עָבָה
a.vah
to thicken
Lexicon Entry
Lexicon data from STEPBible TIPNR, Tyndale House, Cambridge. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
What Original Readers Understood
ExploredThe Hebrew word "a.vah" (H5666) is defined as "to thicken." This verb suggests a process of becoming denser or more concentrated. In the three instances where it appears in the Bible, "a.vah" is used to describe the thickening of substances such as blood (Leviticus 17:11, 14) and the thickening of a person's eyes (Job 17:7). The significance of "a.vah" lies in its connection to the concept of fluidity and consistency. In the biblical context, the thickening of blood is associated with life, while its thinning is linked to death. This dichotomy highlights the importance of bodily fluids in maintaining life and health. The use of "a.vah" in Job 17:7 emphasizes the impact of physical and emotional distress on a person's well-being, underscoring the interconnectedness of physical and spiritual states.
Source data & methodology
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences across the text
But Jeshurun grew fat, and kicked. You have grown fat. You have grown thick. You have become sleek. Then he abandoned God who made him, and rejected the Rock of his salvation.
1 Kings 12:10The young men who had grown up with him said to him, “Tell these people who spoke to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but make it lighter to us;’ tell them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist.
2 Chronicles 10:10The young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, “Thus you shall tell the people who spoke to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but make it lighter on us;’ thus you shall say to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist.