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אׇרֳבָה

𐤀𐤓𐤁𐤄

ʼorŏbâh

H698 noun

SILEX Entry

Root אָ־ר־ב to lie in wait, ambush, lurk

Definition

A spot designated as a place of lying in wait (ambush), specifically the physical location or hideout used by those setting an ambush. The term is used almost exclusively in the plural, referring to ambush sites, hidden stations, or the specific posts where assailants conceal themselves to surprise an enemy. It can also refer by extension to the result or 'prey' secured by ambush, that is, spoils or plunder taken from an ambushed party, though this is a secondary developed sense.

Semantic Range

place of ambush, spot of lying in wait, ambuscade, ambush site, hideout, station for ambushers, (rarely) spoils from ambush

Root / Etymology

From the root ארב (ʼ-r-b), which means 'to lie in wait, to ambush, to lurk'. The form אׇרֳבָה is a feminine noun, abstract or collective, related to the act or state of lying in wait. It is directly derived from the root but distinct from the masculine noun אֹרֶב (ʼōrev), which can refer either to the act of ambushing or to the person lying in wait.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, אׇרֳבָה occurs primarily in military or narrative contexts, almost always in the plural (אׇרֳבוֹת), especially in Judges, Joshua, and Samuel, describing tactical positions where ambushers concealed themselves during battles or confrontations. The distinction between אׇרֳבָה (feminine, usually the place or site of ambush) and אֹרֶב (masculine, either the ambush itself or the ambusher) is important: the former leans toward a physical location or arrangement, while the latter may refer to the act or agent. English translations often simply render this word as 'ambush' or 'lie in wait,' which can obscure the spatial and collective nuance. There is an occasional semantic extension, influenced by context, in which the term refers to the booty, loot, or spoils retrieved by successful ambush—though this is rarer and always context-dependent. The word’s use does not substantially shift across periods but is closely tied to warfare and conflicts in the narrative portions of the Former Prophets. Later periods favor more general terms for 'ambush' or 'loot.' The word does not carry religious or ritual connotations.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

feminine of אֹרֶב (only in the plural); ambuscades; spoils.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

ארב (ʾ-r-b) — to lie in wait, ambush, lurk

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3993 מַאֲרָב in ambush of
H693 אָרַב I lay in wait
H694 אֲרָב Arav
H696 אֹרֶב his ambush
H699 אֲרֻבָּה apertures

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H698-01 אָרְבּ֥וֹת arebot HNcfpc the movements ambush-sites of 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H698-01 Isaiah 25:11 אָרְבּ֥וֹת arebot HNcfpc the movements ambush-sites of
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