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מַעֲרָב

𐤌𐤏𐤓𐤁

maʻărâb

H4627 noun

SILEX Entry

Root ערב to mix, to exchange, to pledge, to engage in trade

Definition

'Mercantile goods'—goods or wares intended for trade, especially those present in a market or commercial exchange. In the Hebrew Bible, מַעֲרָב most commonly refers to articles of commerce, often in the context of traded or imported goods. It can also denote the concept of trading or commerce itself, particularly as the setting for trade (e.g., a market).

Semantic Range

goods intended for trade, merchandise, mercantile wares, traffic in commodities, market or marketplace (as a locus of trade)

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root עָרַב (ʿ-ר-ב), which in one of its stems means 'to mix' or 'to exchange.' The noun form מַעֲרָב is used in the sense of 'exchange,' developing the further meaning of 'traffic' or 'commerce'—especially the mixing or transfer of goods in trade. Other meanings from this root include 'to pledge' or 'to act as surety' (mixing one's fate), but מַעֲרָב specifically relates to the mercantile semantic sphere.

Historical & Contextual Notes

מַעֲרָב appears only rarely in the Hebrew Bible, notably in Ezekiel 27:9, dealing with the extensive trading partners of the city-state Tyre. The term’s usage in ancient Israelite context is almost exclusively commercial, highlighting the interconnectedness of Near Eastern economies through maritime and caravan trade. The term carries no inherent reference to religious use, and its sense does not overlap significantly with words for 'gift' (מִנְחָה) or 'offering' (קָרְבָּן). English translations vary: some render מַעֲרָב as 'goods' or 'merchandise,' while others more narrowly translate as 'market.' In later Hebrew, different terms (e.g. שוק 'marketplace', סחורה 'merchandise') take over this conceptual space. Care should be taken not to confuse this term with מַʿֲרָב 'west' (different root and meaning). In translation tradition, there is sometimes a tendency to flatten the term's semantic richness to 'market,' whereas the term often relates to the entire concept of mercantile exchange prevalent in ancient ports and trade hubs.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from עָרַב, in the sense of trading; traffic; by implication, mercantile goods; market, merchandise.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

ערב (ʿ-r-b) — mixing, exchange, pledging, engaging in trade

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1026 בֵּית הָעֲרָבָה the arid plain
H4628 מַעֲרָב the sunset-region
H6148 עָרַב he became surety
H6149 עָרֵב you were pleasing
H6150 עָרַב she grew dusky

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H4627-02 מַעֲרָבֵֽ/ךְ maaravekhe HNcmsc/Sp2fs your merchandise your trade-wares 7
H4627-01 בְּ/מַעֲרָבֵ֖/ךְ bemaaravekhe HR/Ncmsc/Sp2fs among your merchandise in your trade-goods 1
H4627-03 וּ/מַ֣עֲרָבַ֔יִ/ךְ umaaravayikhe HC/Ncmpc/Sp2fs and your merchandise and your mercantile wares 1

Occurrences in Scripture

9 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H4627-02 Ezekiel 27:9 מַעֲרָבֵֽ/ךְ maaravekhe HNcmsc/Sp2fs your wares your trade-wares
H4627-02 Ezekiel 27:13 מַעֲרָבֵֽ/ךְ maaravekhe HNcmsc/Sp2fs your merchandise your trade-wares
H4627-02 Ezekiel 27:17 מַעֲרָבֵֽ/ךְ maaravekhe HNcmsc/Sp2fs your merchandise your trade-wares
H4627-01 Ezekiel 27:19 בְּ/מַעֲרָבֵ֖/ךְ bemaaravekhe HR/Ncmsc/Sp2fs among your merchandise in your trade-goods
H4627-02 Ezekiel 27:25 מַעֲרָבֵ֑/ךְ maaravekhe HNcmsc/Sp2fs your merchandise your trade-wares
H4627-02 Ezekiel 27:27 מַעֲרָבֵ֕/ךְ maaravekhe HNcmsc/Sp2fs your merchandise your trade-wares
H4627-02 Ezekiel 27:27 מַ֠עֲרָבֵ/ךְ maaravekhe-2 HNcmsc/Sp2fs your merchandise your trade-wares
H4627-03 Ezekiel 27:33 וּ/מַ֣עֲרָבַ֔יִ/ךְ umaaravayikhe HC/Ncmpc/Sp2fs and your merchandise and your mercantile wares
H4627-02 Ezekiel 27:34 מַעֲרָבֵ֥/ךְ maaravekhe HNcmsc/Sp2fs your merchandise your trade-wares
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