Word Study for H3993 (מַאֲרָב)

maʼărâb /mah-ar-awb'/ Ask about this word

Meaningan ambuscade

KJV usagelie in ambush, ambushment, lurking place, lying in wait.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of maʼărâb — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word maʼărâb, represented by H3993, primarily refers to an ambuscade or lurking place. It appears 5 times across 4 unique verses in the Bible. Its meaning is rooted in the concept of strategic concealment for a hostile purpose, encompassing a place, a group of people in hiding, or the act of lying in wait itself.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical narratives, H3993 is used in contexts of both military strategy and predatory wickedness. In a military setting, Joshua sends men "to lie in ambush" to secure a tactical advantage against Ai Joshua 8:9. Similarly, Jeroboam uses an "ambushment" in his battle against Judah 2 Chronicles 13:13. The term also describes the actions of Abimelech, who rose up with his people from "lying in wait" Judges 9:35. In a non-military context, it depicts the wicked who sit in the "lurking places" of villages to murder the innocent Psalms 10:8.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words found alongside H3993 help clarify its meaning of hidden, hostile intent:

H3427 yâshab (to sit down, dwell, lurk): This word describes the action taken within the ambush. In Psalms 10:8, the wicked "sitteth" in the "lurking places," indicating a patient, settled waiting.
H4565 miçtâr (a concealer, a covert, secret place): Used in parallel with H3993 in Psalms 10:8, it emphasizes the theme of concealment, as the wicked acts in "secret places."
H2026 hârag (to smite with deadly intent, kill, murder): This reveals the violent purpose of the ambush. The one in the lurking place does so in order to "murder the innocent" Psalms 10:8.
H6845 tsâphan (to hide, lurk, keep secret): This verb is used to describe how the eyes of the wicked are "privily set" against the poor, highlighting the secretive and watchful nature of one lying in wait Psalms 10:8.

Theological Significance

The use of H3993 underscores key biblical concepts of conflict and deceit.

Military Deception: The word is central to accounts of warfare where victory is achieved not by sheer force, but by strategic surprise and concealment. It is presented as a legitimate, if dangerous, tactic of war (Joshua 8:9, 2 Chronicles 13:13).
Predatory Wickedness: In the Psalms, the concept is transferred from the battlefield to the realm of morality. The "lurking place" becomes a metaphor for the treacherous methods of the ungodly who prey on the vulnerable and innocent Psalms 10:8.
Concealed Hostility: At its core, H3993 represents danger that is hidden from view. It illustrates the principle that threats often arise from unexpected or unseen quarters, whether from an enemy army or a malicious individual.

Summary

In summary, maʼărâb H3993 is a specific and evocative term for an ambush. While its literal application is seen in military maneuvers, its conceptual weight is found in its depiction of concealed and deadly intent. It serves as a powerful illustration of the dangers, both physical and moral, that hide in secret places, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun across 5 occurrences, inflected in 2 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

מַּאְרָב
מַאְרַב

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 4 verses across 4 of the 39 books. 4 books tie for most frequent (1 verse each); never once in the other 35.

Joshua

Judges

2 Chronicles

Psalms

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.