Lexical Summary maarab: West, sunset Original Word: מַאֲרָב Strong's Exhaustive Concordance lie in ambush, ambush, lurking place, lying in wait From 'arab; an ambuscade -- lie in ambush, ambushment, lurking place, lying in wait. see HEBREW 'arab NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom arab Definition an ambush NASB Translation ambush (4), lurking places (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs מַאֲרָב noun masculine ambush — מַאֲרָב? Joshua 8:9 2t.; מַאְ֯רָב Judges 9:35; construct מַאֲרַב Psalm 10:8; — 1. a. ambush, place of lying-in-wait Joshua 8:9; Judges 9:35; b. lurking-place Psalm 10:8 ("" מִסְתָּרִים). 2 liers-in-wait2Chronicles 13:13 (twice in verse) (compare ארב Participle) אַרְבֵאל compare בֵּית אַרְבֵאל, below בית. אַרְבֶּה see below רבה. אַרְבַּע, אַרְבָּעָה, אַרְבַּ֫עַת, אַרְבָּעִים etc. see רבע. Topical Lexicon Foundational Concept מַאֲרָב (maʾărāḇ) denotes an ambush, a place or company lying in wait. The image is one of hidden intent, whether for military victory or predatory oppression. Each Old Testament occurrence highlights both the tactical brilliance and the moral weight that secrecy can carry. Wartime Strategy under Divine Direction (Joshua 8:9) When Israel faced Ai the second time, Joshua dispatched “about five thousand men as a rear guard between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city” (Joshua 8:12). The ambush was not human cunning alone; it followed directives given directly by the LORD (Joshua 8:1-2). Maʾărāḇ here underscores the legitimacy of strategic concealment when ordered by God. Victory derived not from Israel’s numbers but from obedience, reminding the Church that divine strategy often appears unconventional yet proves unfailing. Illegitimate Power and Predatory Cunning (Judges 9:35) Abimelech’s bid for kingship rested on treachery. “Gaal son of Ebed went out and stood in the entrance of the city gate, and Abimelech and his troops rose from their hiding place” (Judges 9:35). The same device that served Israel righteously in Joshua now exposes the unrighteous ambition of Abimelech. Scripture thereby warns that the morality of an ambush lies not in the method but in the motive and mandate behind it. A Test of Covenant Faithfulness (2 Chronicles 13:13) Jeroboam “had set an ambush behind them, so that Judah was in front of them and the ambush was behind them” (2 Chronicles 13:13). King Abijah’s forces were surrounded, yet the narrative pivots on Judah’s cry to the LORD and the priests’ trumpet blast (2 Chronicles 13:14-15). Maʾărāḇ functions as an instrument God turns against the schemer. The passage exhorts believers to rely on covenant faithfulness rather than numerical superiority or tactical surprise. The Ambush Motif in Wisdom Literature (Psalm 10:8) “In the ambush he kills the innocent; his eyes watch in stealth for the helpless” (Psalm 10:8). Here maʾărāḇ enters the realm of moral theology, portraying the wicked as highwaymen of the soul. The psalmist’s lament recognizes the apparent success of hidden evil yet anticipates divine justice (Psalm 10:14-17). The text shapes pastoral sensitivity to victims of oppression and fuels intercession for God’s righteous intervention. Theological Threads 1. Sovereignty and Strategy: God may sanction hidden tactics (Joshua 8) yet overrule them when used against His covenant people (2 Chronicles 13). Christological Foreshadowing The cross itself appears as an ambush to worldly powers; in crucifying Christ they unwittingly secured their own defeat (1 Corinthians 2:8). Maʾărāḇ thus anticipates the paradox of hidden victory—God concealing His ultimate triumph within apparent vulnerability. Ministry and Discipleship Applications • Strategic Planning: Church leaders may plan discreetly yet must remain transparent in motive and submissive to Scripture. Summary Maʾărāḇ illustrates the power of the unseen—whether deployed in obedience to God for deliverance, manipulated by the wicked for self-advancement, or lamented by the righteous when innocents suffer. Each occurrence reinforces the biblical conviction that nothing hidden escapes the LORD’s notice, and that ultimate victory belongs to those who walk in covenant loyalty and trust His sovereign oversight. Forms and Transliterations בְּמַאְרַ֬ב במארב הַמַּאְרָ֔ב הַמַּאְרָֽב׃ המארב המארב׃ וְהַמַּאְרָ֖ב והמארב bə·ma’·raḇ bəma’raḇ bemaRav ham·ma’·rāḇ hamma’rāḇ hammaRav vehammaRav wə·ham·ma’·rāḇ wəhamma’rāḇLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Joshua 8:9 HEB: וַיֵּֽלְכוּ֙ אֶל־ הַמַּאְרָ֔ב וַיֵּשְׁב֗וּ בֵּ֧ין NAS: and they went to the place of ambush and remained KJV: and they went to lie in ambush, and abode INT: went to ambush and remained between Judges 9:35 2 Chronicles 13:13 2 Chronicles 13:13 Psalm 10:8 5 Occurrences |
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