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Bible Lexicons
Old Testament Hebrew Lexical Dictionary Hebrew Lexicon
Strong's #5680 - עִבְרִי
- Brown-Driver-Briggs
- Strong
Hebrew = “one from beyond”
1) a designation of the patriarchs and the Israelites (noun proper)
2) a designation of the patriarchs and the Israelites (adjective)
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- Word
a. put into the mouth of foreigners (Egyptian and Philistine), or
b. used to distinguish Israel from foreigners (= one from beyond, from the other side, i.e. probably (in Hebrew tradition) from beyond the Euphrates (compare Joshua 24:2,3 E), but possibly in fact (if name given in Cannan) from beyond the Jordan; compare Ges§ 2 b Sta§ 1 b Kö i. 18 ff. We Israel u. Jüd. Geschichte. 7 Kau'Eber' and 'Hebräer' in Ri HWB 332; 600. — On connection of ׳ע (in wide sense) with –abiri (Tel Amarna) see Wkl Geschichte. Israel 17 ff.; Semitic Studies in Mem. of Kohut, 605 ff. EMey Aegyptica [Ebers], 75 compare Glaser MVG 1897,255 ff. Kö Exp. Times xi. 238; opposed to Jastr JBL xi (1892), 118 ff. Say Monuments 188; 333 WMM As.u.Eur.396): — masculine singular ׳ע Genesis 39:14 +; feminine singular עִבְרִיָּה Deuteronomy 15:12; Jeremiah 34:9; masculine plural עִבְרִים Genesis 43:32 +, עִבְרִיִּים Exodus 3:18; feminine plural עִבְרִיֹּת Exodus 1:15 2t., וֺת- Exodus 1:16 word not in P; — 1. adjective a.אִישׁ עִבְרִי Genesis 39:14 compare Genesis 39:17 (both J), Genesis 41:12 (E).
b. אִישׁ בְִרִי Exodus 2:11 compare Exodus 2:13; Exodus 21:2 (all E), Deuteronomy 15:12; Jeremiah 34:9,14; feminine Deuteronomy 15:12; Jeremiah 34:9.
2. noun a. b. Exodus 1:16,19; Exodus 2:17 (all feminine) Exodus 2:6 (all E), 1 Samuel 4:6,9; 1 Samuel 13:19; 1 Samuel 14:11; 1 Samuel 29:3.
b. Genesis 40:15; Exodus 1:15 (feminine; both E), 1 Samuel 13:3; 1 Samuel 14:21; Genesis 43:32 (J); especially in אֱלֹהֵי הָעִבְרִים Exodus 3:18; Exodus 5:3; Exodus 7:16; Exodus 9:1,13; Exodus 10:3 (all J); singular only ׳אַבְרָם הָע Genesis 14:13 אָנֹ֑כִי׳ע Jonah 1:9. — ᵐ5 Ἐβραῖος, Ἐβραία, Genesis 14:13 τῷ περάτῃ. — 1 Samuel 13:7 read probably for ׳וְעִבְרִים וגו, וְעָֽבְרוּמַעְבְּרוֺת הַיַּרְדֵּן (We), or, better, וַיַּעַבְרוּ Dr Kit Löhr; > וְעַם רַב Klo Bu HPS.
עִבְרִי pl. עִבְרִים, עִבְיִּים f. עִבְרִיָּה, pl. עִבְרִיּוֹת, Gentile noun, Hebrew. As to the origin of this name, it is derived in the Old Test. itself from the name עֵבֶר (which see) [if this be the case there can be no farther question about the matter]; it seems, however, to be originally an appellative, from עֵבֶר the land beyond the Euphrates; whence עִבְרִי a stranger come from the other side of the Euphrates, Genesis 14:13, where it is well rendered by the LXX. ὁ περάτης. This word differs from Israelites (בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל), in that the latter was the patronymic derived from the ancestor of the people, which was used amongst the nation itself, and there only this was regarded as an appellative, applied by the Canaanites to the Hebrews, as having crossed the Euphrates and immigrating into Canaan; and it was commonly used by foreign nations (compare כְּנַעֲנִים and Φοίνικες; Chemi, מִצְרַיִם and Αἴγυπτος). Hence Greek and Latin writers only use the name of Hebrews (or Jews), (see Pausan. i. 6; vi. 24; x. 12; Tac. Hist. v. 1; Josephus, passim) while the writers of the Old Testament only call the Israelites Hebrews when foreigners are introduced as speaking, Genesis 39:14, 17 Genesis 39:17, 41:12 Exodus 1:16, 2:6 1 Samuel 4:6, 1 Samuel 4:9, 13:19 14:11 29:3, or when the Israelites themselves speak of themselves to foreigners, Genesis 40:15; Exodus 1:19, 2:7 3:18 5:3 7:16 9:1, 13 Jonah 1:9 or when used in opposition to other nations, Genesis 43:32; Exodus 1:15, 2:11, 13 21:2 Deuteronomy 15:12 (compare Jerem. 34:9, 14 Jeremiah 34:14); 1 Samuel 13:3, 1 Samuel 13:7 (where there is a paronomasia in עִבְרִים עָֽבְרוּ); 14:21. As to what others have imagined, that Israelites was a sacred name, while that of Hebrews was for common use, it is without foundation, and is repugnant to the Old Test. usage. (I have made more remarks on this noun in Gesch. d. Hebr. Sprache u. Schr. p. 9-12.)
[(2) Ibri, pr.n.m. 1 Chronicles 24:27.]
