Lexical Summary
ebrah: Wrath, fury, rage, outburst
Original Word:עֶבְרָה
Part of Speech:Noun Feminine
Transliteration:`ebrah
Pronunciation:ehv-rah
Phonetic Spelling:(eb-raw')
KJV: anger, rage, wrath
NASB:wrath, fury, anger, overflowings, rage
Word Origin:[feminine ofH5676 (עֵבֶר - beyond)]
1. an outburst of passion
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
anger, rage, wrath
Feminine ofeber; an outburst of passion -- anger, rage, wrath.
see HEBREWeber
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfem. of
eberDefinitionoverflow, arrogance, fury
NASB Translationanger (1), fury (14), overflowings (1), rage (1), wrath (16).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
; — absolute
Isaiah 13:9 +; construct
Zephaniah 1:18 +; suffix
Isaiah 10:6 +, etc.; plural
Job 21:30; construct
Psalm 7:7;
Job 40:11; —
overflow, excess, outburst,Proverbs 21:24excess of insolence;Job 40:11outbursts of thine anger.
arrogance, of MoabIsaiah 16:6 ( + ), henceJeremiah 48:20 (+id.Jeremiah 48:29).
overflowing rage, fury:
,Genesis 49:7 (poem in J),Amos 1:11 (both "" ),Isaiah 14:6;Proverbs 14:35,Proverbs 22:8 (i. e. rod wielded by him in fury, see alsoLamentations 3:1 below),Psalm 7:7the outbursts of fury of my foes
ofHosea 5:10;Hosea 13:11 ("" ),Habakkuk 3:8 (""id.),Isaiah 9:18;Lamentations 2:2;Psalm 90:9;Psalm 90:11; +Isaiah 13:9, ""id.Isaiah 13:13;Psalm 78:49 (+ ),Psalm 85:4;Ezekiel 21:36 ("" ),Ezekiel 22:31 (""id.),Ezekiel 22:21;Ezekiel 38:19;Lamentations 3:1 (compareProverbs 22:8 above);Isaiah 10:6 (i.e. object of my rage), compareJeremiah 7:29;Zephaniah 1:18day of 'sfury (coming judgment), soEzekiel 7:19 (strike out Co Berthol, after , as gloss from Zephaniah); soZephaniah 1:15;Proverbs 11:4;Job 21:30; compareProverbs 11:23.
Topical Lexicon
Scope and Nuance of עֶבְרָהThe noun עֶבְרָה most frequently denotes a violent outburst of anger expressed in word or deed. Its range stretches from impetuous human rage (Genesis 49:7) to the settled, righteous indignation of God (Job 21:30). In nearly every context the term conveys more than a transient emotion; it is anger in action—an anger that breaks out, overflows, and effects decisive consequences.
Human Rage and Its Futility
The earliest appearance of עֶבְרָה concerns Jacob’s judgment on Simeon and Levi: “Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their wrath, for it is cruel” (Genesis 49:7). Their slaughter at Shechem illustrates the unbridled, destructive power of human rage. Proverbs repeatedly warns against such passion: “A man of great wrath suffers punishment” (Proverbs 19:19), and “Wrath is cruel and anger is a flood” (Proverbs 27:4). Human עֶבְרָה, therefore, is portrayed as uncontrolled, morally culpable, and inevitably self-defeating.
Divine Wrath in Covenant Context
Most occurrences describe God’s own wrath. InDeuteronomy 9:19 Moses confesses, “I dreaded the fierce anger of the LORD” after Israel’s sin with the golden calf. Here עֶבְרָה is a covenantal response: Yahweh’s holiness confronts covenant infidelity. When Israel violates the covenant, the Lord’s עֶבְרָה is aroused (Jeremiah 7:29;Hosea 13:11), displaying His unwavering commitment to righteousness and His sovereign freedom to judge.
Prophetic Warnings and Historical Judgments
The prophets position עֶבְרָה at pivotal historical moments. Through Isaiah, God announces an “indignation” (Isaiah 30:27) that burns against the nations; through Ezekiel, He declares, “In My wrath and raging fury I will execute judgment” (Ezekiel 38:19).Micah 7:9 records personal submission: “I will endure the fury of the LORD, because I have sinned against Him.” These texts link divine wrath to both immediate chastisement—Assyrian and Babylonian invasions—and to ultimate, eschatological reckoning.
Temporal and Eschatological Dimensions
Job 21:30 anticipates a “day of wrath” reserved for the wicked, andZephaniah 2:2–3 urges the humble to “seek righteousness” that they may be “hidden on the day of the LORD’s anger.” Thus עֶבְרָה stretches forward to the Day of the LORD, a time when divine indignation reaches its climactic unveiling (Isaiah 13:13). Present historical judgments foreshadow that final disclosure.
Representative Texts
•Numbers 25:11 – Phinehas turns back divine wrath by zealously defending God’s honor.
•Psalm 78:49 – God sends “a band of destroying angels” in the Exodus plagues as an embodiment of His wrath.
•Lamentations 4:11 – “The LORD has vented His wrath,” a poetic summary of Jerusalem’s fall.
•Habakkuk 3:2 – The prophet prays, “In wrath remember mercy,” capturing the tension between judgment and grace.
Theological Reflection
Scripture never depicts God’s עֶבְרָה as capricious. It is measured, purposeful, and consistently aligned with His holiness, justice, and covenant love. Divine wrath vindicates God’s glory, protects His people, and ultimately serves redemptive ends. Human wrath, by contrast, lacks righteousness and calls for transformation (James 1:20).
Christological Fulfillment
The New Testament reveals the cross as the place where God’s wrath against sin is satisfied and His mercy lavishly displayed (Romans 3:25). Jesus “delivers us from the coming wrath” (1 Thessalonians 1:10), showing that the Old Testament expectation of עֶבְרָה culminates in the atoning work of Christ. The believer therefore views every Old Testament reference as an anticipatory signpost pointing to the cross.
Pastoral and Practical Implications
1. Preaching and Teaching: Highlight the seriousness of sin and the necessity of repentance, grounding both in God’s revealed wrath and mercy.
2. Counseling: Address destructive human anger with scriptural warnings; encourage submission to the Spirit, who produces patience and self-control.
3. Worship: Respond to God’s holiness with reverence and gratitude, giving thanks that “His anger lasts only a moment, but His favor a lifetime” (Psalm 30:5).
4. Missions and Evangelism: Urge unbelievers to flee from the wrath to come by faith in Christ, modeling the apostolic pattern (Acts 17:30-31).
Concluding Perspective
עֶבְרָה unfolds a rich biblical theology of wrath—human and divine—that underscores the moral fabric of the universe, the gravity of sin, and the necessity of redemption. Its 34 appearances weave a unified testimony: the righteous Judge will not leave sin unpunished, yet He offers refuge in Himself.
Forms and Transliterations
בְּעֶבְרַ֛ת בְּעֶבְרַ֥ת בְּעֶבְרַת֙ בְּעֶבְרָ֔ה בְּעֶבְרָת֛וֹ בְּעֶבְרָתִֽי׃ בְּעַבְר֣וֹת בְעֶבְרָתֶ֑ךָ בעברה בעברות בעברת בעברתו בעברתי׃ בעברתך וְ֝עֶבְרָת֗וֹ וְעֶבְרָ֖ה וְעֶבְרָת֖וֹ וְעֶבְרָתָ֖ם ועברה ועברתו ועברתם עֲבָר֣וֹת עֶבְר֣וֹת עֶבְרַ֣ת עֶבְרָ֑ה עֶבְרָ֖ה עֶבְרָ֣ה עֶבְרָֽה׃ עֶבְרָת֖וֹ עֶבְרָת֣וֹ עֶבְרָתִ֑י עֶבְרָתִ֖י עֶבְרָתִֽי׃ עֶבְרָתֶ֑ךָ עֶבְרָתֶֽךָ׃ עֶבְרָתֽוֹ׃ עברה עברה׃ עברות עברת עברתו עברתו׃ עברתי עברתי׃ עברתך עברתך׃ ‘ă·ḇā·rō·wṯ ‘ăḇārōwṯ ‘eḇ·rā·ṯe·ḵā ‘eḇ·rā·ṯî ‘eḇ·rā·ṯōw ‘eḇ·rāh ‘eḇ·raṯ ‘eḇ·rō·wṯ ‘eḇrāh ‘eḇraṯ ‘eḇrāṯeḵā ‘eḇrāṯî ‘eḇrāṯōw ‘eḇrōwṯ avaRot bə‘aḇrōwṯ bə‘eḇrāh bə‘eḇraṯ ḇə‘eḇrāṯeḵā bə‘eḇrāṯî bə‘eḇrāṯōw bə·‘aḇ·rō·wṯ ḇə·‘eḇ·rā·ṯe·ḵā bə·‘eḇ·rā·ṯî bə·‘eḇ·rā·ṯōw bə·‘eḇ·rāh bə·‘eḇ·raṯ beavRot beevRah beevRat beevraTi beevraTo evRah evRat evraTecha evraTi evraTo evRot veevRah veevraTam veevraTecha veevraTo wə‘eḇrāh wə‘eḇrāṯām wə‘eḇrāṯōw wə·‘eḇ·rā·ṯām wə·‘eḇ·rā·ṯōw wə·‘eḇ·rāh
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