H4569a H4569a
A crossing place: ford of a river, mountain pass, or the action of passing through
This geographical and tactical term describes places where crossing is possible or strategic. It can denote a shallow river ford like the crossing of the Jabbok (Gen 32), a mountain pass like the strategic position at Michmash (1 Sam 13), or even the sweeping motion of a rod (Isa 30). The Hebrew root suggests movement across or through a barrier. Each context emphasizes vulnerability or strategic importance—rivers must be forded, passes controlled, discipline administered.
Senses
1. sense 1 — A crossing point or the action of crossing. At the Jabbok ford (Gen 32:22), Jacob positioned his family before his wrestling encounter. The pass of Michmash (1 Sam 13:23) was a military chokepoint the Philistines controlled. Isaiah 30:32 uses it metaphorically for every stroke of God's disciplining rod. The Spanish/French distinction between 'paso/vado' and 'passe/ford' captures both the mountain pass and river ford senses. 3×
AR["عُبُورِ", "مَعْبَرَ", "مَعْبَرِ"]·ben["আঘাত", "গিরিপথ", "ঘাট"]·DE["[מעבר]", "die-Furt", "gehe-vorbei-von"]·EN["ford-of", "pass-of", "stroke"]·FR["[מעבר]", "ford-de", "passe-de"]·heb["מעבר"]·HI["गुजरना", "घाट"]·ID["celah", "lintasan", "penyeberangan"]·IT["[מעבר]", "ford-di", "passa-di"]·jav["liwatipun", "lurung", "panyabrangan"]·KO["길목을", "나루터를", "지나감이"]·PT["passagem-de"]·RU["брод", "переправе", "проход-"]·ES["paso-de", "vado-de"]·SW["kipigo", "kivuko"]·TR["gecisi", "geçidine", "geçidini"]·urd["درے", "گزرنا", "گزرگاہ"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [מַעֲבָר] n.[m.] ford, pass, passing;—only cstr.: 1. מַעֲבַר יַבֹּק Gn 32:23 (J) the ford of (the) Jabbok. 2. pass, מַעֲבַר מִכְמָשׂ 1 S 13:23 the pass of M. 3. passing, sweep, כָּל־מַעֲבַר מַטֶּה Is 30:32 every sweep of the rod (עָבַר 4 c).