עֹרֵב (o.rev)
o.rev
Oreb
N:N-M-PQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 3 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- N:N-M-P
Word Overview
The name `orev` literally means "raven" in Hebrew, appearing only three times in the Old Testament as a proper noun. It identifies one of the Midianite chieftains defeated by Gideon during the battle described in Judges 7:25. The text notes that Oreb was killed at a specific location east of the Jordan River, which subsequently took his name.
This usage highlights how personal names in Scripture often reflected characteristics or omens associated with animals. By naming a military leader after a bird known for scavenging and survival, the biblical author may have been drawing a vivid contrast between the enemy’s fate and God’s deliverance of Israel. The rock where he fell became a lasting landmark, preserving the memory of that decisive victory in the landscape.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The name Oreb appears in Scripture as a marker of God’s decisive intervention on behalf of His people. In Judges, this Midianite leader falls at a place that bears his name, turning a site of conflict into a permanent reminder of divine rescue. The narrative does not linger on the enemy’s strength but highlights how quickly human power yields when God acts.
Centuries later, Isaiah recalls this event to encourage Israel facing new threats. By referencing the slaughter at Oreb’s rock, the prophet points back to a time when God delivered His people against overwhelming odds. This connection reminds us that the same God who acted in history remains faithful to His promises today.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 3 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- Oreb6×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- עֹרֵ֣ב3×
- עוֹרֵב֙1×
- עוֹרֵ֤ב1×
- עוֹרֵ֑ב1×
Key Verses
-
Judges 7:25
They took the two princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. They killed Oreb at Oreb’s rock, and Zeeb they killed at Zeeb’s wine press, as they pursued Midian. Then they brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon beyond the Jordan.
This verse establishes Oreb as a specific historical figure whose death at a named location serves as a tangible record of Gideon’s victory.
-
Judges 8:3
God has delivered into your hand the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb! What was I able to do in comparison with you?” Then their anger was abated toward him when he had said that.
Gideon mentions Oreb here to acknowledge that the same divine power that defeated Midian’s leaders is also present in the current situation, calming tensions.
-
Isaiah 10:26
Yahweh of Armies will stir up a scourge against him, as in the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb. His rod will be over the sea, and he will lift it up like he did against Egypt.
The prophet uses the memory of Oreb’s defeat as a metaphor for God’s future judgment against Assyria, linking past deliverance with upcoming hope.