H6160 H6160
The Arabah (rift valley proper name); plains or steppes adjacent to a place; desert or arid wasteland.
Arabah names one of the most distinctive landscapes in the biblical world -- the great rift valley stretching from the Sea of Galilee to the Gulf of Aqaba -- but the same word also functions as a common noun for any arid steppe or desert plain. In its proper-name usage, it anchors geographical descriptions throughout Deuteronomy and Joshua. In construct form ('plains of Moab,' 'plains of Jericho'), it designates specific lowland regions. And in poetic texts like Isaiah 35:1, where 'the wilderness shall rejoice and blossom,' it evokes the raw desolation that God promises to transform.
Senses
1. the Arabah (proper name) — The Arabah as a proper geographical name, referring to the rift valley running from the Sea of Galilee southward through the Dead Sea basin to the Gulf of Aqaba. It appears with the definite article (ha-Arabah) in Deuteronomy 1:1, 1:7, 3:17 and throughout Joshua, often in boundary descriptions. Spanish translates as 'el Arabá,' French as 'le Arabah,' while German sometimes shifts to 'Steppe' or 'der Araba.' The consistent capitalization and article usage across languages confirms its status as a recognized place name rather than a generic terrain descriptor. 28×
AR["العَرَبةِ", "العَرَبَةِ", "الْ-عَرَبةَ", "الْ-عَرَبةِ", "الْعَرَبَةِ", "في-الْعَرَبَةِ", "فِي-الْعَرَبَةِ", "وَ-الْ-عَرَبةُ", "وَالْعَرَبَةَ", "ٱلْعَرَبَةِ"]·ben["-অরাবার", "-আরাবা", "-আরাবার", "অরাবার", "অরাবার।", "অরাবাহতে", "আর-আরাবা", "আরাবায়-", "আরাবার", "আরাবাহের", "এবং-আরাবা", "সেই-আরাবা"]·DE["Steppe", "der-Araba", "der-Arabah", "der-Aravah", "in-der-Araba", "und-der-Araba"]·EN["and-the-Arabah", "in-the-Arabah", "the-Arabah", "the-Aravah"]·FR["dans-le-Arabah", "et-le-Arabah", "le-Arabah", "le-Aravah", "steppe"]·heb["ב-ערבה", "ה-ערבה", "ו-ה-ערבה"]·HI["-अराबा-में", "-एलात-से", "अराबा", "अराबा-का", "अराबा-के", "अराबाह-की", "अराबाह-के", "और-अराबा", "और-को", "और-तक", "का अरबा", "में-मैदान", "सारे", "ह-अराबाह", "हाअरावाह-के"]·ID["Araba", "Dan-Araba", "dan-Araba", "di-Araba"]·IT["e-il-Araba", "e-il-Arabah", "il-Araba", "il-Arabah", "il-Aravah", "in-il-Araba", "pianura"]·jav["Araba", "Arabah", "Lan-Arabah", "ing-Arabah", "lan-Arabah", "wonten-ing-Araba"]·KO["그-아라바", "그-아라바-의", "그-아라바를", "그-아라바에", "그-아라바에서", "그-아라바의", "그리고-그-아라바", "아라바의"]·PT["a-'Aravah", "a-Arabá", "a-Aravah", "na-Araba", "na-Arabá", "¶ E-a-'Aravah", "¶ E-a-Arabá"]·RU["-Араву", "-Аравы", "Араву", "Аравы", "И-Арава", "И-Араву", "в-Араве", "равниной"]·ES["Y-la-llanura", "el-Arabá", "en-el-Arabá", "en-la-llanura", "la-Arabá", "la-Aravah", "la-llanura", "y-el-Arabá"]·SW["Araba", "Na-Araba", "ha-Araba", "katika-Araba", "kumweka", "na-ha-Araba", "ya-Araba"]·TR["-Arava'nın", "Araba'-o", "Arava", "Arava'da", "Arava'da-", "Arava'nin", "Arava'nın", "Arava'yı", "Aravanın", "Ve-Arava", "ve-Arava"]·urd["-عراباہ", "-عربہ", "-عربہ-میں", "-عربہ-کے", "اور-عربہ", "عربہ", "عربہ-میں", "عربہ-کی", "عربہ-کی-طرف", "عربہ-کے", "میدان-کے"]
2. plains/steppes of (place) — Plains or steppes adjacent to a named location, appearing in the plural construct form (arvot + place name). The phrase 'plains of Moab' (arvot Moab) in Numbers 22:1, 26:3, and 31:12, and 'plains of Jericho' in 2 Kings 25:5, designate specific flat lowland areas near those cities. Spanish gives 'llanuras de,' French 'plaines de,' and German 'Ebenen von,' all plural construct forms mirroring the Hebrew. These are not the Arabah itself but particular sub-regions identified by proximity to a settlement. 19×
AR["(في عَرَباتِ)", "بِ-عَرَبَاتِ", "سُهولِ", "عَرَبَاتِ", "في-سُهولِ", "فِي-سُهُولِ", "فِي-عَرَبَاتِ", "فِي-عَرَبُوتِ", "مِنْ-عَرَبَاتِ"]·ben["(সমতলে)", "ব-মোয়াবের-সমভূমিতে", "সমতল-থেকে", "সমতলগুলি", "সমতলগুলিতে", "সমতলে", "সমতলে-", "সমতলের", "সমভূমিতে", "সমভূমিতে-"]·DE["Ebenen-von", "Steppe", "in-Ebenen-von", "in-der-Ebenen-von", "in-plains-von", "von-Ebenen-von"]·EN["at-the-plains-of", "from-plains-of", "in-plains-of", "in-the-plains-of", "plains-of"]·FR["dans-le-plaines-de", "dans-plaines-de", "dans-plains-de", "de-plains-de", "plaines-de", "plains-de", "steppe", "à-le-plains-de"]·heb["(ב-ערבות)", "ב-ערבות", "ב-ערבת", "מ-ערבות", "ערבות", "ערבת"]·HI["घाटों-पर", "ब-मैदानों", "में-मैदानों", "मैदानों", "मैदानों-के", "मैदानों-में", "से-मैदानों"]·ID["dari-dataran", "dataran", "di-dataran", "di-dataran-dataran", "di-padang-padang"]·IT["a-il-pianure-di", "da-pianure-di", "in-il-pianure-di", "in-pianure-di", "pianura", "pianure-di"]·jav["(ing-papan-nyabrang)", "ara-ara", "ing-ara-ara", "ing-dataran", "ing-ngare", "ngare", "saking-dataran", "wonten-ara-ara", "wonten-ing-dataran", "wonten-panggenan-rata"]·KO["안-에-평지들-의", "에-광야의", "에-평원들", "에-평지들", "에-평지에", "에서-평지들", "평야-에서(전)", "평야에서(전)", "평원들에서", "평지", "평지들", "평지들-에서", "평지들에서"]·PT["das-planícies-de", "em-planícies-de", "nas-planícies-de", "planícies-de"]·RU["в-пустынях", "в-равнинах", "в-степях", "на-равнинах", "от-степей", "равнинам"]·ES["(en-llanuras-de)", "de-las-llanuras-de", "en-las-llanuras-de", "en-llanuras-de", "llanuras-de"]·SW["katika-nchi-tambarare-za", "katika-nyanda-za", "katika-tambarare-za", "katika-tambarare-za-", "katika-vivuko-vya", "kutoka-tambarare-za", "nyanda-za", "tambarare-za", "vya"]·TR["-da-ovalarında", "-de-ovalarinda", "-ovalarında", "geçitlerinde", "ovalarına", "ovalarında", "ovalarında-", "ovalarından-"]·urd["-میدانوں-میں", "میدانوں", "میدانوں-سے", "میدانوں-میں", "میں-میدانوں"]
3. desert, wilderness, arid land — Desert, wilderness, or arid wasteland as a common noun. In poetic and prophetic texts such as Job 24:5 (where the poor search for food in the wilderness), Job 39:6 (the wild donkey's habitat), and Isaiah 35:1 (the desert that will rejoice), arabah describes barren, uninhabited terrain. The translations shift correspondingly: Spanish uses 'desierto' or 'aridez,' French 'steppe' or 'plaine,' and German 'Steppe.' Isaiah 51:3's promise that God will make Zion's arabah 'like Eden' plays on the contrast between desolation and paradise. 14×
AR["الصَّحْرَاءُ", "الـ-سُّهُولِ", "الْقَفْرَ", "في-السُّهوبِ", "فِي-الـ-قَفْرِ", "فِي-القَفْرِ", "فِي-الْقَفْرِ", "قَفْرٌ", "قَفْرٍ", "كَـ-الْبَرِّيَّةِ", "وَ-قِفَارَهَا", "وَصَحْرَاءَ", "وَقَفْرٌ"]·ben["-এবং-তার-শুষ্ক-ভূমিকে", "ও-প্রান্তর", "ও-প্রান্তরের", "প্রান্তর", "মরুপ্রান্তরে", "মরুভূমি", "মরুভূমিকে", "মরুভূমিতে", "মরুভূমির", "মরুভূমির-মতো", "শুষ্ক"]·DE["Steppe", "[ערבה]", "durch-der-deserts", "und-Steppe"]·EN["and-a-desert", "and-her-desert", "and-shall-rejoice", "cypress", "desert-plain", "deserts", "in-the-desert", "like-the-Aravah", "of-desert", "the-wilderness", "through-the-deserts"]·FR["dans-plaine", "et-steppe", "plaine", "steppe"]·heb["ב-ה-ערבה", "ב-ערבה", "ב-ערבות", "ו-ערבה", "ו-ערבתה", "כ-ערבה", "ערבה", "ערבות"]·HI["अराबाह", "अराबाह-में", "और-उसके-मैदान-को", "और-जंगल", "और-मरुभूमि", "जंगल", "जैसा-अराबाह", "मरुस्थल-की", "में-मरुभूमि", "में-मैदान", "मैदानों-का"]·ID["dan-padang-belantara", "dan-padang-belantaranya", "di-awan-awan", "di-padang-belantara", "gurun", "padang gurun", "padang-belantara", "padang-gurun", "seperti-padang-gurun"]·IT["[בערבות]", "desert-plain", "e-pianura", "il-wilderness", "nella-pianura", "pianura"]·jav["ara-ara", "ara-ara-samun", "garing", "ing-ara-ara", "ing-mega", "kados-ara-ara", "lan-ara-ara-samun", "lan-arabaipun", "lan-lèpèn-lèpèn", "lan-padang", "padang-pasir", "padang-samun", "wonten-ing-ara-ara-samun,"]·KO["같이-아라바", "광야-들-에서", "광야-에서", "광야들의", "광야를", "그리고-그녀의-황무지를", "그리고-사막으로", "그리고-사막의", "사막-의", "사막이", "에-사막에", "에-사막에서", "에서-사막", "황야가"]·PT["a-estepe", "como-a-planura", "desertos", "e-deserto", "e-ermo", "e-sua-estepe", "estepe", "na-estepe", "no-deserto,", "nos-desertos"]·RU["в-пустыне", "в-степи", "и-пустынной", "и-степь", "и-степь-его", "как-степь", "по-пустыням", "пустыню", "степей", "степной", "степь"]·ES["aridez", "como-desierto", "desierto", "el-desierto", "el-yermo", "en-el-desierto", "en-el-yermo", "en-la-llanura", "los-desiertos", "por-los-desiertos", "y-desierto", "y-su-llanura", "y-árido"]·SW["jangwa", "jangwani", "kama-jangwa", "katika-nyika", "na-jangwa", "na-nyika-yake", "na-ukiwa", "nyika", "nyikani", "wa-jangwani"]·TR["bozır", "bulutlarda-", "col-gibi", "de-çöl", "step", "step'te", "ve-boş", "ve-kurakligini", "ve-çöl", "çöl", "çöllerin", "çölü"]·urd["اور-اُس-کی-میدان", "اور-بنجر", "اور-ریگستان", "بِ-ہَ-بیابانوں-میں", "بیابان", "بیابان-میں", "بیابان-کا", "بیابان-کو", "صحرا", "صحرا-میں", "صحرا-کی-طرح"]
Related Senses
G3588 1. definite article (18298×)H0853 1. definite direct object marker (10915×)G2532 1. (8312×)H3068 1. YHWH (the divine name) (6522×)H0834a 1. relative pronoun (who/which/that) (4839×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)H3588a 1. causal: because, for (3498×)G1161 1. and (2806×)H3478 1. Israel (proper name and nation) (2507×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G4771 1. you (plural address) (1853×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H1931 1. personal pronoun he/she/it (1431×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)G3739 1. relative pronoun who/which/that (1149×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)H1732 1. David (proper name) (1075×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H2088 1. this, this one (demonstrative) (1059×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. עֲרָבָה61 n.f. desert-plain, steppe; abs. ע׳ 2 S 4:7 +, sf. עַרְבָתָהּ Is 51:3; pl. עֲרָבוֹת Je 5:6 ψ 68:5, cstr. עַרְבוֹ�� 2 K 25:5 +, עַרְבֹת Je 52:8;— 1. earliest use: a. arid steppe W. of Dead Sea (in S. Judah) 1 S 23:24, also Ez 47:8; Is 51:3, whence name יָם הָע׳ Jos 3:16 (JE ‖ יָם הַמֶּלַח), also 2 K 14:25; Dt 4:49, and (‖ id.) 3:17 Jos 12:3 (D); נַחַל הָעֲרָבָה Am 6:14 must be E. of…