Lexical Summary
maarab or maarabah: West, sunset, evening
Original Word:מַעֲרָב
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:ma`arab
Pronunciation:mah-ar-awv' or mah-ar-aw-baw'
Phonetic Spelling:(mah-ar-awb')
KJV: west
NASB:west, west side, setting
Word Origin:[fromH6150 (עָרַב - close), in the sense of shading]
1. the west (as a region of the evening sun)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
west
Or (feminine) maearabah {mah-ar-aw-baw'}; fromarab, in the sense of shading; the west (as a region of the evening sun) -- west.
see HEBREWarab
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom the same as
erebDefinitionwest
NASB Translationsetting (1), west (11), west side (2).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
II. (late) (place of sunset); — ( = , compare De Ges
§ 91 e)
Isaiah 45:6from its setting-place (opposed to ); opposed to also
Isaiah 43:5;
Isaiah 59:19;
Psalm 103:12;
Psalm 107:3, so
westward1 Chronicles 7:28;
1 Chronicles 12:16 (van d. H. v.1 Chronicles 12:15),
1 Chronicles 26:16,18; opposed to
Psalm 75:7; (alone)
Daniel 8:5; with locative
1 Chronicles 26:30westward, followed by =
to the west of2Chronicles 32:30; 33:14,
Judges 20:33 according to (not B) Be GFM and others (see [ ]).
VI. (√ of following; compare Arabic
be black,
crow (raven, rook, etc.); Assyrianârivu, êribu; Aramaic
, , allcrow, raven).
Topical Lexicon
Summary of the termמַעֲרָב denotes the “west,” “western side,” or “setting place of the sun.” Throughout its fourteen Old Testament occurrences it functions both as a literal compass point and as a theological marker that highlights God’s sovereignty over space, history, and salvation.
Geographical and tribal boundaries
In1 Chronicles 7:28 מַעֲרָב marks the western border of the territory of Joseph’s sons, situating their inheritance within the covenant allotment. The direction therefore helps fix the promised land’s contours, reinforcing the historicity of Israel’s settlement. Similar boundary language reappears in1 Chronicles 26:16, 18, 30, where Levitical gatekeepers are assigned to guard the “western” approaches of the temple mount and royal precincts. Their watch underscores that every compass point of the sanctuary is under ordered priestly care.
Military mustering and divine deliverance
When David’s forces gather at Ziklag, warriors described as coming “from the west” (1 Chronicles 12:16) reveal the breadth of national unity around the anointed king. Later, Hezekiah’s waterworks reach “west of the City of David” (2 Chronicles 32:30), a civil engineering feat that shields Jerusalem from Assyria. Manasseh likewise fortifies the “western” part of the city wall (2 Chronicles 33:14). In these texts מַעֲרָב is a vantage for potential invasion yet also for God-enabled protection.
Liturgical and moral symbolism
Psalm 103:12 famously contrasts east and west to illustrate complete forgiveness: “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” The choice of מַעֲרָב provides an immeasurable span; unlike north-south lines that meet at the poles, east and west move infinitely apart on the human horizon. The psalmist thereby extols the unbounded reach of divine mercy.
Psalm 75:6 declares, “Exaltation does not come from the east, nor from the west, nor from the desert,” abolishing any claim that human promotion arises from geographic power centers. The verse positions God, not regional might, as the ultimate source of authority.
Psalm 107:3 completes the re-gathering motif: the redeemed are brought “from the east and west, from north and south.” Here מַעֲרָב attests that return from exile is all-encompassing and global, foreshadowing the messianic ingathering.
Prophetic universality
Isaiah enlarges the concept. “I will bring your offspring from the east and gather you from the west” (Isaiah 43:5). The west becomes one quarter of a worldwide compass affirming Israel’s future restoration.Isaiah 45:6 proclaims that people “may know from the rising of the sun to its setting that there is none but Me.” The paired terms “rising” (east) and “setting” (west) proclaim monotheism to the ends of the earth.Isaiah 59:19 foretells that “from the west they will fear the name of the Lord,” indicating global reverence born through the promised Redeemer.
Eschatological anticipation
Daniel’s vision of the goat “coming from the west over the face of the whole earth without touching the ground” (Daniel 8:5) situates imminent geopolitical upheaval. The rapid west-originating conquest—fulfilled in Alexander the Great—serves as a reminder that the Lord controls history, raising and removing empires as part of a redemptive trajectory culminating in the everlasting kingdom.
Practical ministry implications
1. Global mission. The east-west pairing highlights God’s claim on every longitude. Evangelistic outreach must span every horizon, confident that the gospel of Christ is destined to be heard “from the rising of the sun to its setting.”
2. Assurance of forgiveness.Psalm 103:12 supplies pastoral comfort: repentant believers can rest in the infinite separation God places between them and their sins.
3. Vigilant stewardship. The Chronicler’s gatekeepers illustrate that every “side” of ministry—visible or unseen—requires faithful guardianship. No sector of church life lies outside divine order.
4. Hope in exile. Passages promising gathering from the west sustain those scattered physically or spiritually. God’s covenant fidelity secures return and restoration.
Conclusion
מַעֲרָב serves not merely as a directional term but as a theological compass point. Whether demarcating land, directing worship, or signifying universal restoration, it testifies that the God who sets the sun is the same God who sets boundaries, removes transgressions, and gathers His people for everlasting praise.
Forms and Transliterations
הַֽמַּעֲרָב֙ המערב וְלַֽמַּעֲרָ֗ב וְלַֽמַּעֲרָֽב׃ וּמִֽמַּעֲרָ֑ב וּמִֽמַּעֲרָ֖ב וּמִמַּ֣עֲרָבָ֔הּ ולמערב ולמערב׃ וממערב וממערבה לַֽמַּעֲרָ֑ב לַֽמַּעֲרָ֔ב למערב מִֽמַּֽעֲרָ֑ב מִֽמַּעֲרָב֙ מַּעְרָ֖בָה מַעְרָ֑בָה מַעְרָבָה֩ ממערב מערבה ham·ma·‘ă·rāḇ hamma‘ărāḇ hammaaRav lam·ma·‘ă·rāḇ lamma‘ărāḇ lammaaRav ma‘·rā·ḇāh ma‘rāḇāh maRavah mim·ma·‘ă·rāḇ mimaaRav mimma‘ărāḇ ū·mim·ma·‘ă·rā·ḇāh ū·mim·ma·‘ă·rāḇ umimaaRav umiMaaraVah ūmimma‘ărāḇ ūmimma‘ărāḇāh velammaaRav wə·lam·ma·‘ă·rāḇ wəlamma‘ărāḇ
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