← H6161 H6163 →

עֲרָבוֹן

𐤏𐤓𐤁𐤅𐤍

ʻărâbôwn

H6162 noun

SILEX Entry

Root ערב to exchange, to pledge, to guarantee, to give in security

Definition

A tangible object or asset deposited as security for a transaction, to guarantee fulfillment of an obligation, especially a promise or payment. The term specifically conveys a physical pledge or surety item exchanged as a guarantee; it represents the assurance of a future action or repayment and is typically something of commensurate value to the completed agreement.

Semantic Range

pledge, item deposited as security, guarantee, earnest, token of surety, down payment

Root / Etymology

From the root עָרַב (ʿ-r-b), which carries the core meaning 'to exchange, intermix, pledge, give in security.' עֲרָבוֹן is a nominal form derived from this root, denoting the object or thing given as security or guarantee in a binding agreement. The lexical form thus refers to the physical item given as a pledge, rather than the act of pledging itself.

Historical & Contextual Notes

עֲרָבוֹן occurs rarely in the Hebrew Bible (only in Genesis 38:17–20), where Judah gives his staff, seal, and cord as a pledge (עֲרָבוֹן) to Tamar. The object given functioned as surety for an agreement, not merely as a symbolic guarantee but as a literal exchangeable item of value left in trust until the obligation was fulfilled. The concept is related to, but distinct from, other terms for 'pledge' or 'surety' (such as חָבַל and עֵרָבוֹן), as עֲרָבוֹן emphasizes the physical item handed over during a transaction. In post-biblical and later Hebrew, עֲרָבוֹן developed further meaning as a down payment or earnest money in legal and commercial contexts. English translations often render this as 'pledge' or 'security,' but may not fully capture the specificity of a transaction-guaranteeing item. In later Hellenistic Greek, a similar concept is found in ἀρραβών (arrabōn), likely directly borrowed from the Hebrew, indicating its continuity into Semitic and Greek-speaking Jewish circles. The use is largely confined to legal and transactional contexts, with little shift in meaning over the biblical period due to its technical nature.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from עָרַב (in the sense of exchange); a pawn (given as security); pledge.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

ערב (ʿ-r-b) — to exchange, to pledge, to guarantee, to give in security

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1026 בֵּית הָעֲרָבָה the arid plain
H4627 מַעֲרָב in your trade-goods
H4628 מַעֲרָב the sunset-region
H6148 עָרַב he became surety
H6149 עָרֵב you were pleasing

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6162-02 הָֽ/עֵרָבוֹן֮ haeravon HTd/Ncmsa pledge the pledged security-item 2
H6162-01 עֵרָב֖וֹן eravon HNcmsa a pledge pledge-item 1

Occurrences in Scripture

3 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6162-01 Genesis 38:17 עֵרָב֖וֹן eravon HNcmsa a pledge pledge-item
H6162-02 Genesis 38:18 הָֽ/עֵרָבוֹן֮ haeravon HTd/Ncmsa pledge the pledged security-item
H6162-02 Genesis 38:20 הָ/עֵרָב֖וֹן haeravon HTd/Ncmsa the pledge the pledged security-item
← H6161 Hebrew Lexicon H6163 →