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Meaning, origin and etymology of the name Horeb


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Horeb Horeb

Horeb (a.k.a. Sinai, and the Mountain of God) is the mountain where Moses fasted for two times forty days back to back, as he receives the Law. Later the prophet Elijah also spends forty days fasting on Horeb (1 Ki 19:8), after which he has his famous conversation with God in the cave (19:9-18).

The name Horeb comes from Horeb (hareb 731) 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. (Gen 8:13).
The word Horeb (horeb 731b,c) is a derivative that means dryness, desolation. Yet from mount Horeb come many blessings for the parched land (Ex 3:1-22; Ex 17:6; Mal 4:4; Deut 29:1; 1 Ki 19).

Perhaps something similar happens with the root dabar (dabar 399), to speak or pronounce. From this root comes the phrase Dabar YHWH (meaning Word Of God) but also the word midbar, wilderness. The original title of the book we call Numbers is alternatively Wayedaber (Wayedaber ; And He spoke) and Bemidbar (Bemidbar ; In the wilderness)

The name Horeb is also identical to the Hebrew word for sword: Horeb (hereb 732a) derived from Horeb (harab 732) 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 reads Arid. NOBSE reads Desert.

Another name that means Dry Place is Zion.



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