---
title: אָרַב — lie in wait · The Tanakh dictionary
description: אָרַב (693), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 41 times: lie in wait. BDB 1906: vb. lie in wait Qal. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# אָרַב

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«אָרַב» in the Tanakh dictionary: **lie in wait** — 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:** 41 times · **Key:** 693 · **BDB:** אָרַב

### Glosses

ambusher (6); ambushers (4); ambush (3)

### Meaning (OSHB)

lie in wait [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/693/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

vb. lie in wait Qal [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/693/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** vb. lie in wait (Arabic أَرُبَ i. was crafty, iii. went obliquely Dozy (knot) Frey)— Pf. וְאָרַב consec. Dt 19:11 וַאֲרַבְתֶּם Ju 21:20; אָרָֽבְתִּי׃ Jb 31:9; אָֽרְבוּ ψ 59:4 La 4:19; Impf. יֶאֱרֹב ψ 10:9(×2); יֶאֱרֹ֑בוּ Pr 1:18; Mi 7:2; וַיֶּֽאֶרְבוּ Ju 9:34; 16:2; נֶֽאֶרְבָה Pr 1:11; Imv. אֱרֹב Ju 9:32; Inf. אֱרָב־ Pr 12:6; Pt. אֹרֵב Jos 8:2 + 11 times; אוֹרֵב Jos 8:12 + 4 times; אֹרְבִים Jos 8:4 + 2 times;—lie in wait (with hostile purpose), abs. Ju 9:32, 43 + 21:20; Jb 31:9; ψ 10:9; Pr 7:12; 23:28; 1 S 22:8, 13; La 3:10 (of bear, cf. ψ 10:9); c. inf. of purpose ψ 10:9; c. acc. א׳ דָּם Pr 12:6; c. עַל, and pers. against whom Ju 9:34; usually c. ל Dt 19:11; Mi 7:2; Ju 16:2; ψ 59:4; Pr 1:11, 18; 24:15; La 4:19 cf. Jos 8:2, 4, 14; Pt. as subst. = liers-in-wait (pl.) Ju 20:29; usually sg. coll. ambush Jos 8:2, 12, 14, 19, 21; Ju 16:9, 12; 20:33, 36, 37(×2), 38 Ezr 8:31; pl. of this sing. = ambuscades Je 51:12; sg. = place of lying-in-wait, ambush (loc. sense) Jos 8:7. Pt. pl. מְאָֽרְבִים liers-in-wait. Qal Pt. Ju 9:25 (c. ל), 2 Ch 20:22 (c. עַל).? Impf. וַיָּרֶב בנחל (for וַיַּאֲרֶב) 1 S 15:5 (cf. Dr Köi 390; Ges-Kau§68. 2 queries) but text dub.; cf. Ol§ 257 b, \& Klo, who proposes ויעבר בנחל.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 39 of its verses cited, 2 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (10 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 2 words shared with the BDB entry, 2 with the glosses (5 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «אָרַב» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1488/693/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Judges 20:29](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/JDG.20.29/)

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וַיָּ֤שֶׂם יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֹֽרְבִ֔ים אֶל־הַגִּבְעָ֖ה סָבִֽיב׃פ

*Word for word:* and it.set Israel ambushers to (the) Gibeah round.about

*JPS 1917:* And Israel set liers-in-wait against Gibeah round about.

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[Lamentations 3:10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/LAM.3.10/)

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דֹּ֣ב אֹרֵ֥ב הוּא֙ לִ֔י אֲרִ֖י בְּמִסְתָּרִֽים׃

*Word for word:* \[is\].a.bear \[which\].lies.in.wait he to me a.lion in secret.places

*JPS 1917:* He is unto me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in secret places.

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