Lexical Summary
oreb: raven, ravens
Original Word:עֹרֵב
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:`oreb
Pronunciation:oh-reb
Phonetic Spelling:(o-rabe')
KJV: raven
NASB:raven, ravens
Word Origin:[fromH6150 (עָרַב - close)]
1. a raven (from its dusky hue)
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
raven
Or mowreb {o-rabe'}; fromarab; a raven (from its dusky hue) -- raven.
see HEBREWarab
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom an unused word
Definitiona raven
NASB Translationraven (6), ravens (4).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Leviticus 11:15 ; —
Genesis 8:7 (J),
Leviticus 11:15 (H) =
Deuteronomy 14:14;
Job 38:41;
Songs 5:11 black
as the raven;
Psalm 147:9young ravens; plural absolute 1Kings 17:4,6; construct
Proverbs 30:17.
Topical Lexicon
Natural HistoryThe raven (Hebrew עֹרֵב, 6158) is a large, intelligent member of the corvid family, common throughout the Near East. Omnivorous and hardy, it thrives in almost every terrain—from mountains and deserts to ruined cities—making it an apt figure in both narrative and poetic Scripture. Its glossy black plumage, harsh cry, and reputation for scavenging shape the way biblical writers employ the bird as a theological portrait.
Occurrences in Scripture
Genesis 8:7 introduces the raven as the first creature Noah releases after the flood: “and it kept flying back and forth until the waters had dried up from the earth”. Its relentless circling above the waters dramatizes both the lingering judgment and the expectation of renewed earth.
Leviticus 11:15 andDeuteronomy 14:14 list the raven among birds Israel must not eat, situating it within holiness legislation that distinguishes Israel from surrounding nations.
In the Elijah account (1 Kings 17:4, 6) ravens become unexpected agents of God’s provision: “The ravens would bring him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he would drink from the brook”.
Job 38:41 andPsalm 147:9 highlight God’s care for wildlife: “Who provides food for the raven when its young cry out to God and wander about for lack of food?” (Job 38:41).
Proverbs 30:17 employs the scavenging nature of the bird as a warning against dishonoring parents, whileSong of Solomon 5:11 uses the raven’s glossy hue to praise the Beloved’s hair.
Isaiah 34:11 pictures ravens inhabiting Edom’s desolation, underscoring total judgment.
The Raven and Divine Providence
Contrary to popular superstition that cast ravens as ominous, Scripture frequently links them to God’s sustaining mercy. The same God who feeds the young ravens (Job 38:41;Psalm 147:9) commands them to feed His prophet. This pairing—God providing for the raven and through the raven—reveals His sovereignty over all creation and His freedom to employ even unclean creatures to bless His people.
Clean and Unclean Status
That an unclean bird becomes God’s appointed courier (1 Kings 17) magnifies grace: holiness is not compromised by contact with the unclean when God Himself ordains the means. The episode previews the broader biblical pattern in which God’s covenant reaches out through unlikely vessels, anticipating the gospel’s advance to the nations (Acts 10).
Prophetic and Poetic Imagery
Isaiah’s depiction of ravens occupying destroyed Edom (Isaiah 34:11) conveys utter desolation; what is unfit for the sanctuary now claims the ruins of the proud. Conversely,Song of Solomon 5:11 redeems the image, transforming the raven’s blackness into a symbol of youthful vitality. The contrasting uses illustrate Scripture’s capacity to employ a single creation for both judgment and beauty, depending on the redemptive context.
Wisdom Literature Lessons
Proverbs 30:17 warns that “the eye that mocks a father and scorns obedience to a mother will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley”. The raven becomes a graphic enforcer of the fifth commandment, impressing upon listeners the gravity of family honor in covenant life.
Typology and Christological Echoes
Elijah’s raven-fed solitude at Cherith foreshadows the wilderness testing of Christ, who likewise trusted the Father for sustenance.Luke 12:24 later summons disciples to “consider the ravens” as evidence of the Father’s meticulous care, grounding freedom from anxiety in the same providence witnessed beside the post-flood waters and the Wadi Cherith.
Ministry and Devotional Applications
1. Providence: Preachers may highlight the raven as a sign that God supplies needs by means beyond human calculation.
2. Humility: The bird’s unclean status cautions against despising small or seemingly unworthy instruments God may choose.
3. Reverence: The warning inProverbs 30:17 serves family ministry and youth instruction on honoring parents.
4. Hope and Judgment: Isaiah’s ruin-filled landscape instructs believers to flee pride, whileGenesis 8’s restless raven invites reflection on longing for a new creation that only God can usher in.
Summary
The ten appearances of the raven span themes of judgment, provision, parental honor, and divine sovereignty. Whether circling post-diluvian waters, delivering meals to a prophet, feeding its own young, or haunting desolate wastelands, the raven witnesses that every corner of creation obeys the Creator’s purpose and that His covenant care extends from the greatest of saints to the least of birds.
Forms and Transliterations
הָֽעֹרֵ֑ב הָעֹרְבִ֣ים הערב הערבים וְהָעֹרְבִ֗ים וְעֹרֵ֖ב והערבים וערב כָּעוֹרֵֽב׃ כעורב׃ לָעֹרֵ֗ב לערב עֹ֝רֵ֗ב עֹרְבֵי־ עֹרֵ֖ב ערב ערבי־ ‘ō·rə·ḇê- ‘ō·rêḇ ‘ōrêḇ ‘ōrəḇê- hā‘ōrêḇ hā‘ōrəḇîm hā·‘ō·rə·ḇîm hā·‘ō·rêḇ haoRev haoreVim kā‘ōwrêḇ kā·‘ō·w·rêḇ kaoRev lā‘ōrêḇ lā·‘ō·rêḇ laoRev oRev orevei vehaoreVim veoRev wə‘ōrêḇ wə·‘ō·rêḇ wə·hā·‘ō·rə·ḇîm wəhā‘ōrəḇîm
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