מַרְבֵּץ
𐤌𐤓𐤁𐤑
marbêts
H4769 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A place for lying down or resting, particularly for animals—commonly a fold or pasture area where flocks recline, but also used in poetic or metaphorical contexts for places of rest or habitation. The term emphasizes a location where living creatures, especially sheep or flocks, settle, rest, or are gathered for safety or repose.
Semantic Range
resting place for flocks, fold, pasturage, place to lie down, habitation, (metaphorically) place of safety or repose
Root / Etymology
From the root רָבַץ (ravats), meaning 'to lie down, lie stretched out, recline'. מַרְבֵּץ is a noun form indicating the place or area where this action—lying down—takes place, especially for animals.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, מַרְבֵּץ most frequently appears in descriptions of pastoral scenes, referencing literal places where flocks rest (e.g., Ezekiel 34:14). The imagery often conveys safety, abundance, or divine provision, particularly in prophetic or poetic literature. While the basic meaning remains stable, in later or metaphorical uses, the word can be extended to human contexts—resting places or even homes—but its primary association is with pasturage for animals. English translations often restrict the word to 'fold' or 'place to lie down', but these may miss the broader nuance of 'resting-place' or 'habitation.' The term is distinct from similar shepherding vocabulary such as גֹּרֶן (threshing floor), which is for processing grain, and דָּיֵר, which may refer to an abode, but not specifically a place of rest for flocks. In post-exilic and later usage, the word persists in a similar meaning, particularly in poetic Hebrew, always with the core notion of a place of rest.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from רָבַץ; a reclining place, i.e. fold (for flocks); couching place, place to lie down.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
רבץ (r-b-ts) — to lie down, recline, settle
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4769-02 |
מַרְבֵּץ֙ | marebets | HNcmsa |
a place of lying down | reclining place | 1 |
H4769-01 |
לְ/מִרְבַּץ | lemirebats | HR/Ncmsc |
to-couching-place-of | to the lying-down place of | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4769-01 |
Ezekiel 25:5 | לְ/מִרְבַּץ | lemirebats | HR/Ncmsc |
to-couching-place-of | to the lying-down place of |
H4769-02 |
Zephaniah 2:15 | מַרְבֵּץ֙ | marebets | HNcmsa |
a place of lying down | reclining place |