עֲבִי (a.vi)
a.vi
thickness
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 5 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The noun a.vi denotes physical thickness or density, describing the substantial mass of an object rather than its length or width. In the Hebrew Bible, this word appears in only five verses, primarily within historical and poetic books like 2 Chronicles, Job, and Jeremiah. It serves as a precise descriptor for material solidity, often highlighting the robust nature of constructed items or natural formations.
Its usage is notably concrete, focusing on tangible attributes. For instance, it describes the thickness of the walls in Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 33:14) or the dense foliage of trees (Job 15:30). By emphasizing depth and weight, a.vi helps readers visualize the strength and permanence of these objects, distinguishing them from things that are merely large but thin or fragile.
Translators typically render this word as "thickness" to preserve its specific geometric meaning. This choice avoids vague terms like "size" or "bulk," ensuring that the text retains its focus on the physical dimension that contributes to an object's durability. The rarity of the term in Scripture suggests it was reserved for moments where the material density played a key role in the narrative or imagery.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word avi describes physical thickness, focusing on the substantial mass of an object rather than its length or width. In Scripture, it highlights material solidity and durability. This concrete imagery helps us visualize strength and permanence in constructed items or natural formations.
For your faith, this concept reminds us that God values substance over superficial appearance. Just as a thick wall provides protection or a solid pillar supports weight, spiritual depth offers stability in difficult seasons. We are invited to build lives with enduring integrity, grounded in truth rather than fleeting trends.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 5 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ thickness/ its3×
- with/ [the] thickness of1×
- in/ [the] thickness of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וְ/עָבְי֣/וֹ2×
- וְ/עָבְי֛/וֹ1×
- בַּ֝/עֲבִ֗י1×
- בַּ/עֲבִ֖י1×
Key Verses
-
I Kings 7:26
It was a hand width thick. Its brim was worked like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily. It held two thousand baths.
This verse specifies the handbreadth thickness of Solomon's bronze sea, emphasizing the craftsmanship and durability of the temple furnishings.
-
II Chronicles 4:5
It was a handbreadth thick. Its brim was made like the brim of a cup, like the flower of a lily. It received and held three thousand baths.
Here the same measurement is recorded for the second casting, reinforcing the consistency and substantial nature of the sacred vessels.
-
Jeremiah 52:21
As for the pillars, the height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits; and a line of twelve cubits encircled it; and its thickness was four fingers. It was hollow.
The thickness of the temple pillars is described here to illustrate their hollow yet sturdy construction before their destruction.