H5679 H5679
ford (river crossing place)
This feminine noun denotes a ford—a shallow place in a river where people and animals can cross on foot. The two occurrences in 2 Samuel involve David's flight from Absalom. In 15:28 (with textual variant), David waits 'at the fords of the wilderness' for word from Jerusalem; in 19:18, they cross 'the ford' to bring the king back. Fords were strategic locations for travel and communication, especially in times of political crisis when bridges might be controlled or destroyed.
Senses
1. sense 1 — A river ford or crossing place. Both references in 2 Samuel relate to crossing the Jordan during David's flight from and return after Absalom's rebellion. The Hebrew shows textual variants (ketiv/qere) between 'fords' and 'plains,' but 'fords' fits the context of river crossing. Such locations were militarily and logistically significant. 2×
AR["[في عَبَراتِ]", "الْعَبّارَةُ"]·ben["[ঘাটে]", "খেয়া"]·DE["[at-der-fords]", "der-ford"]·EN["[at-the-fords]", "the-ford"]·FR["[at-le-fords]", "le-ford"]·heb["[בעברות]", "ה-עברה"]·HI["[घाटों-पर]", "नाव"]·ID["-penyeberangan", "[di-padang-padang]"]·IT["[at-il-fords]", "il-ford"]·jav["[ing-langkung]", "prau"]·KO["-나루터가", "나루터들에서-"]·PT["[nas-travessias]", "a-travessia"]·RU["[кетив]", "переправа"]·ES["[en-vados-de]", "el-vado"]·SW["kwenye-vivuko", "mashua"]·TR["geçit", "geçitlerinde"]·urd["[گڑھروں-میں]", "کشتی"]
Related Senses
H2719 1. sword, weapon of war (410×)H4196 1. altar (place of sacrifice) (403×)H7393 1. chariot, chariotry (117×)H7198 1. bow (weapon) (72×)H7979 1. table (71×)H7782 1. ram's horn trumpet (69×)H4294 2. staff, rod, scepter (63×)H4043 1. shield, defensive weapon (60×)H0646 1. ephod (priestly garment) (49×)H8504 1. blue (violet-blue yarn/fabric) (49×)H2595 1. spear, lance (48×)H2671 1. arrow, projectile weapon (46×)H4818 1. chariot, war-chariot (44×)H3658 1. lyre, harp (stringed instrument) (42×)H1537 1. Gilgal (place name) (41×)H0713 1. purple (fabric/dye) (38×)H0905 3. poles, staves (37×)H7392 1. Qal participle: rider, charioteer (37×)H4501 1. cultic lampstand (menorah) (36×)H0212 1. wheel (35×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† עֲבָרָה n.f. ford, rare synon. of מַעֲבָר, מַעְבָּרָה;—abs. הָע׳ 2 S 19:19 and they crossed the ford (v. עבר Qal 1 a); pl. cstr. עַבְרוֹת הַמִּדְבָּר 2 S 15:28 Kt (Qr עַרְבוֹת), so 17:16 van d. H. (but Baer Ginsb עַרְבוֹת Kt also), עַב׳ preferable (so Th We Dr Bu Kit Löhr HPS), the fords of the desert (HPS 17:16 n.pr.).