What does עָב (ʿāb) mean in the Bible?
עָב (ʿāb): Cloud as an envelope of divine presence and concealment; darkness signifying God's transcendence and mystery.
Hebrew · H5645
עָב
Properly, an envelope , i.e. darkness (or density , 2 Chronicles 4:17); specifically, a (scud) cloud ; also a copse
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עָב H5645
Pronunciation ʿāb
What does עָב (ʿāb) mean in the Bible?
עָב (ʿāb): Cloud as an envelope of divine presence and concealment; darkness signifying God's transcendence and mystery.
Full entry for עָב (H5645) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H5645?
The BSB source-word alignment has 31 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include the clouds (10), like a cloud (3), with clouds (2), . . . (1), a cloud (1).
Where does עָב (ʿāb) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Exodus 19:9. Its strongest book concentrations include Job (8), Isaiah (7), Psalms (5), Ecclesiastes (3).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It the clouds 10× Judges 5:4, Job 20:6, Job 37:11, Job 37:16
like a cloud 3× Job 30:15, Isaiah 18:4, Isaiah 44:22
with clouds 2× 1 Kings 18:45, Psalms 147:8
. . . 1× 2 Samuel 23:4
a cloud 1× 1 Kings 18:44
and the clouds 1× Ecclesiastes 12:2
and thick clouds 1× 2 Samuel 22:12
cloud 1× Isaiah 19:1
clouds 1× Psalms 18:11
His clouds 1× Psalms 18:12
how the clouds 1× Job 36:29
in His clouds 1× Job 26:8
is like a rain cloud 1× Proverbs 16:15
like clouds 1× Isaiah 60:8
of a cloud 1× Isaiah 25:5
of the clouds 1× Isaiah 14:14
the thickets 1× Jeremiah 4:29
Thick clouds 1× Job 22:14
you in a dense 1× Exodus 19:9
Show sample aligned rows
Exodus 19:9 בְּעַ֣ב to you in a dense Preposition-b | Noun - common singular construct Judges 5:4 עָבִ֖ים to the clouds Noun - common plural 2 Samuel 22:12 עָבֵ֥י to and thick clouds Noun - common plural construct 2 Samuel 23:4 עָב֔וֹת to . . . Noun - common plural 1 Kings 18:44 עָ֛ב to a cloud Noun - common singular 1 Kings 18:45 עָבִ֣ים to with clouds Noun - common plural Job 20:6 לָעָ֥ב to the clouds Preposition-l, Article | Noun - common singular Job 22:14 עָבִ֣ים to Thick clouds Noun - common plural Job 26:8 בְּעָבָ֑יו to in His clouds Preposition-b | Noun - common plural construct | third person masculine singular Job 30:15 וּ֝כְעָ֗ב to like a cloud Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k | Noun - common singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Exodus 19:9
Aligned rows 31
Books represented 10
Exodus 1 Judges 1 2 Samuel 2 1 Kings 2 Job 8 Psalms 5 Proverbs 1 Ecclesiastes 3 Isaiah 7 Jeremiah 1
Source forms
עָ֑ב 4x ‘āḇ Job 36:29, Job 37:11, Job 37:16, Isaiah 14:14
עָבֵ֥י 2x ‘ā·ḇê 2 Samuel 22:12, Psalms 18:11
עָבִ֣ים 2x ‘ā·ḇîm 1 Kings 18:45, Job 22:14
בְּעַ֣ב 1x bə·‘aḇ Exodus 19:9
בְּעָבָ֑יו 1x bə·‘ā·ḇāw Job 26:8
בְּעָבִ֗ים 1x bə·‘ā·ḇîm Psalms 147:8
בֶעָבִ֖ים 1x ḇe·‘ā·ḇîm Ecclesiastes 11:4
בֶּעָבִ֔ים 1x be·‘ā·ḇîm Jeremiah 4:29
Parsing patterns
Noun - common singular 7x 1 Kings 18:44, Job 36:29, Job 37:11, Job 37:16
Noun - common plural 6x Judges 5:4, 2 Samuel 23:4, 1 Kings 18:45, Job 22:14
Article | Noun - common plural 3x Ecclesiastes 11:3, Ecclesiastes 12:2, Isaiah 5:6
Noun - common plural construct 2x 2 Samuel 22:12, Psalms 18:11
Preposition-b | Noun - common singular construct 2x Exodus 19:9, Proverbs 16:15
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common plural 2x Ecclesiastes 11:4, Jeremiah 4:29
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - common singular 2x Isaiah 44:22, Isaiah 60:8
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - common singular 2x Job 20:6, Job 38:34
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Cloud as an envelope of divine presence and concealment; darkness signifying God's transcendence and mystery.
Source Gloss
properly, an envelope , i.e. darkness (or density , 2 Chronicles 4:17); specifically, a (scud) cloud ; also a copse
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Cloud as an envelope of divine presence and concealment; darkness signifying God's transcendence and mystery.
properly, an envelope, i.e. darkness (or density, 2 Chronicles 4:17); specifically, a (scud) cloud; also a copse BDB: dark cloud Usage: clay, (thick) cloud, × thick, thicket. Compare 5672.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Figurative: dark cloud as metaphor for displeasure or disfavor
Showing 1 selected witness from 32 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
עָב is built from this root:
עוּב H5743
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain