תַּעֲרֻבָה
𐤕𐤏𐤓𐤁𐤄
taʻărubâh
H8594 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A formal pledge or guarantee, particularly in the context of suretyship—an undertaking or guarantee for another person; can refer concretely to a security or pledge given to ensure the fulfillment of an obligation, or, in some texts, to the person or thing handed over as security (e.g., a hostage). The term most commonly signifies a formal guarantee or assumption of responsibility on behalf of another.
Semantic Range
suretyship, guarantee given by another, formal pledge or undertaking for another, a person or thing offered as a pledge (hostage), the act of standing surety, security given for someone
Root / Etymology
From the root עָרַב (ʿ-r-b), which means 'to pledge, guarantee, mix, exchange.' The noun תַּעֲרֻבָה is formed as an abstract or substantive noun denoting the act or the result of being a guarantor or surety. While the root's broader semantic range includes 'to mix' or 'to exchange,' in this nominal form it is limited to the meaning cluster of guarantee and surety.
Historical & Contextual Notes
תַּעֲרֻבָה is a relatively rare term in the Hebrew Bible, occurring only a few times. Its primary usage is legal and social, relating to the custom where a person acts as a guarantor to ensure someone else's obligation or freedom, sometimes resulting in the actual delivery of a pledge or even the temporary surrender of a person (hostage). This sense of vouching for another is distinct from other terms such as עֵרָבוֹן (ʿērāvōn, 'pledge' or 'earnest'), which focuses more on the object pledged rather than the act of giving surety. In later periods, related concepts would evolve, but in biblical contexts, the term always conveys responsibility undertaken on behalf of another, sometimes materializing as the act of handing over a living person as a guarantee. Standard translations like 'pledge' or 'hostage' capture only part of the semantic field, often missing the social-legal aspect of suretyship prevalent in the ancient Near Eastern context.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from עָרַב; suretyship, i.e. (concretely) a pledge; [phrase] hostage.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
ערב (ʿ-r-b) — to pledge, to guarantee, to mix
| 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
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8594-01 |
הַ/תַּֽעֲרֻב֑וֹת | hataaruvot | HTd/Ncfpa |
the hostages | the surety pledges | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8594-01 |
2 Kings 14:14 | הַ/תַּֽעֲרֻב֑וֹת | hataaruvot | HTd/Ncfpa |
the hostages | the surety pledges |
H8594-01 |
2 Chronicles 25:24 | הַ/תַּֽעֲרֻב֑וֹת | hataaruvot | HTd/Ncfpa |
the hostages | the surety pledges |