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H698 · Hebrew · Old Testament
אֹרֹבָה
Orobah
Noun, feminine
Ambush / Lying in Wait

Definition

The Hebrew word orobah (אֹרֹבָה) refers to an ambush or a place of lying in wait. From the root arab (to lie in wait, to ambush), it describes the military tactic of concealing troops to attack an enemy by surprise. It appears in the context of battle strategies in the Old Testament.

Usage & Theological Significance

Warfare imagery including the orobah (ambush) permeates the biblical narrative. The defeat of Ai by ambush (Joshua 8) demonstrated that Israel's military victories were ultimately God's tactical designs. More profoundly, the New Testament uses military metaphor to describe spiritual warfare: the devil 'prowls around like a roaring lion' and lays ambushes for believers. The Christian life requires the vigilance of a soldier on patrol — alert, armored, and reliant on divine strategy.

Key Bible Verses

Judges 9:25 The citizens of Shechem set men on the hilltops to ambush and rob everyone who passed by, and this was reported to Abimelech.
Joshua 8:4 He ordered: 'Listen carefully. You are to set an ambush behind the city. Don't go very far from it. All of you be on the alert.'
Proverbs 1:11 If they say, 'Come along with us; let's lie in wait for innocent blood, let's ambush some harmless soul.'
Judges 20:29 Then Israel set an ambush around Gibeah.
1 Peter 5:8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

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