עָרֹב (a.rov)
a.rov
swarm
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun arav, translated as "swarm," describes a mass of creatures moving with such density that they appear as a single, chaotic entity. Its etymology likely stems from roots suggesting mixture and incessant, involved motion, capturing the overwhelming nature of an insect infestation rather than just a countable number of individuals.
This word appears only twice in the Hebrew Bible, both times within Psalm 78 to recount God’s judgments upon Egypt. In verse 45, it joins locusts and caterpillars as part of the plagues that devastated the land. The imagery emphasizes the sheer volume and relentless activity of the pests, illustrating a judgment so total it felt like the air itself had turned against the people.
Translators typically render this term as "swarm" or "multitude" to convey the sense of an uncountable, moving mass. By focusing on the motion and mixture inherent in the word, the text highlights the disorienting and oppressive experience of those under such a plague, where the boundary between individual insects and the collective threat dissolves.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word arav paints a picture of overwhelming pressure. It describes a swarm so dense that individual creatures blur into a single, chaotic force. In the biblical narrative, this imagery marks moments when God’s judgment feels inescapable, turning the very air against those who oppose Him. The sheer volume of the pestilence creates a sense of disorientation and oppression, where one cannot find refuge from the relentless motion.
For believers today, this word reminds us that no situation is beyond God’s control. Even when circumstances feel like an uncountable mass closing in, the same Sovereign who sent the swarm also holds the power to remove it. We are not left to face chaos alone; our trust rests in the One who commands both the plague and the peace that follows.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- a swarm of flies2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- עָרֹ֑ב1×
- עָ֭רֹב1×
Key Verses
-
Psalms 78:45
He sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.
This verse lists the swarm alongside frogs as part of a comprehensive judgment, emphasizing the total devastation of the land.
-
Psalms 105:31
He spoke, and swarms of flies came, and lice in all their borders.
Here the swarm appears as an immediate result of God's spoken word, highlighting His absolute authority over nature.