Lexical Summary
abib: Abib, ear of grain, green ears
Original Word:אָבִיב
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:abiyb
Pronunciation:ah-VEEB
Phonetic Spelling:(aw-beeb')
KJV: Abib, ear, green ears of corn (not maize)
NASB:Abib, ear, fresh heads, fresh heads of grain
Word Origin:[from an unused root (meaning to be tender)]
1. green, i.e. a young ear of grain
2. (hence) the name of the month Abib or Nisan
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Abib, ear, green ears of corn not maize
From an unused root (meaning to be tender); green, i.e. A young ear of grain; hence, the name of the month Abib or Nisan -- Abib, ear, green ears of corn (not maize).
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom an unused word
Definitionfresh, young ears, also Canaanite name for the first month of the Jewish calendar
NASB TranslationAbib (6), ear (1), fresh heads (1), fresh heads of grain (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Leviticus 2:14 (LagBN 207 Infinitive)
of barleyExodus 9:31; indefiniteLeviticus 2:14 .
month of ear-forming, or of growing green, Abib, month of Exodus & passover,Exodus 13:4;Exodus 23:15;Exodus 34:18 (twice in verse) (JE),Deuteronomy 16:1 (twice in verse) (1st month = circa April = , (q. v.) in P; see DiExodus 12:2; = post-exilic q. v.)
see below II. .
Topical Lexicon
Meaning and Agricultural Contextאָבִיב (ʾĀvîv) denotes the stage when barley kernels have filled and the heads have softened but have not yet dried. It marks the transition from green growth to ripened grain suitable for roasting (Leviticus 2:14). In the land of Israel this occurs in early spring, following the latter rains and signaling the opening of the harvest season.
Occurrences and Theological Significance
1.Exodus 9:31 links Abib to the plague of hail: “the barley was in the ear”. When Egypt’s crops were smashed, Israel’s future provision had already begun to form, underscoring divine distinction between covenant people and oppressor.
2.Exodus 13:4 establishes Abib as the month of Israel’s departure from bondage. Redemption is permanently fixed to a real date in agricultural history.
3.Exodus 23:15;Exodus 34:18 command the annual Feast of Unleavened Bread “in the month of Abib,” coupling harvest’s first fruits with memorial of salvation.
4.Deuteronomy 16:1 repeats the charge while adding: “for in the month of Abib the LORD your God brought you out of Egypt by night”.
5.Leviticus 2:14 requires “green heads of grain roasted in the fire” for a grain offering, providing worshipers a tangible way to consecrate the earliest increase to God.
Collectively, these eight references tie Abib to three themes: (a) judgment on false security, (b) redemption from slavery, (c) dedication of first produce to the Lord.
Abib and the Reform of Israel’s Calendar
Exodus 12 resets corporate time: “This month is to be the first month of the year for you” (Exodus 12:2). Although Abib is not named in that verse,Exodus 13:4 later identifies the first month as Abib. After the Babylonian exile the month came to be called Nisan (Ezra 6:15). Scripture preserves both names, reminding readers that Israel’s liturgical rhythm remains rooted in agricultural realities ordained by God.
Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Abib
Passover lambs were slaughtered on the fourteenth of Abib; the Feast of Unleavened Bread began that evening. The barley offering of Firstfruits followed on the day after the Sabbath within that week (Leviticus 23:10–11). Thus Abib embraces death, deliverance, and the pledge of resurrection life—all fulfilled in Jesus Christ, “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20).
Prophetic and Typological Dimensions
• The soft, emerging grain illustrates lives redeemed but still being perfected (James 5:7).
• Abib’s linkage to judgment on Egypt prefigures final judgment when worldly systems fall even as the people of God are being prepared for harvest (Revelation 14:14–16).
• The renaming to Nisan after exile foreshadows restored identity; God’s purposes survive displacement and cultural change.
Practical Application for Ministry Today
• Calendar and Creation: Recognizing Abib roots worship in God’s created order. Church ministries can teach believers to see seasons as reminders of redemption history.
• Firstfruits Giving: Like roasted heads of barley, early income or harvest can be dedicated to the Lord, cultivating gratitude and dependence.
• Discipleship Timing: Abib precedes full harvest; new believers require nurturing during their “green” stage. Pastoral care should anticipate storms (Exodus 9) and provide protection and instruction.
• Corporate Memory: Annual celebrations of the Lord’s Supper echo Abib’s call to remember deliverance. Congregations may highlight Passover themes during the spring to connect Old and New Covenant fulfillment.
Forms and Transliterations
אָבִ֔יב אָבִ֞יב אביב הָֽאָבִ֔יב הָֽאָבִ֗יב הָאָבִ֑יב הָאָבִ֔יב הָאָבִֽיב׃ האביב האביב׃ ’ā·ḇîḇ ’āḇîḇ aViv hā’āḇîḇ hā·’ā·ḇîḇ haaViv
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