מַאֲרָב (ma.a.rav)
ma.a.rav
ambush
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 4 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun ma’arav denotes an ambush or a place where one lies in wait to surprise an enemy. It appears only four times in the Old Testament, primarily in historical and poetic books like Judges and Psalms. The word captures the tension of hidden danger, describing either the physical location of the trap or the people concealed within it.
In Judges 20:38, the Israelites use a ma’arav to defeat the men of Benjamin, illustrating its tactical nature as a military strategy rather than just a passive hiding spot. The term also carries a metaphorical weight in Psalm 9:16, where God is described as being found in the "pit" or trap He has made for the wicked, suggesting that divine justice often operates through hidden mechanisms that surprise the arrogant.
Etymologically, the word relates to the root meaning "to lie low" or "lurk." This connection emphasizes the element of concealment and suddenness inherent in the concept. Translators typically render it as "ambush," which preserves the sense of strategic deception and imminent threat found in the original text.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word ma’arav describes a hidden danger, a place where one lies in wait to surprise an enemy. It appears only four times in the Old Testament, primarily in historical and poetic books like Judges and Psalms. The term captures the tension of hidden danger, describing either the physical location of the trap or the people concealed within it.
In Judges 20:38, the Israelites use a ma’arav to defeat the men of Benjamin, illustrating its tactical nature as a military strategy rather than just a passive hiding spot. The word also carries a metaphorical weight in Psalm 9:16, where God is described as being found in the "pit" or trap He has made for the wicked, suggesting that divine justice often operates through hidden mechanisms that surprise the arrogant.
Etymologically, the word relates to the root meaning "to lie low" or "lurk." This connection emphasizes the element of concealment and suddenness inherent in the concept. Translators typically render it as "ambush," which preserves the sense of strategic deception and imminent threat found in the original text.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 4 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- the/ ambush3×
- in/ an ambush of1×
- and/ the/ ambush1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- הַ/מַּאְרָ֔ב2×
- וְ/הַ/מַּאְרָ֖ב1×
- הַ/מַּאְרָֽב\׃1×
- בְּ/מַאְרַ֬ב1×
Key Verses
-
Joshua 8:9
Joshua sent them out; and they went to set up the ambush, and stayed between Bethel and Ai on the west side of Ai; but Joshua stayed among the people that night.
This verse establishes the tactical use of an ambush by Joshua to defeat Ai, showing how God can use hidden strategies to achieve victory.
-
Judges 9:35
Gaal the son of Ebed went out, and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city. Abimelech rose up, and the people who were with him, from the ambush.
Here, Abimelech rises from the ambush to attack Gaal, illustrating the sudden and decisive nature of divine judgment against pride.
-
II Chronicles 13:13
But Jeroboam caused an ambush to come about behind them; so they were before Judah, and the ambush was behind them.
The ambush behind Judah highlights the vulnerability of those who trust in numbers rather than God, as Jeroboam’s forces surround them.
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Psalms 10:8
He lies in wait near the villages. From ambushes, he murders the innocent. His eyes are secretly set against the helpless.
This verse describes the wicked lying in wait to murder the innocent, contrasting human malice with God’s ultimate justice.