What does עֶרֶב (ʿereb) mean in the Bible?
עֶרֶב (ʿereb): Liminal threshold between day and night; marks time of transition, vulnerability, and divine activity in covenant contexts
Hebrew · H6153
עֶרֶב
Dusk
Reading a lexicon entry
What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
Strong's number: The Strong's code (H- or G-) is the standard reference number for this word. It connects this entry to chapter and passage language tabs.
Where it appears: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
This lexicon entry is part of our ongoing editorial review. If you notice missing content, unclear wording, or a possible correction, please send us a note through the Connect page. Screenshots are helpful.
עֶרֶב H6153
Pronunciation ʿereb
What does עֶרֶב (ʿereb) mean in the Bible?
עֶרֶב (ʿereb): Liminal threshold between day and night; marks time of transition, vulnerability, and divine activity in covenant contexts
Full entry for עֶרֶב (H6153) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H6153?
The BSB source-word alignment has 134 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include evening (53), in the evening (11), twilight (11), and evening (5), the evening (5).
Where does עֶרֶב (ʿereb) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 1:5. Its strongest book concentrations include Leviticus (33), Exodus (13), Genesis (13), Numbers (13).
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 evening 53× Genesis 1:5, Genesis 1:8, Genesis 1:13, Genesis 1:19
in the evening 11× Genesis 19:1, Genesis 49:27, Leviticus 6:20, Deuteronomy 16:4
twilight 11× Exodus 12:6, Exodus 16:12, Exodus 29:39, Exodus 29:41
and evening 5× 1 Kings 17:6, 1 Chronicles 16:40, 2 Chronicles 2:4, 2 Chronicles 31:3
the evening 5× Exodus 12:18, 1 Samuel 30:17, 2 Kings 16:15, Ezra 9:4
. . . 4× Genesis 8:11, Leviticus 23:32, 2 Chronicles 13:11
and in the evening 4× Deuteronomy 28:67, 2 Samuel 11:13, Ezekiel 12:7, Ezekiel 24:18
from evening 3× Exodus 27:21, Leviticus 24:3, Numbers 9:15
that evening 3× Genesis 30:16, Exodus 16:13, Judges 19:16
and every evening 2× 2 Chronicles 13:11
and that evening 2× Numbers 19:19, 1 Kings 22:35
from the evening 2× Exodus 12:18, Leviticus 23:32
This evening 2× Exodus 16:6, Exodus 16:8
[but] by evening 1× Psalms 90:6
and night 1× Psalms 55:17
and sunset 1× Psalms 65:8
As evening approached 1× Genesis 24:11
as the day was fading 1× Proverbs 7:9
At the evening 1× Ezra 9:5
But the night 1× Job 7:4
but when evening 1× Zechariah 14:7
Do this in the evening 1× Deuteronomy 16:6
Early in the evening 1× Genesis 24:63
evening {from now} 1× 1 Samuel 20:5
evening came 1× Genesis 29:23
evenings 1× Daniel 8:14
it were evening 1× Deuteronomy 28:67
like the evening 1× Psalms 141:2
Now the evening 1× Ezekiel 33:22
of the evening 1× Daniel 9:21
of the evenings 1× Daniel 8:26
of the night 1× Habakkuk 1:8
On the evening 1× Joshua 5:10
One evening 1× 2 Samuel 11:2
only from evening 1× Numbers 9:21
the following evening 1× Leviticus 23:32
the night 1× Psalms 30:5
Then in the evening 1× Ezekiel 12:4
to dusk 1× Job 4:20
When evening 1× Deuteronomy 23:11
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 1:5 עֶ֥רֶב to evening Noun - masculine singular Genesis 1:8 עֶ֥רֶב to evening Noun - masculine singular Genesis 1:13 עֶ֥רֶב to evening Noun - masculine singular Genesis 1:19 עֶ֥רֶב to evening Noun - masculine singular Genesis 1:23 עֶ֥רֶב to evening Noun - masculine singular Genesis 1:31 עֶ֥רֶב to evening Noun - masculine singular Genesis 8:11 עֶ֔רֶב to . . . Noun - masculine singular Genesis 19:1 בָּעֶ֔רֶב to in the evening Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular Genesis 24:11 עֶ֔רֶב to As evening approached Noun - masculine singular Genesis 24:63 עָ֑רֶב to Early in the evening Noun - masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 1:5
Aligned rows 134
Books represented 27
Genesis 13 Exodus 13 Leviticus 33 Numbers 13 Deuteronomy 5 Joshua 4 Judges 4 Ruth 1 1 Samuel 3 2 Samuel 3 1 Kings 2 2 Kings 1 1 Chronicles 2 2 Chronicles 7 Ezra 3 Esther 1 Job 2 Psalms 8 Proverbs 1 Ecclesiastes 1 Isaiah 1 Jeremiah 1 Ezekiel 5 Daniel 3 Habakkuk 1 Zephaniah 2 Zechariah 1
Source forms
הָעָֽרֶב׃ 27x hā·‘ā·reḇ Exodus 18:13, Leviticus 11:24, Leviticus 11:25, Leviticus 11:27
הָעָ֑רֶב 10x hā·‘ā·reḇ Leviticus 11:28, Leviticus 11:40, Leviticus 15:10, Leviticus 22:6
בָּעֶ֔רֶב 6x bā·‘e·reḇ Genesis 19:1, Exodus 12:18, Leviticus 23:32, Judges 19:16
עֶ֥רֶב 6x ‘e·reḇ Genesis 1:5, Genesis 1:8, Genesis 1:13, Genesis 1:19
עֶ֔רֶב 6x ‘e·reḇ Genesis 8:11, Genesis 24:11, Leviticus 23:32, Deuteronomy 28:67
עָֽרֶב׃ 5x ‘ā·reḇ Exodus 18:14, Psalms 104:23, Psalms 141:2, Jeremiah 6:4
בָּעָ֑רֶב 3x bā·‘ā·reḇ Deuteronomy 16:6, 1 Kings 17:6, Ezekiel 24:18
בָּעָֽרֶב׃ 3x bā·‘ā·reḇ Exodus 12:18, Leviticus 6:20, Numbers 19:19
Parsing patterns
Article | Noun - masculine singular 51x Exodus 18:13, Leviticus 11:24, Leviticus 11:25, Leviticus 11:27
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular 26x Genesis 19:1, Genesis 29:23, Genesis 30:16, Exodus 12:18
Noun - masculine singular 25x Genesis 1:5, Genesis 1:8, Genesis 1:13, Genesis 1:19
Article | Noun - md 11x Exodus 12:6, Exodus 16:12, Exodus 29:39, Exodus 29:41
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular 5x Genesis 49:27, 1 Chronicles 16:40, 2 Chronicles 2:4, Ezra 3:3
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular 5x 1 Chronicles 23:30, Job 4:20, Psalms 59:6, Psalms 59:14
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular 4x Numbers 9:15, Deuteronomy 28:67, 2 Chronicles 13:11, Ezekiel 12:7
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular 4x Exodus 27:21, Leviticus 23:32, Leviticus 24:3, Numbers 9:21
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Liminal threshold between day and night; marks time of transition, vulnerability, and divine activity in covenant contexts
Source Gloss
dusk
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Liminal threshold between day and night; marks time of transition, vulnerability, and divine activity in covenant contexts
dusk BDB: set Usage: day, even(-ing, tide), night.
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
Time of day marking the boundary between day and night, used for ritual purification timing
Showing 1 selected witness from 134 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
עֶרֶב is built from this root:
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