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H6150 · Hebrew · Old Testament
עָרַב
Arab
Verb
To grow dark, become evening; be sweet/pleasant

Definition

The Hebrew verb arab (עָרַב) has two meanings: (1) to grow dark, become evening, and (2) to be sweet, pleasant, or agreeable. The related noun erev (H6153) means evening — the liminal time between day and night.

Usage & Theological Significance

The Hebrew day began at evening — "and there was evening and there was morning, the first day" (Genesis 1:5). Darkness is not an enemy but a beginning. The sweetness sense appears in Psalm 104:34: "My meditation of him shall be sweet." The transition of evening — like the sweetness of rest — becomes a figure for contemplative intimacy with God.

Key Bible Verses

Genesis 1:5
The evening and the morning were the first day.
Psalm 104:34
My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD.
Exodus 12:6
The whole assembly of Israel shall kill it in the evening.
Song of Solomon 2:14
Sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely.
Proverbs 3:24
Thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.

Related Words

External Resources

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