H5676 H5676
The region across or beyond (a river or boundary); a side, flank, or direction relative to an object; plural: sides, edges.
The noun עֵבֶר derives from the root עבר ('to cross over') and designates the region on the other side of a natural boundary — characteristically a river. Its most famous usage, עֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן ('beyond the Jordan'), became a geographic proper name for Transjordan and appears throughout the conquest narratives. Combined with various prepositions — בְּעֵבֶר ('in the region across'), מֵעֵבֶר ('from beyond'), אֶל־עֵבֶר ('toward the other side') — it creates a flexible spatial system. The word also serves as 'side' or 'flank' in non-riverine contexts, describing the sides of the lampstand (Exod 25:37) or the edges of the priestly breastpiece (Exod 28:26). German jenseits and French au-delà both preserve the 'other-sidedness' that defines this word.
Senses
1. beyond, region across — The region across or beyond a geographic feature, especially a river, sea, or border (73 occurrences). This dominant sense appears with prepositions to mark location (בְּעֵבֶר, 'on the far side of') or motion (מֵעֵבֶר, 'from beyond'). The expression עֵבֶר הַנָּהָר ('beyond the River,' i.e., the Euphrates) functions as a semi-proper geographic designation in Joshua 24:2-3. Spanish al otro lado de, French au-delà de, and German jenseits all employ compound prepositional phrases, reflecting the inherent two-term spatial relationship: this side versus that side. 73×
AR["(فِي-عَبْرِ)", "بِ-عَبرِ", "بِ-عَبْرِ", "عَبْرِ", "في-عَبْرِ", "فِي-عَبْرِ", "مِنْ-عَبْرِ"]·ben["(পারে)", "-পারে", "ওপারে", "ওপারে-", "পারে", "হা-নদী"]·DE["in-jenseits", "jenseits", "von-jenseits"]·EN["beyond", "from-beyond", "in-beyond"]·FR["au-delà", "au-delà-de", "dans-au-delà", "de-au-delà", "de-au-delà-de"]·heb["ב-עבר", "מ-עבר", "עבר"]·HI["पार", "पार-", "पार-से", "में-पार"]·ID["Di-seberang", "di-seberang"]·IT["da-oltre", "in-oltre", "oltre"]·jav["ing-sabrang", "ing-sabrang-", "sabrang", "saking-pinggir", "wonten-ing-sabrang", "wonten-ing-sabèrang", "wonten-sabrang"]·KO["건너편", "건너편-에", "건너편에", "건너편에서-", "그-", "에-건너편", "에-건너편에", "에서-건너편", "에서-건너편에", "에서-저쪽(접)"]·PT["Em-além-de", "além-de", "do-além-de", "do-outro-lado-de", "em-além-de", "no-além-de", "no-outro-lado-de", "no-outro-lado-de-"]·RU["в-Зайорданье", "за", "за-", "за-рекой", "по-ту-сторону"]·ES["Al-otro-lado-de", "al-otro-lado-de", "al-otro-lado-del", "del-otro-lado-de"]·SW["juu-ya", "ng'ambo", "ng'ambo-ya", "ng’ambo-ya"]·TR["(öte-tarafında)", "karşı-yakasında-", "öte-tarafında", "öte-yakasında-", "ötesinde", "ötesinde-"]·urd["پار", "پار-سے", "پار-میں"]
2. side, direction, flank — A side, flank, or directional face of an object or person, without reference to crossing a boundary (15 occurrences). Used for the sides of the golden lampstand (Exod 25:37), the edges of the priestly garments (Exod 28:26; 39:19), or a cliff face (1 Sam 14:1, 4). French côté and German Seite appear here instead of the 'beyond' vocabulary, confirming that translators recognize a distinct spatial orientation sense — relative position without the 'other side of a boundary' presupposition. 15×
AR["إِلَى-جِهَتِهِ", "جَانِبِ", "جِهَةِ", "عَبْرِ", "لِ-جَانِبِ", "لِـ-جَانِبٍ", "مِنَ-الـ-جَانِبِ", "مِنَ-الـ-عَبْرِ", "مِنْ-جَانِبِ"]·ben["-তার-নিজের-দিকে", "-দিক", "-পার-থেকে", "-পাশে", "দিক", "দিকে", "দিকে-থেকে", "পারে", "পাশে", "সামনে"]·DE["Seite-von", "[לעברו]", "[עבר]", "area-von", "auf-Seite", "von-Seite", "von-Seite-von", "von-der-Seite", "zu"]·EN["area-of", "from-side", "from-side-of", "from-the-side", "on-side", "side-of", "to-his-own-way", "toward"]·FR["au-delà", "côté-de", "de-côté", "de-côté-de", "de-le-côté", "sur-côté", "vers", "zone-de"]·heb["ל-עבר", "ל-עברו", "מ-ה-עבר", "מ-עבר", "עבר"]·HI["अपनी-ओर", "ओर", "की-ओर", "तरफ", "दिशा", "दूसरी-ओर-से", "पार", "पार-से", "सामने"]·ID["arah", "dari-sebelah", "di-seberang", "di-sisi", "ke-arahnya", "ke-seberang", "seberang", "sisi"]·IT["al-di-la", "area-di", "da-il-lato", "da-lato", "da-lato-di", "lato-di", "oltre", "su-lato", "verso"]·jav["arah", "dhateng-marginipun-piyambak", "ing-sisih", "iring", "kagem-seberang", "sabèrang", "saking-sabrang", "saking-seberang", "saking-sisih", "sisih"]·KO["건너편", "건너편에", "그-편에-서", "맞은편으로", "방향", "자기-쪽으로", "저편에-서", "쪽", "쪽으로", "한-편에", "향하여"]·PT["além-de", "de-um-lado", "do-lado", "do-lado-de", "do-outro-lado", "frente-de", "lado-de", "para-lado-de", "para-seu-lado", "para-um-lado"]·RU["в-сторону-свою", "к-стороне", "на-стороне", "направлению", "от-стороны", "по-ту-сторону", "стороне", "сторону"]·ES["a-lado", "a-su-lado", "de-el-lado", "de-lado", "desde-lado-de", "dirección-de", "frente-de", "hacia-lado-de", "lado-de"]·SW["kila-moja", "kivuko", "kwa-upande-wake", "na-makomamanga", "upande", "upande-mmoja", "upande-mwingine", "upande-wa"]·TR["karşısına", "taraf", "tarafta", "taraftan", "tarafına", "yanında", "yonune-", "yürürlerdi", "yüzlerinin", "önü", "öte-taraf-ta", "ötesine"]·urd["اپنی-طرف", "سامنے", "سمت", "سے-ہر", "طرف", "پار", "پار-سے"]
Exod 25:37, Exod 28:26, Exod 39:19, Josh 22:11, 1 Sam 14:1, 1 Sam 14:4, 1 Sam 14:4, 1 Sam 14:40, 1 Sam 14:40, 1 Kgs 7:20, 1 Kgs 7:30, Isa 47:15 (+3 more)
3. sides, edges (plural) — The sides or edges of an object in plural or dual reference, typically with possessive suffixes — 'his sides,' 'their sides' (4 occurrences). Exodus 32:15 describes tablets written on 'their two sides' (מִשְּׁנֵי עֶבְרֵיהֶם), and 1 Kings 4:24 speaks of dominion over 'all the region on this side' using a pluralized form. French leurs côtés and German ihre Seiten confirm the plural-edges reading as distinct from the singular directional sense. 4×
AR["جَوَانِبِهِ", "فِي-جَوَانِبِ", "وَجهَيها"]·ben["চারপাশে-তাঁর", "তাদের", "তার-পাশের-থেকে", "পারে-"]·DE["[בעברי]", "[עבריו]", "ihr-Seiten", "sein-Seiten"]·EN["at-edges-of", "his-sides", "side", "their-sides"]·FR["au-delà", "leur-côtés", "son-côtés"]·heb["ב-עברי", "עבר-יו", "עבריהם", "עבריו"]·HI["उनकी-तरफों", "उनकी-सीमाओं-से", "उसकी-तरफों", "पार"]·ID["di-tepi-", "penjuru", "sekitarnya", "sisinya"]·IT["al-di-la", "loro-sides", "suo-lati"]·jav["ing-pinggir", "sisihipun", "sisihipun,"]·KO["건너편들에서-", "그것들의-면들", "그의-주변들에서", "방면에서-그의"]·PT["lados-delas", "nos-lados-de", "seus-lados"]·RU["на-краю", "сторон-его", "сторон-их"]·ES["en-lados-de", "lados", "sus-lados"]·SW["pande-za", "pande-zake", "upande", "zake"]·TR["-de-kenarlarında", "taraflarından"]·urd["اطراف-اُس-کی", "اطراف-اُس-کے", "اُن-کی-طرفوں", "کناروں-میں"]
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
I. עֵ֫בֶר n.m. 1 S 14:40 region across or beyond, side (on format. cf. BaNB 144; cf. especially Assyrian êbru, êbirtu, id. êbirtan, adv. beyond);—ע׳ abs. 1 S 14:4 +; cstr. Jos 24:4 +; sf. עֶבְרוֹ Is 47:15; pl. cstr. עֶבְרֵי Is 7:20 Je 48:28 (si vera l., v. infr.); sf. עֲבָרָיו 1 K 5:4 Je 49:32 (read probably עֶבְרֵיהֶם, so Vrss), עֶבְרֵיהֶם Ex 32:15;— 1. region across or beyond anything (usually…