עֵרֶב
the web (or transverse threads of cloth); also a mixture, (or mongrel race)
Definition
The Hebrew word עֵרֶב (ʻêreb) has two primary meanings in the Old Testament. First, it refers to the 'woof' or crosswise threads in a woven fabric, a technical term used in the laws concerning leprous garments in Leviticus 13:48-57. Second, it denotes a 'mixed multitude' or a heterogeneous group of people. This second sense is most famously seen in Exodus 12:38, describing the 'mixed multitude' that left Egypt with the Israelites. The word can imply a mingling of peoples, sometimes with a connotation of being foreign or not fully integrated.
Biblical Usage
The word is used 13 times, primarily in two contexts. Its technical, material sense is confined to Leviticus 13, where it describes the woven structure of cloth in diagnosing ritual impurity. Its sociological sense appears in narrative and prophetic books. In Exodus 12:38, it neutrally describes the non-Israelite group that joined the Exodus. In later prophetic use, such as in Jeremiah 25:20, 24 and Ezekiel 30:5 (where it is translated 'mingled people'), it often carries a negative tone, referring to allied or mercenary groups within foreign armies or to marginalized populations.
Etymology
The noun עֵרֶב (ʻêreb) derives from the root עָרַב (ʻārab, H6148), which means 'to mix' or 'to pledge.' This root connection clearly informs both meanings: the interweaving of threads and the intermingling of peoples. The sense of 'pledge' or 'exchange' from the root may also subtly inform the concept of a mixed group being in a kind of social exchange or covenant with another.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it touches on themes of identity, purity, and inclusion within the covenant community. The 'mixed multitude' of Exodus 12:38 represents God's grace extending beyond ethnic Israel at the very founding of the nation, yet its later prophetic usage often highlights the dangers of foreign alliances and cultural syncretism. Understanding this term enriches reading by highlighting the biblical tension between being a distinct, holy people and God's heart for all nations.
In its textile sense, the word reflects the ancient craft of weaving on a loom, where the 'woof' (ʻêreb) threads are woven through the fixed 'warp' threads. Culturally, the term for a 'mixed multitude' would have been understood as referring to a group of non-native origin or mixed ancestry, often occupying a lower social status or serving as auxiliaries. This differs from a modern, more positive view of multiculturalism, as in the ancient Near East, such groups were often viewed with suspicion or as a threat to social and religious cohesion.
מִשְׁפָּחָה (mishpāchâ, H4940) — A clan or family, denoting a defined kinship group, unlike the undefined mixture of ʻêreb. גּוֹי (gôy, H1471) — A nation or people, typically with a political or ethnic unity, whereas ʻêreb implies a lack of such unity. בָּלַל (bālal, H1101) — A verb meaning 'to mix' or 'confuse' (as at Babel), describing the action, while ʻêreb is the resulting mixed entity.
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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