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Etymology •
& Meaning •
Hebrew •
Greek •
Bible •
Names •
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Meaning and etymology of the name Horeb
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Horeb 
Horeb (a.k.a. Sinai, and the Mountain of God) is the mountain where Moses fasts for two times forty days back to back, as he receives the Law (Exodus 3:1). Later the prophet Elijah also spends forty days fasting on Horeb (1 Kings 19:8), after which he has his famous conversation with God in the cave (19:9-18).
The name Horeb comes from (hareb) meaning to dry up, be in ruins, lay waste. This verb sounds very negative and it is so, most of the time, but it all depends from which angle we look. Looking from the memory of a beautiful city, waste land is much worthy of lament (Jer). Looking from the face of the deep however, the first signs of dry land is reason the be exceedingly glad. (Genesis 8:13).
The word (horeb b,c) is a derivative that means dryness, desolation. Yet from mount Horeb come many blessings for the parched land (Exodus 3:1-22; Exodus 17:6; Mal 4:4; Deuteronomy 29:1; 1 Kings 19).
Perhaps something similar happens with the root  (dabar), to speak or pronounce. From this root comes the phrase  (meaning Word Of God) but also the word  , wilderness. The original title of the book we call Numbers is alternatively  (Wayedaber ; And He spoke) and  (Bemidbar ; In the wilderness)
The name Horeb is also identical to the Hebrew word for sword: (hereb) derived from (harab) to slay, fight. This may shed some light on the figurative usage of swords in the Bible, especially such enigmatic scenes as Rev 19:15, where the White Rider known as the Word Of God appears with a sword protruding from His mouth.
The name Horeb can mean any of the above. Jones' Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names reads Arid. NOBS Study Bible Name List reads Desert.
Another name that means Dry Place is Zion.
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