אַבֵל מַיִם
𐤀𐤁𐤋 𐤌𐤉𐤌
Avel Mayim
H66 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper place name meaning 'meadow of water' or 'water meadow.' Refers to a location in the northern kingdom of Israel, likely characterized by abundant water or riverside meadows. Used once in the Hebrew Bible as a geographical designation, potentially reflecting a notable wetland or water-rich area.
Semantic Range
meadow of water, water meadow, grassy place with abundant water, the name of a specific locality in northern Israel
Root / Etymology
A compound of אָבֵל (ʾāvēl, 'meadow, grassy place') and מַיִם (mayim, 'water'), literally 'meadow of water.' The first element derives from the root אָבֵל, which in this context means 'meadow' or 'grassy plain,' not to be confused with אָבֵל meaning 'mourning.' The second element is from the root מ-י-ם, meaning 'water.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
אַבֵל מַיִם occurs in 2 Chronicles 16:4 as the name of a site in the northern kingdom targeted by Ben-Hadad I of Aram at the request of Asa, king of Judah. The parallel text in 1 Kings 15:20 reads 'Avel-Beth-Ma‘akah' (אָבֵל בֵּית מַעֲכָה), which suggests the two refer to the same or closely related locations, indicating potential textual harmonization or variant tradition. In ancient Israelite geography, such compound names were common for places distinguished by notable natural features—in this case, likely a meadow located near a body of water (spring, river, or marsh). The KJV and some English translations use 'Abel-maim,' but this preserves the Hebrew rather than providing a descriptive translation. There is no evidence that this term ever referred to personal or religious identity. Its usage is strictly geographic and literal, with no attestation outside of this historical reference. The use of 'Palestine' in older reference works is anachronistic; the location was within the northern Israelite kingdom.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from אָבֵל and מַיִם; meadow of water; Abel-Majim, a place in Palestine; Abel-maim.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
עול (ʿ-w-l) — to act unjustly, to be perverse, to deal unfairly
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H5759 | עֲוִיל | their nursing infants |
| H5760 | עֲוִיל | unjust man |
| H5763 | עוּל | to suckle |
| H5764 | עוּל | nursing infant of |
| H5765 | עֲוַל | from injustice |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H66-01 |
אָבֵ֣ל | avel | HNp |
Abel | unjust | 1 |
H66-02 |
מָ֑יִם | mayim | HNp |
of waters | waters | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H66-01 |
2 Chronicles 16:4 | אָבֵ֣ל | avel | HNp |
Abel | unjust |
H66-02 |
2 Chronicles 16:4 | מָ֑יִם | mayim | HNp |
of waters | waters |