---
title: עָב — dark cloud · The Tanakh dictionary
description: עָב (5645), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 31 times: dark cloud. BDB 1906: n.m. dark cloud, cloud-mass, thicket Qal. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# עָב

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«עָב» in the Tanakh dictionary: **dark cloud** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 31 times · **Key:** 5645 · **BDB:** עָב³

### Glosses

clouds (12); a.cloud (5); cloud (2)

### Meaning (OSHB)

dark cloud [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1506/5645/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

n.m. dark cloud, cloud-mass, thicket Qal [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1506/5645/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** n.m. Is 19, 1 and (1 K 18:44 KöSynt. 163) f. dark cloud, cloud-mass, thicket;—ע׳ abs. 1 K 18:44 +, cstr. Is 18:4; Pr 16:15; pl. עָבִים Ju 5:4 +, עָבוֹת 2 S 23:4 ψ 77:18; cstr. עָבֵי 2 S 22:12 ψ 18:12; sf. עָבָיו ψ 18:13 (but prob. del., v. עבר Qal ad fin.);— dark cloud: rain-cloud Ju 5:4; Is 5:6; 1 K 18:44, 45 + 9 times. as high Is 14:14 Jb 20:6, + Ez 19:11; 31:3, 10, 14 (reading עָבוֹת, v. עֲבֹת). chariot of י׳ Is 19:1 ψ 104:3; covering his eyes Jb 22:14. casting shadow Is 25:5, cf. 2 S 23:4. as swift Is 60:8, and transient 44:22; Jb 30:15 (all sim.). f. disposed by God Jb 36:29; 37:16. g. ע׳ טַל Is 18:4 cloud of dew, dew-mist (sim.). (cloud-) mass, ע׳ שְׁחָקִים 2 S 22:12 masses of clouds (enwrapping י׳) = ψ 18:12 (v 13 v. supr.). thicket as refuge Je 4:29 (perhaps under Aramaic influence).—עַב Ex 19:9 v. עֲבִי sub עבה. 1. עָב v. p. 712 supr.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 24 of its verses cited, 2 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (7 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 2 words shared with the BDB entry, 2 with the glosses (4 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «עָב» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1506/5645/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Isaiah 14:14](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/ISA.14.14/)

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אֶעֱלֶ֖ה עַל־בָּ֣מֳתֵי עָ֑ב אֶדַּמֶּ֖ה לְעֶלְיֽוֹן׃

*Word for word:* I.will.ascend above \[the\].high.places of.\[the\].cloud\[s\] I.will.make.myself.like (to).the Most.High

*JPS 1917:* I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.'

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[Job 36:29](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/JOB.36.29/)

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אַ֣ף אִם־יָ֭בִין מִפְרְשֵׂי־עָ֑ב תְּ֝שֻׁא֗וֹת סֻכָּתֽוֹ׃

*Word for word:* also if anyone.understands \[the\].spreading.out(s) of.dark.cloud the.noises his.pavilion his

*JPS 1917:* Yea, can any understand the spreadings of the clouds, the crashings of His pavilion?

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