H3529 H3529
Kebar — a river or canal in Babylonia beside which the Jewish exiles settled and where Ezekiel received his visions.
Kebar (Kevar) is the name of a river or canal in Babylonia, always appearing in the fixed phrase nehar Kevar ('the river Kebar'). This waterway is the setting for Ezekiel's entire prophetic ministry: beside it he received his inaugural vision of the divine chariot (Ezek 1:1, 3), sat stunned among the exiles for seven days (3:15), and witnessed the glory of the LORD (3:23; 10:15, 20, 22; 43:3). Though the exact identification remains uncertain — possibly the naru kabari canal near Nippur — its repeated mention anchors Ezekiel's visions in a concrete place of exile. All major traditions transliterate consistently: English and French 'Kebar,' Spanish 'Quebar,' German 'Kebar.'
Senses
1. sense 1 — The proper name of a Babylonian river or canal (nehar Kevar) where the Jewish exiles settled and where Ezekiel received his prophetic visions. All eight occurrences are in Ezekiel (1:1, 3; 3:15, 23; 10:15, 20, 22; 43:3), always in the fixed phrase 'the river Kebar.' The site is likely a canal near Nippur. Transliterations are remarkably consistent: English/French/German 'Kebar,' Spanish 'Quebar/Kebar,' reflecting a stable toponym across manuscript traditions. 8×
AR["خابور", "خَابُورَ", "خَبَارَ"]·ben["কবার", "কবারের", "কেবারের", "তীরে"]·DE["Kebar"]·EN["Kebar", "Kevar"]·FR["Kebar"]·heb["כבר"]·HI["कबार", "केबार"]·ID["Kebar"]·IT["Chebar"]·jav["Kebar", "Kébar"]·KO["그바르", "그발"]·PT["Kebar", "Kevar"]·RU["Кевар"]·ES["Kebar", "Quebar"]·SW["Kebari"]·TR["Kevar", "görünüşleri", "nehrin", "ve-oldu", "ve-oturdum"]·urd["کبار", "کبار-پر", "کبار-کی"]
Related Senses
H8033 1. There (locative adverb) (835×)H7760a 1. put, place, set physically (444×)H8064 1. heavens / sky (329×)H5439 1. around, all around (spatial) (319×)H4057b 1. wilderness, desert region (270×)H3220 1. sea, body of water (269×)H0520a 1. cubit (unit of length) (246×)H0127 1. ground, land (territory) (210×)H3383 1. Jordan River (proper noun) (183×)G1093 1. earth, the world (176×)H5800a 1. forsake, abandon (Qal active) (166×)H8121 1. sun (celestial body) (133×)H7126 1. offer, present sacrificially (122×)H6828 1. north, cardinal direction (120×)H2351 1. outside, exterior space (119×)H5104 1. river, stream (119×)H7341 1. width, breadth (101×)G1563 1. there (95×)H7126 2. draw near, approach (95×)G2281 1. sea, large body of water (91×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† II. כְּבָר n.pr.fl. Kĕbār, a river (or perhaps a canal) of Babylonia, not at present identified, by wh. the exiles, among whom Ez. ministered, were settled; always in the phr. נְהַר כְּבָר Ez 1:1, 3; 3:15, 23; 10:15, 20, 22; 43:3 (cf. Sm Ez 1:1 DelPar. 47f., 184).