Original Word: עָרָב
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: `arab
Pronunciation: ah-RAHB or ah-rah-BAH
Phonetic Spelling: (aw-rawb')
Definition: Desert, plain, steppe, wilderness
Meaning: a willow

willow

From arab; a willow (from the use of osiers as wattles) -- willow.

see HEBREW arab

Word Origin
from the same as oreb
Definition
(a kind of tree) perhaps poplar, also a wadi in Moab
NASB Translation
Arabim (1), poplars (1), willows (3).

II. [עֲרָבָה] noun [masculine] poplar (populus Euphratica = Arabic We in De^{Gn (4), 568} Kersten^{ZPV ii. 209} De^{Is (4) 44, 4} Löw^{p. 300 Anm}.; Late Hebrew עֲרָבָה √ obscure); — plural absolute עֲרָבִים עַליִֿבְלֵימָֿ֑יִם Isaiah 44:4, compare Psalm 137:2; construct עַרְבֵינָֿ֑חַלLeviticus 23:40 (H), Job 40:22; נַחַלהָֿעֲרָבִים Isaiah 15:7 (a wady in Moab; identification dubious, see conjectures in Buhl^{Geogr. 124}).

Word Origin: Derived from the root עָרַב (ʿāraḇ), which can mean to grow dark or to become evening, but in this context, it is associated with a type of tree.

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: There is no direct Greek equivalent for the Hebrew עָרָב (ʿārāḇ) in the Strong's Greek lexicon, as the specific term for "willow" does not appear in the Greek New Testament. However, the concept of trees and their symbolic meanings can be found in various Greek terms related to trees and plants, such as δένδρον (dendron, Strong's Greek 1186) for "tree."

Usage: The term עָרָב is used in the context of describing a type of tree, particularly in relation to its natural habitat near water sources. It is often associated with the Feast of Tabernacles, where willow branches are used in the celebration.

Context: The Hebrew word עָרָב (ʿārāḇ) refers to the willow tree, a plant commonly found along riverbanks and streams. In biblical times, the willow was significant in various cultural and religious practices. The willow is mentioned in the context of the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), where it was one of the four species used in the celebration. This feast, as described in Leviticus 23:40, involves the use of "branches of leafy trees and willows of the brook" as part of the joyous festival before the LORD. The willow's association with water and its flexible branches made it a symbol of resilience and adaptability.

In the Bible, the willow is often linked to the idea of growth and sustenance, drawing from its proximity to water sources. The imagery of the willow by the water is used to convey themes of prosperity and blessing, as seen in passages that describe the righteous as trees planted by streams of water, yielding fruit in season (cf. Psalm 1:3).

The willow's presence in biblical texts underscores its importance in the agrarian society of ancient Israel, where it was valued not only for its practical uses but also for its symbolic meanings in religious observance and literature.

הָעֲרָבִ֖ים הערבים וְעַרְבֵי־ וערבי־ כַּעֲרָבִ֖ים כערבים עֲרָבִ֥ים עַרְבֵי־ ערבי־ ערבים ‘ă·rā·ḇîm ‘ar·ḇê- ‘ărāḇîm ‘arḇê- araVim arvei hā‘ărāḇîm hā·‘ă·rā·ḇîm haaraVim ka‘ărāḇîm ka·‘ă·rā·ḇîm kaaraVim vearvei wə‘arḇê- wə·‘ar·ḇê-Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts