Arav אָרַב

Arav (Hebrew אָרַב, Strong's H693) is a Hebrew verb meaning “to ambush”. It occurs 41 times in 39 verses of the Old Testament.

Definition

From the STEPBible Brief Lexicon of Hebrew (based on the abridged Brown-Driver-Briggs), STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0.

Translated as

Verses

Every verse with Arav, with the English words that translate it highlighted (KJV or BSB; other translations show the KJV here).

Deuteronomy

• Deuteronomy 19:11
  But if any man hate his neighbour, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he die, and fleeth into one of these cities:If, however, a man hates his neighbor and lies in wait, attacks him and kills him, and then flees to one of these cities,

Joshua

• Joshua 8:2
  And thou shalt do to Ai and her king as thou didst unto Jericho and her king: only the spoil thereof, and the cattle thereof, shall ye take for a prey unto yourselves: lay thee an ambush for the city behind it.And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king, except that you may carry off their plunder and livestock for yourselves. Set up an ambush behind the city.”
• Joshua 8:4
  And he commanded them, saying, Behold, ye shall lie in wait against the city, even behind the city: go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready:with these orders: “Pay attention. You are to lie in ambush behind the city, not too far from it. All of you must be ready.
• Joshua 8:7
  Then ye shall rise up from the ambush, and seize upon the city: for the Lord your God will deliver it into your hand.you are to rise from the ambush and seize the city, for the LORD your God will deliver it into your hand.
• Joshua 8:12
  And he took about five thousand men, and set them to lie in ambush between Beth–el and Ai, on the west side of the city.Now Joshua had taken about five thousand men and set up an ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city.
• Joshua 8:14
  And it came to pass, when the king of Ai saw it, that they hasted and rose up early, and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at a time appointed, before the plain; but he wist not that there were liers in ambush against him behind the city.When the king of Ai saw the Israelites, he hurried out early in the morning with the men of the city to engage them in battle at an appointed place overlooking the Arabah. But he did not know that an ambush had been set up against him behind the city.
• Joshua 8:19
  And the ambush arose quickly out of their place, and they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand: and they entered into the city, and took it, and hasted and set the city on fire.and as soon as he did so, the men in ambush rose quickly from their position. They rushed forward, entered the city, captured it, and immediately set it on fire.
• Joshua 8:21
  And when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city, and that the smoke of the city ascended, then they turned again, and slew the men of Ai.When Joshua and all Israel saw that the men in ambush had captured the city and that smoke was rising from it, they turned around and struck down the men of Ai.

Judges

• Judges 9:25
  And the men of Shechem set liers in wait for him in the top of the mountains, and they robbed all that came along that way by them: and it was told Abimelech.The leaders of Shechem set up an ambush against Abimelech on the hilltops, and they robbed all who passed by them on the road. So this was reported to Abimelech.
• Judges 9:32
  Now therefore up by night, thou and the people that is with thee, and lie in wait in the field:Now then, tonight you and the people with you are to come and lie in wait in the fields.
• Judges 9:34
  And Abimelech rose up, and all the people that were with him, by night, and they laid wait against Shechem in four companies.So Abimelech and all his troops set out by night and lay in wait against Shechem in four companies.
• Judges 9:43
  And he took the people, and divided them into three companies, and laid wait in the field, and looked, and, behold, the people were come forth out of the city; and he rose up against them, and smote them.So he took his men, divided them into three companies, and lay in wait in the fields. When he saw the people coming out of the city, he rose up against them and attacked them.
• Judges 16:2
  And it was told the Gazites, saying, Samson is come hither. And they compassed him in, and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, In the morning, when it is day, we shall kill him.When the Gazites heard that Samson was there, they surrounded that place and lay in wait for him all night at the city gate. They were quiet throughout the night, saying, “Let us wait until dawn; then we will kill him.”
• Judges 16:9
  Now there were men lying in wait, abiding with her in the chamber. And she said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he brake the withs, as a thread of tow is broken when it toucheth the fire. So his strength was not known.While the men were hidden in her room, she called out, “Samson, the Philistines are here!” But he snapped the bowstrings like a strand of yarn seared by a flame. So the source of his strength remained unknown.
• Judges 16:12
  Delilah therefore took new ropes, and bound him therewith, and said unto him, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And there were liers in wait abiding in the chamber. And he brake them from off his arms like a thread.So Delilah took new ropes, tied him up with them, and called out, “Samson, the Philistines are here!” But while the men were hidden in her room, he snapped the ropes off his arms like they were threads.
• Judges 20:29
  And Israel set liers in wait round about Gibeah.So Israel set up an ambush around Gibeah.
• Judges 20:33
  And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and put themselves in array at Baal–tamar: and the liers in wait of Israel came forth out of their places, even out of the meadows of Gibeah.So all the men of Israel got up from their places and arrayed themselves at Baal-tamar, and the Israelites in ambush charged from their positions west of Gibeah.
• Judges 20:36
  So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten: for the men of Israel gave place to the Benjamites, because they trusted unto the liers in wait which they had set beside Gibeah.Then the Benjamites realized they had been defeated. Now the men of Israel had retreated before Benjamin because they were relying on the ambush they had set against Gibeah.
• Judges 20:37
  And the liers in wait hasted, and rushed upon Gibeah; and the liers in wait drew themselves along, and smote all the city with the edge of the sword.The men in ambush rushed suddenly against Gibeah; they advanced and put the whole city to the sword.
• Judges 20:38
  Now there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel and the liers in wait, that they should make a great flame with smoke rise up out of the city.The men of Israel had arranged a signal with the men in ambush: When they sent up a great cloud of smoke from the city,
• Judges 21:20
  Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;So they commanded the Benjamites: “Go, hide in the vineyards

1 Samuel

• 1 Samuel 15:5
  And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley.Saul came to the city of Amalek and lay in wait in the valley.
• 1 Samuel 22:8
  That all of you have conspired against me, and there is none that sheweth me that my son hath made a league with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you that is sorry for me, or sheweth unto me that my son hath stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?Is that why all of you have conspired against me? Not one of you told me that my own son had made a covenant with the son of Jesse. Not one of you has shown concern for me or revealed to me that my son has stirred up my own servant to lie in wait against me, as is the case today.”
• 1 Samuel 22:13
  And Saul said unto him, Why have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that thou hast given him bread, and a sword, and hast enquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?And Saul asked him, “Why have you and the son of Jesse conspired against me? You gave him bread and a sword and inquired of God for him so that he could rise up against me to lie in wait, as he is doing today.”

2 Chronicles

• 2 Chronicles 20:22
  And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.The moment they began their shouts and praises, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir who had come against Judah, and they were defeated.

Ezra

• Ezra 8:31
  Then we departed from the river of Ahava on the twelfth day of the first month, to go unto Jerusalem: and the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy, and of such as lay in wait by the way.On the twelfth day of the first month we set out from the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem, and the hand of our God was upon us to protect us from the hands of the enemies and bandits along the way.

Job

• Job 31:9
  If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at my neighbour’s door;If my heart has been enticed by my neighbor’s wife, or I have lurked at his door,

Psalms

• Psalm 10:9
  He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lieth in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net.He lies in wait like a lion in a thicket; he lurks to seize the oppressed; he catches the lowly in his net.
• Psalm 59:3
  For, lo, they lie in wait for my soul: the mighty are gathered against me; not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O LORD.See how they lie in wait for me. Fierce men conspire against me for no transgression or sin of my own, O LORD.

Proverbs

• Proverbs 1:11
  If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause:If they say, “Come along, let us lie in wait for blood, let us ambush the innocent without cause,
• Proverbs 1:18
  And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives.But they lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush their own lives.
• Proverbs 7:12
  Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)Now in the street, now in the squares, she lurks at every corner.
• Proverbs 12:6
  The words of the wicked are to lie in wait for blood: but the mouth of the upright shall deliver them.The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood, but the speech of the upright rescues them.
• Proverbs 23:28
  She also lieth in wait as for a prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men.Like a robber she lies in wait and multiplies the faithless among men.
• Proverbs 24:15
  Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place:Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, near the dwelling of the righteous; do not destroy his resting place.

Jeremiah

• Jeremiah 51:12
  Set up the standard upon the walls of Babylon, make the watch strong, set up the watchmen, prepare the ambushes: for the Lord hath both devised and done that which he spake against the inhabitants of Babylon.Raise a banner against the walls of Babylon; post the guard; station the watchmen; prepare the ambush. For the LORD has both devised and accomplished what He spoke against the people of Babylon.

Lamentations

• Lamentations 3:10
  He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places.He is a bear lying in wait, a lion hiding in ambush.
• Lamentations 4:19
  Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.Those who chased us were swifter than the eagles in the sky; they pursued us over the mountains and ambushed us in the wilderness.

Micah

• Micah 7:2
  The good man is perished out of the earth: and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brother with a net.The godly man has perished from the earth; there is no one upright among men. They all lie in wait for blood; they hunt one another with a net.

Notes

1. Definition and verse list from STEPBible's tagged Hebrew Old Testament (TAHOT) and Greek New Testament (TAGNT) and Brief Lexicons, STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0.
2. English renderings from the public-domain KJV with Strong's numbers (eBible.org) and the Berean Standard Bible interlinear (public domain).