אֵבוּס
a manger or stall
Definition
The Hebrew word אֵבוּס (ʼêbûwç) refers to a feeding trough or stall for domestic animals, specifically a manger or crib. It describes the structure from which cattle, oxen, or donkeys eat their fodder. In Proverbs 14:4, it is used literally for the clean feeding place that results from the strength of an ox. In Job 39:9, it appears in a rhetorical question about whether a wild ox would be willing to serve man by lodging in an אֵבוּס, contrasting domestic servitude with wild freedom. Isaiah 1:3 uses it metaphorically, stating that Israel, unlike the ox and donkey, does not know its owner or the one who fills its manger, highlighting a failure in basic recognition and gratitude.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only three times in the Old Testament, appearing in wisdom literature (Job, Proverbs) and prophetic literature (Isaiah). In Job 39:9 and Proverbs 14:4, it is used in a straightforward, literal sense for an animal's feeding place. In Isaiah 1:3, however, it is employed in a powerful metaphorical comparison, where the well-fed domestic animal's recognition of its provider is contrasted with Israel's spiritual ignorance toward God. This shows the word moving from a simple agricultural object to a symbol of provision and expected relationship.
Etymology
The noun אֵבוּס (ʼêbûwç) is derived from the root verb אָבַס (ʼâbas, H75), which means 'to feed, to fatten.' This root conveys the action of providing fodder to animals. Thus, the noun essentially means 'a place of feeding' or 'that which is used for feeding.' The connection to the verb emphasizes its function as a receptacle for sustenance.
Semantic Range
While a mundane object, אֵבוּס gains theological significance in Isaiah 1:3. Here, it becomes a poignant image in God's lawsuit against His people. The metaphor underscores themes of God's faithful provision and the expected response of knowing and submitting to Him. The animal's instinctual recognition of the one who fills its manger shames Israel's willful ignorance. Understanding this Hebrew term enriches the reading of this passage, highlighting the profound breach in the covenant relationship framed in a simple, everyday illustration of care and dependency.
In the ancient Near Eastern agrarian society, the manger (אֵבוּס) was a common, essential fixture in a household or stable for maintaining livestock. It was typically a stone trough or a hollowed-out log. Its presence indicated settled domestication and care for animals, which were vital for labor, food, and wealth. The cultural understanding of an animal's dependence on its owner for food in the manger makes the metaphor in Isaiah 1:3 immediately powerful and relatable to the original audience.
רֵאשׁ (rêʼsh, H7218) — a feeding trough, often translated 'fodder' or 'first fruits,' focusing more on the feed itself rather than the structure. אֻרְוָה (ʼurvâh, H723) — a stall or stable, a broader term for the enclosure where animals are kept, not specifically the feeding trough.
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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