---
title: עֲרָבָה — desert-plain · The Tanakh dictionary
description: עֲרָבָה (6160), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 61 times: desert-plain. BDB 1906: n.f. desert-plain, steppe. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# עֲרָבָה

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«עֲרָבָה» in the Tanakh dictionary: **desert-plain** — 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:** 61 times · **Key:** 6160 · **BDB:** עֲרָבָה

### Glosses

Arabah (15); the.plains (15); the.Arabah (9)

### Meaning (OSHB)

desert-plain [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1506/6160/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

n.f. desert-plain, steppe [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1506/6160/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** n.f. desert-plain, steppe; abs. ע׳ 2 S 4:7 +, sf. עַרְבָתָהּ Is 51:3; pl. עֲרָבוֹת Je 5:6 ψ 68:5, cstr. עַרְבוֹת 2 K 25:5 +, עַרְבֹת Je 52:8;— earliest use: arid steppe W. of Dead Sea (in S. Judah) 1 S 23:24, also Ez 47:8; Is 51:3, whence name יָם הָע׳ Jos 3:16 (JE ‖ יָם הַמֶּלַח), also 2 K 14:25; Dt 4:49, and (‖ id.) 3:17 Jos 12:3 (D); נַחַל הָעֲרָבָה Am 6:14 must be E. of Dead Sea, si vera l., but read prob. נ׳ מִצְרַיִם v. נַחַל. Jordan-valley W. of river + adjacent plain; near ford (opp. Jericho) 2 S 2:29, cf. Jos 8:14 (JE); also Dt 11:30; 2 K 25:4 = Je 39:4 = 52:7;—2 S 15:28; 17:16 v. עֲבָרָה. Jordan-valley E. of river 2 S 4:7. in D: a. especially of E. Jordan plain Dt 1:1 (prob.) Jos 12:1, 3, E. half of Jordan-valley Dt 3:17; 4:49; of entire Jordan-valley (between כִּנֶּרֶת and Dead Sea, mod. El-Ghôr, the Depression) Dt 1:7; Jos 11:2, 16; W. Jordan plain only Jos 12:8; depression S. of Dead Sea (mod. Wady el-ʿArabah) Dt 2:8. in P always pl. cstr. עַרְבוֹת מוֹאָב (E. Jordan) Nu 22:1 + 11 times (v. מוֹאָב); ע׳ יְרֵחוֹ (W. Jordan) Jos 4:13; 5:10, also 2 K 25:5 = Je 39:5 = 52:8. appar. N. Arabian desert Is 40:3; 41:19. in gen. the steppe (often ‖ מִדְבָּר), Je 17:6; 50:12 Is 33:9; 35:1, 6; Jb 24:5; 39:6 ψ 68:5; זְאֵב עֲרָבוֹת Je 5:6 (fig. of invader); cf. description of Exodus אֶרֶץ עֲרָבָה וְשׁוּחָה Je 2:6; in sim., of a plain, of future land of Judah Zc 14:10.—Vid. Dr Dt 1:1 and reff. BuhlGeogr. 111.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 43 of its verses cited, 2 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (3 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 2 words shared with the BDB entry, 2 with the glosses (3 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «עֲרָבָה» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1506/6160/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Job 39:6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/JOB.39.6/)

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אֲשֶׁר־שַׂ֣מְתִּי עֲרָבָ֣ה בֵית֑וֹ וּֽמִשְׁכְּנוֹתָ֥יו מְלֵֽחָה׃

*Word for word:* which I.appointed \[the\].desert.plain home its and dwelling-places its \[the\].saltiness

*JPS 1917:* Whose house I have made the wilderness, and the salt land his dwelling-place.

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[Isaiah 35:1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/ISA.35.1/)

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יְשֻׂשׂ֥וּםמִדְבָּ֖ר וְצִיָּ֑ה וְתָגֵ֧ל עֲרָבָ֛ה וְתִפְרַ֖ח כַּחֲבַצָּֽלֶת׃

*Word for word:* they will.rejoice \[the\].wilderness and.\[the\] dry.region and let.it.be.glad \[the\].desert.plain and it.will.bud like a.crocus

*JPS 1917:* The wilderness and the parched land shall be glad; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.

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