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נֶגֶב

𐤍𐤂𐤁

Negev

H5045 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

The arid landform known as the Negev, a semi-desert region located in the southern part of the historical territory of Israel and Judah; more generally, 'the south' as a cardinal direction or region. The word can refer both to the specific geographic region (Negev) and, in some contexts, generically to 'the south' or 'southern region,' especially in reference to territory south of Jerusalem or the central highlands. It may also indicate directionality (the South), particularly when describing locations or travel.

Semantic Range

the Negev (arid southern region), the south (location), the direction southward, southern territory, a parched or dry land; sometimes, metaphorically, dryness or drought

Root / Etymology

Root: נגב. The root נ-ג-ב is associated with dryness or being parched, likely referring to the climatic conditions of southern territory. The concrete noun נֶגֶב evolved to denote the arid southern region itself, rather than just the quality of being dry.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, 'Negev' (נֶגֶב) often refers specifically to the dry, semi-arid region south of the central hill country—later called the Negev. In administrative or tribal lists, 'the Negev' designates the southernmost district, especially the area allotted to the tribe of Judah (Joshua 15:21). The term may likewise function as a general word for 'south' (Genesis 13:1; Exodus 26:18), distinguishing it from other directional terms such as 'teman' (תֵימָן), which can mean both 'south' and 'right side.' In poetical and prophetic texts, נֶגֶב sometimes denotes aridity or drought more broadly, as a symbol (e.g., Psalm 126:4). In some instances, the term is employed to indicate territory further south, as far as Egypt (cf. Isaiah 21:1), but this is context-dependent and usually clarified by other locational indicators. English translations often oscillate between the toponym 'Negev' and the general term 'south,' potentially causing ambiguity; the traditional rendering 'the south' may obscure references to the specific region. Later historical uses (e.g., in Second Temple and Rabbinic texts) retained the geographic-nominal sense but expanded the term's territorial reference as boundaries shifted.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from an unused root meaning to be parched; the south (from its drought); specifically, the Negeb or southern district of Judah, occasionally, Egypt (as south to Palestine); south (country, side, -ward).

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Root Family

נגב (n-g-b) — to be dry, to be parched, to be arid

Root נגב to be dry, to be parched, to be arid
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H7418 רָמוֹת arid southland

Word Forms

15 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H5045-09 נֶֽגֶב negev HNcmsa south arid southland arid southland 27
H5045-05 הַ/נֶּ֔גֶב hanegev HTd/Ncmsa of the south the arid southland the arid southland 26
H5045-08 נֶ֥גְבָּ/ה negebah HNcmsa/Sd southward the arid southland the arid southland 19
H5045-07 מִ/נֶּ֖גֶב minegev HR/Ncmsa on the south from the arid south from the south 15
H5045-12 וָ/נֶ֖גְבָּ/ה vanegebah HC/Ncmsa/Sd and southward the arid southland and south 4
H5045-02 בַּ/נֶּ֔גֶב banegev HRd/Ncmsa in the Negev in the Arid-South in the Negev 4
H5045-14 וְ/הַ/נֶּ֨גֶב vehanegev HC/Td/Ncmsa and the Negev and the Arid-South and the Negev 4
H5045-15 וְ/נֶ֕גְבָּ/ה venegebah HC/Ncmsa/Sd and southward the arid south and southward 2
H5045-04 הַ/נֶּֽגְבָּ/ה hanegebah HTd/Ncmsa/Sd the Negev toward the arid south toward the arid south 2
H5045-11 וּ/בַ/נֶּ֖גֶב uvanegev HC/Rd/Ncmsa and-in-the-Negev and in the arid southland and in the arid southland 2

Occurrences in Scripture

111 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H5045-04 Genesis 12:9 הַ/נֶּֽגְבָּ/ה hanegebah HTd/Ncmsa/Sd to the Negev toward the arid south toward the arid south
H5045-04 Genesis 13:1 הַ/נֶּֽגְבָּ/ה hanegebah HTd/Ncmsa/Sd the Negev toward the arid south toward the arid south
H5045-07 Genesis 13:3 מִ/נֶּ֖גֶב minegev HR/Ncmsa from the Negev from the arid south from the arid south
H5045-12 Genesis 13:14 וָ/נֶ֖גְבָּ/ה vanegebah HC/Ncmsa/Sd and southward the arid southland and southward
H5045-05 Genesis 20:1 הַ/נֶּ֔גֶב hanegev HTd/Ncmsa of the Negev the arid southland of the Negev
H5045-05 Genesis 24:62 הַ/נֶּֽגֶב hanegev HTd/Ncmsa of the Negev the arid southland the Negev
H5045-12 Genesis 28:14 וָ/נֶ֑גְבָּ/ה vanegebah HC/Ncmsa/Sd and to the south the arid southland and to the south
H5045-08 Exodus 26:18 נֶ֥גְבָּ/ה negebah HNcmsa/Sd of the south the arid southland the arid southland
H5045-09 Exodus 27:9 נֶֽגֶב negev HNcmsa south arid southland arid southland
H5045-09 Exodus 36:23 נֶ֥גֶב negev HNcmsa south arid southland arid southland
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