodus 4:9 | בַּ/יַּבָּֽשֶׁת | bayabashet | HRd/Ncfsa |
on the dry ground | parched ground |
H3006-02 |
Psalms 95:5 | וְ֝/יַבֶּ֗שֶׁת | veyabeshet | HC/Ncfsa |
and-dry-land | parched ground |