Word Study for H4569 (מַעֲבָר)

maʻăbâr /mah-ab-awr'/ Ask about this word

Rootor feminine מַעֲבָרָה · from עָבַר

Meaninga crossing-place (of a river, a ford; of a mountain, a pass); abstractly, a transit, i.e. (figuratively) overwhelming

KJV usageford, place where...pass, passage.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of maʻăbâr — 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 maʻăbâr, represented by H4569, refers to a crossing-place. It is derived from the root verb H5674, meaning "to cross over." Appearing 11 times in 11 unique verses, this word most often signifies a ford in a river or a pass through mountains. These locations are consistently depicted as critical points of transit with significant strategic value.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H4569 is used in several key military and geographical contexts. It marks the location of Jacob's pivotal crossing at "the ford Jabbok" Genesis 32:22. More frequently, it denotes a strategic chokepoint. The Israelites under Ehud "took the fords of Jordan toward Moab" to cut off the enemy's retreat Judges 3:28. Similarly, the Gileadites captured "the passages of Jordan" to intercept and identify their Ephraimite foes Judges 12:5. The term also refers to mountain passes, such as the "passage of Michmash" where a Philistine garrison was stationed 1 Samuel 13:23. Figuratively, it describes the overwhelming transit of God's judgment Isaiah 30:32.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words expand upon the actions and contexts surrounding these crossing-places:

H5674 ʻâbar (to cross over): This is the primitive root from which maʻăbâr is derived. It describes the very action of transition that occurs at a passage, as seen when Jonathan sought "to go over unto the Philistines' garrison" by way of the passages 1 Samuel 14:4.
H3920 lâkad (to catch... capture or occupy): This verb highlights the strategic importance of a maʻăbâr by describing its seizure. The Gileadites "took the passages of Jordan" to control the territory and prevent their enemies from escaping Judges 12:5.
H7291 râdaph (to run after... pursue): This word is often used in connection with fords, emphasizing their role as destinations in a chase. After Rahab hid the spies, men "pursued after them the way to Jordan unto the fords" Joshua 2:7.

Theological Significance

The strategic weight of H4569 is immense in the Old Testament narrative. It consistently functions as a point of decision and control.

Military Chokepoint: A maʻăbâr is a natural point of control for armies. Seizing one could determine the outcome of a conflict, as demonstrated when the Gileadites controlled the Jordan passages to annihilate the fleeing Ephraimites Judges 12:6 and when the passages of Babylon were "stopped" during its fall Jeremiah 51:32.
Place of Judgment: These crossings often become sites of fateful encounters. The passages of the Jordan served as a deadly checkpoint where forty-two thousand Ephraimites were slain for their inability to pronounce "Shibboleth" correctly Judges 12:6.
Symbol of Vulnerability: A ford or pass can be a place of exposure and weakness. The daughters of Moab are depicted as helpless wanderers "at the fords of Arnon" during a time of crisis Isaiah 16:2.

Summary

In summary, H4569 is far more than a simple geographical marker. It is a cornerstone of biblical military strategy and narrative, designating a critical point of transition—whether a river ford or a mountain pass—that must be crossed or controlled. Its usage consistently underscores that these locations are pivot points where the fates of individuals, armies, and even nations are decided.

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 11 occurrences, inflected in 4 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.

מַעְבְּרוֹת
מַעֲבַר
מַעְבָּרֹת
מַעְבָּרָה

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 11 verses across 6 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Judges and Isaiah (3 verses each); never once in the other 33.

Genesis

Joshua

Judges

1 Samuel

Isaiah

Jeremiah

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.