H4628 H4628
West; the cardinal direction of the setting sun, used in geographic orientation and territorial descriptions.
A late Hebrew noun derived from the root 'arav ('to set,' of the sun), ma'arav literally means 'the place of setting.' It serves as the standard term for the cardinal direction west in post-exilic and Chronicles texts, paralleling mizrach ('east') in symmetrical directional pairs. Isaiah 45:6 draws on this pairing memorably: 'from the rising of the sun to its setting, there is none besides me.' Psalm 103:12 deploys the same polarity to measure the immeasurable distance God places between his people and their sins. The Arabic cognate maghrib, used today for Morocco and the evening prayer, preserves the same solar etymology.
Senses
1. west — The cardinal direction west, conceived as the place where the sun sets. Used in geographic boundary descriptions and directional orientation, especially in Chronicles for temple assignments and territorial divisions (1 Chr 7:28; 12:16; 26:16, 18, 30). Paired with mizrach ('east') in cosmic and theological statements about God's universal sovereignty (Isa 43:5; 45:6; 59:19) and the completeness of divine forgiveness (Ps 103:12). Also in Daniel 8:5 for the direction from which Alexander's goat comes charging. 14×
AR["الْمَغْرِبِ", "عَنِ-المَغرِب", "غَرْبًا", "غَرْبِيًّا", "لِلْغَرْبِ", "مِنَ-الْغَرْبِ", "وَ-إلى-الـ-غَربِ", "وَ-لا-مِنَ-المَغْرِبِ", "وَ-مِنَ-المَغرِب", "وَلِلْمَغْرِب", "وَمِنَ-المَغْرِبِ", "وَمِنْ-مَغْرِبِهَا"]·ben["-পশ্চিম", "এবং-পশ্চিম-থেকে", "এবং-পশ্চিমে", "এবং-সূর্যাস্ত-পর্যন্ত", "ও-পশ্চিম-থেকে", "ও-পশ্চিম-দিকে", "পশ্চিম-থেকে", "পশ্চিমদিকে", "পশ্চিমে"]·DE["[המערב]", "[ולמערב]", "[וממערב]", "[וממערבה]", "[למערב]", "[ממערב]", "[מערבה]", "und-von-der-west", "von-der-west"]·EN["and-from-its-setting", "and-from-the-west", "and-to-the-west", "from-the-west", "the-west", "to-the-west", "westward"]·FR["[וממערב]", "[וממערבה]", "[ממערב]", "de-ouest", "et-de-ouest", "et-ouest", "occident", "ouest"]·heb["ה-מערב", "ו-ל-ה-מערב", "ו-מ-מערב", "ו-מ-מערבה", "ל-ה-מערב", "מ-מערב", "מערבה-ה"]·HI["उ-मि-मअरव", "और-अस्त-से", "और-पश्चिम-की-ओर", "और-पश्चिम-से", "और-से-पश्चिम", "पश्चिम", "पश्चिम-की-ओर", "पश्चिम-दिशा-को", "पश्चिम-से"]·ID["-barat", "barat", "dan-dari-barat", "dan-ke-barat", "dari-barat", "di-sebelah-barat", "ke-barat"]·IT["[המערב]", "[וממערב]", "[וממערבה]", "[ממערב]", "e-occidente", "e-ovest", "occidente", "ovest"]·jav["dhateng-kulèn", "kilèn", "kulèn", "lan-ing-kulon", "lan-kilèn", "lan-saking-kilen", "lan-saking-kulon", "saha-saking-kulon", "saking-kilen", "saking-kulon"]·KO["그-와-에-그-서쪽", "그리고-서쪽-에서", "그리고-에게-서쪽", "그리고-에서-그-서쪽", "그리고-에서-서쪽", "서녕-에서", "서쪽", "서쪽-에서", "서쪽-으로-그것의", "서쪽에서-", "서쪽으로", "에-서쪽으로"]·PT["ao-oeste", "do-ocidente", "e-do-ocidente", "e-para-o-ocidente", "oeste", "ou-do-ocidente", "para-o-ocidente"]·RU["запада", "западную", "западом", "и-на-запад", "и-на-западе", "и-не-с-запада", "и-от-запада", "и-от-запада-его", "и-с-запада", "на-запад", "на-западе", "от-запада"]·ES["al-oeste", "de-occidente", "desde-el-occidente", "el-oeste", "hacia-el-occidente", "ni-de-occidente", "y-al-occidente", "y-del-occidente", "y-desde-su-poniente"]·SW["kutoka-magharibi", "magharibi", "marabah", "maּrabah", "na-kutoka-magharibi", "na-kutoka-magharibi-yake", "na-kwa-magharibi", "na-magharibi", "wala-kutoka-magharibi"]·TR["batidan-", "batıdan", "batıya", "ve-batidan", "ve-batisina", "ve-batıdan", "ve-batıya"]·urd["اور-مغرب-تک", "اور-مغرب-سے", "اور-مغرب-کی", "اور-مِن-مغرب", "اور-کے-مغرب", "مغرب", "مغرب-سے", "مغرب-میں", "مغرب-کی-طرف", "مغربی-طرف"]
1 Chr 7:28, 1 Chr 12:16, 1 Chr 26:16, 1 Chr 26:18, 1 Chr 26:30, 2 Chr 32:30, 2 Chr 33:14, Ps 75:6, Ps 103:12, Ps 107:3, Isa 43:5, Isa 45:6 (+2 more)
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. מַעֲרָב n.[m.] west (late) (place of sunset);—מִמַּעֲרָבָה (= -בָהּ, cf. De Ges§ 91 e) Is 45:6 from its setting-place (opp. מִמִּזְרַח־שֶׁמֶשׁ); מַעֲרָב opp. מִזְרָח also 43:5; 59:19 ψ 103:12; 107:3, so לַמּ׳ westward 1 Ch 7:28; 12:16 (van d. H. v 15), 26:16, 18; מ׳ opp. מוֹצָא ψ 75:7; מִן־הַמִּעֲרָב (alone) Dn 8:5; c. ה loc. מַעֲרָ֫בָה 1 Ch 26:30 westward, sq. לְ = to the west of 2 Ch 32:30; 33:14, מִמּ׳ לַגִּבְעָה Ju 20:33 according to 𝔊 (not B) 𝔙 Be GFM al. (v. [מַעֲרֶה]).