עָבוּר
passed, i.e. kept over; used only of stored grain
Definition
The Hebrew noun עָבוּר (ʻâbûwr) refers specifically to stored grain from a previous harvest, meaning 'old grain' or 'produce kept over' from the previous year. It describes grain that has been preserved and stored, as opposed to the fresh produce of the current harvest. This term is used exclusively in Joshua 5:11-12 to describe the food the Israelites ate from the land of Canaan immediately after crossing the Jordan River, before they could harvest new crops. The word highlights a transitional food source, marking the end of their wilderness diet of manna and the beginning of their sustenance from the Promised Land.
Biblical Usage
This word appears only twice in the Old Testament, both in the book of Joshua (Joshua 5:11, 5:12). It is used in the narrative context of the Israelites' first Passover in Canaan. After eating the produce of the land (specifically, unleavened cakes and parched grain made from this 'old grain'), the manna ceased the following day. The usage is highly specific, denoting stored grain that was available for consumption at a precise historical and theological turning point.
Etymology
The noun עָבוּר (ʻâbûwr) is derived from the root עבר (ʻābar, H5674), which means 'to pass over, cross, or go beyond.' As a passive participle form, עָבוּר literally means 'that which has passed over'—in this case, referring to grain from a harvest that has 'passed' from one year into the next. It is linguistically related to the identical form in H5668, which is a verb meaning 'to act as a guarantor,' showing how Hebrew roots can develop specialized nominal meanings.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it marks a key transition in salvation history. The consumption of the 'old grain' (עָבוּר) in Joshua 5:11-12 signifies the end of God's miraculous wilderness provision (manna) and the beginning of His faithful provision through the ordinary means of the land He had promised. It symbolizes the fulfillment of God's promise to bring Israel into a land of abundance (Exodus 3:8). Understanding this Hebrew term enriches the reading of Joshua 5 by highlighting the precise moment when Israel's diet, and by extension their entire mode of existence, shifted from miraculous sustenance to covenantal blessing through agricultural life in the land.
In the ancient Near East, successfully storing grain from one harvest to supply food until the next was crucial for survival and indicated agricultural skill and stability. The 'old grain' represented security and planning. For the Israelites, who had been nomadic for 40 years, accessing stored grain upon entering Canaan was a tangible sign that they were taking possession of an established, fruitful land cultivated by its previous inhabitants. It was a ready-made resource that facilitated their immediate settlement.
דָּגָן (dāgān, H1715) — a general term for grain or cereal. עָבוּר is a specific type of דָּגָן that is stored from a past harvest. תְּבוּאָה (tᵉḇûʼâ, H8393) — refers to produce or yield of the land, often the current harvest, whereas עָבוּר is from the previous year.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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