H5045 H5045
The south as a cardinal direction; also the Negev, the specific arid region south of Judah.
Negev functions both as a common noun meaning 'south' and as a proper geographic name for the arid steppe-land stretching south from the Judean hills toward Kadesh. When Abraham journeys 'toward the Negev' (Gen 12:9; 13:1), the word hovers between direction and destination. The tabernacle's south side (Exod 26:18; 27:9) uses negev purely as a compass point, while the Negev of the Kenites or the Negev of Caleb (1 Sam 27:10) names specific sub-districts. French and German translations often distinguish 'sud' (direction) from 'Negev' (region), confirming the two core senses.
Senses
1. south, cardinal direction — The cardinal direction south or southward, used for general geographic orientation without specific reference to the Negev region. This appears in tabernacle construction (Exod 26:18; 27:9; 36:23; 38:9; 40:24), tribal boundary descriptions (Josh 15:1; 18:5), and directional phrases like 'north and south' (Gen 13:14; 28:14). French 'sud,' Spanish 'al-sur,' and German 'Sueden' all render this as a pure compass direction. 54×
AR["الجَنوبِ", "جَنوباً", "جَنوبًا", "جَنوبِ", "جَنُوبًا", "جَنُوبًا.", "مِنَ-الجَنوبِ", "مِنْ-جَنوبِ"]·ben["দক্ষিণ-থেকে", "দক্ষিণদিকে", "দক্ষিণে", "দক্ষিণে।", "দক্ষিণের", "যর্দনের"]·DE["Sueden-von", "[נגבה]", "southward", "von-Sueden"]·EN["from-south", "south-of", "southward"]·FR["de-sud", "southward", "sud", "sud-de", "vers-le-sud"]·heb["מ-נגב", "נגב-ה", "נגבה"]·HI["दक्षिण", "दक्षिण-ओर", "दक्षिण-की-ओर", "दक्षिण-दिशा", "दक्षिण-दिशा-में", "दक्षिण-में", "दक्षिण-से"]·ID["dari-selatan", "di-selatan", "ke-selatan", "selatan"]·IT["da-sud", "southward", "sud-di", "verso-sud"]·jav["ing-kidul", "kidul", "saking-kidul", "sisih-kidul"]·KO["남쪽에서-", "남쪽으로", "남쪽은", "남쪽의", "에서-남쪽에서"]·PT["Ao-sul", "ao-sul", "do-sul", "para-o-sul", "sul"]·RU["На-юг", "на-юг", "от-юга", "с-юга", "юга", "югу-от", "южной"]·ES["Al-sur", "al-sur", "al-sur-de", "desde-el-sur", "hacia-el-sur", "hacia-sur", "sur"]·SW["kusini", "kusini-ya", "na-watatu", "wa-kusini"]·TR["güneyde", "güneyden", "güneye", "güneyi", "güneyin", "güneyinde"]·urd["جنوب کی طرف", "جنوب-سے", "جنوب-میں", "جنوب-کی-طرف", "جنوبی"]
Gen 13:14, Gen 28:14, Exod 26:18, Exod 40:24, Josh 15:1, Josh 15:2, Josh 15:3, Josh 15:3, Josh 15:7, Josh 15:8, Josh 17:9, Josh 17:10 (+38 more)
2. the Negev region — The Negev as a proper geographic designation—the arid, semi-desert region south of the Judean highlands, stretching roughly from the hills below Hebron to the wilderness of Kadesh. Abraham sojourns there (Gen 20:1; 24:62), spies enter the land through it (Num 13:17, 22), and it is subdivided into named districts: the Negev of Judah, of the Jerahmeelites, of the Kenites (1 Sam 27:10; 30:14). Across languages this is often transliterated rather than translated: spa 'Neguev,' fra 'Negev,' deu 'Negev.' 40×
AR["النَّقَبِ", "الْ-نَّقَبِ", "الْجَنُوبِ", "جَنوبِ", "مِنَ-النَّقَبِ", "نَقَبَ", "نَقَبِ", "وَ-في-النَّقَبِ", "وَ-في-الْ-نَّقَبِ"]·ben["-দক্ষিণের", "-নেগেভের", "আর-দক্ষিণে", "এবং-নেগেবে-", "দক্ষিণের", "দক্ষিণের-", "নেগেভ", "নেগেভ-থেকে", "সেই-নেগেভ"]·DE["Negev", "Negev-von", "der-Negev", "der-Sueden", "des-Negebs", "des-Negev", "und-in-der-Negev", "von-Sueden-von"]·EN["Negev", "Negev-of", "and-in-the-Negev", "from-south-of", "the-Negev"]·FR["Negev", "Negev-de", "de-sud-de", "et-dans-le-Negev", "et-dans-le-Néguev", "le-Negev", "le-Néguev", "sud"]·heb["ה-נגב", "ו-ב-נגב", "מ-נגב", "נגב"]·HI["और-दक्षिण-में", "और-नेगेव-में", "दकखिन-के", "दक्खिन", "दक्षिण", "दक्षिण-के", "नेगेब-से", "नेगेव", "नेगेव-की", "नेगेव-के"]·ID["Negeb", "Negeb-itu", "dan-di-Negeb", "dari-selatan"]·IT["Neghev", "Neghev-di", "da-sud-di", "e-in-il-Neghev", "il-Neghev", "sud"]·jav["Kidul", "Negeb", "Negeb,", "Nègèb", "kidul", "lan-ing-Negèb", "lan-ing-kidul", "saking-kidul"]·KO["그-남방을", "그-남방의", "그-네객의", "그-네게브와", "그-네겝의", "그리고-네겝-에", "그리고-에-남방에", "남방의", "남쪽의", "네게브-", "네게브의", "네겜밌을", "네겝", "에서-네겜"]·PT["do-Negev", "e-no-Neguebe", "e-no-sul", "negev", "negev-de", "o-Negev", "o-Neguev", "o-Neguev,", "o-sul"]·RU["Негев", "Негева", "и-в-Негеве", "на-негев", "негев", "от-юга", "юга", "южных"]·ES["Negev", "Neguev", "Neguev-de", "desde-sur", "el-Negev", "el-Neguev", "y-en-el-Neguev", "y-en-el-Néguev"]·SW["Negebu", "Negebu-wa", "Negebu-ya", "ha-Negebu", "juu", "kusini", "kusini-mwa", "kutoka-kusini", "na-katika-ha-Negebu", "ya-Negebu", "ya-kusini"]·TR["-Negev'in", "-dan-güneyden", "Negev'e", "Negev'i", "Negev'in", "Negev'in-o", "Negev'ine", "Negevin", "de-Negev", "güney", "ve-Negev'de", "ve-Negev'de-"]·urd["-نگب-کے", "اور-جنوب-میں", "جنوب", "جنوب-کی", "جنوب-کے", "جنوبی", "سے-جنوب", "نگب-کی", "نگب-کے"]
3. sense 3 — A transitional or ambiguous use where negev denotes the south side of a structure or boundary while retaining echoes of the geographic region. References like Exod 27:9, 36:23, and 38:9 describe the tabernacle's 'negev side,' and Num 34:3 traces the southern boundary. These occurrences sit between pure compass direction and regional identity, with some translations rendering them as 'south' and others as 'Negev.' The multilingual split—eng 'south' vs. 'Negev,' fra 'sud' vs. 'Néguev'—reflects this genuine ambiguity. 17×
AR["الجَنوبِ", "الجَنوبِ-", "الجَنُوبِ", "الـ-جَنُوبِ", "النَّقَبِ", "الْ-جَنوبِ", "الْ-جَنُوبِ", "الْجَنُوبِ", "وَ-الجَنوبَ", "وَ-النَّقَبِ"]·ben["এবং-দক্ষিণ", "এবং-দক্ষিণে-", "দক্ষিণ", "দক্ষিণে", "দক্ষিণের", "নেগেভের", "সীমা"]·DE["Sueden", "south", "und-der-Negev"]·EN["and-the-Negev", "south"]·FR["et-le-Néguev", "south", "sud"]·heb["ו-ה-נגב", "נגב"]·HI["और-दक्षिण", "और-नेगेव-में", "दक्षिण", "दक्षिण-", "नेगेब"]·ID["dan-Negeb", "selatan"]·IT["e-il-Neghev", "sud"]·jav["kidul", "lan-kidul"]·KO["그리고-남쪽에", "그리고-네게브와", "남쪽", "남쪽-", "남쪽에", "남쪽의", "네겜", "네겜의"]·PT["Negev", "e-o-Negev", "e-o-sul", "negev", "néguev", "o-sul", "sul"]·RU["и-Негев", "и-в-Негеве", "юга", "южная", "южной", "южной-", "южных"]·ES["Neguev", "Neguev-", "sur", "y-el-Negev", "y-el-Neguev"]·SW["Negebu", "kusini", "la-kusini", "na-Negebu", "na-ha-Negebu", "wa-kusini", "wa-kusini-"]·TR["güney", "güney'in", "güneyin", "ve-Negev'i", "ve-de-Negev"]·urd["اور-جنوب", "اور-نگب", "جنوب", "جنوب-کا", "جنوبی", "جنوبی-"]
Exod 27:9, Exod 36:23, Exod 38:9, Num 34:3, Num 34:3, Num 35:5, Josh 10:40, Josh 15:2, Josh 15:4, Josh 18:19, Judg 1:9, 1 Kgs 7:39 (+5 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
† נֶ֫גֶב n.[m.] south-country, Negeb, south (cf. LagBN 78);—נ׳ abs. Gn 20:1 +; cstr. Jos 11:2 +; נֶ֫גְבָּה Gn 13:14 +;— 1. south-country, i.e. a. specif. the region S. of Judah, boundaries not exactly defined (see cities in it Jos 15:21–32), but c. from hills S. of Hebron to Ḳadesh, אֶרֶץ הַנּ׳ Gn 20:1 (E), 24:62 (J), Nu 13:29 (JE), Ju 1:15 Jos 15:19; alm. = n.pr. הַנּ׳, הַנֶּ֫גְבָּה, Gn 12:9;…