Lexical Summary Yabboq: Jabbok Original Word: יַבֹּק Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Jabbok Probably from baqaq; pouring forth; Jabbok, a river east of the Jordan -- Jabbok. see HEBREW baqaq NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originprobably from baqaq Definition a river E. of the Jordan NASB Translation Jabbok (7). Brown-Driver-Briggs יַבֹּק proper name, of a river (√ probably בקק; so Thes after Simonis, Samaritan Di) מַעֲבַר (ה)יבק Genesis 32:23 (where perhaps connected with אבק = יאבק); ׳נַ֫חַל יַבּ Deuteronomy 2:37, הַנַּחַל ׳יַבּ Deuteronomy 3:16; Joshua 12:2, יַבֹּק Numbers 21:24 ("" אַרְנֹּן, compare Deuteronomy 3:16; Joshua 12:2), הַיַּבֹּק Judges 11:13,22 (in both "" ארנון); it empties into Jordan from East, in latitude of Shiloh; northern border of Amorites, Numbers 21:24 (see Di), Judges 11:22; in its upper course it runs south to north, hence (west) border of Ammon, Deuteronomy 3:16 (compare Deuteronomy 2:37), Joshua 12:2; modern Wady Zerqa BdPal.181. Topical Lexicon Geographical SettingYabbok (modern Wadi az-Zarqa) is the second-largest perennial tributary of the Jordan River. Rising in the hills of Gilead, it flows westward for roughly sixty miles before joining the Jordan about twenty-five miles north of the Dead Sea. The ravine it carves is deep and winding, creating a natural frontier that repeatedly served as a political boundary in Old Testament times. Scriptural Occurrences 1. Genesis 32:22—Jacob “arose that night and took his two wives, his two maidservants, and his eleven sons, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok”. The ensuing solitary night-long struggle with the mysterious “Man” forever marked Jacob and the place. Historical Context Archaeology identifies a string of Late Bronze and Iron Age settlements along Wadi az-Zarqa, demonstrating that control of this watershed equated to control of caravan routes linking Ammon, Bashan, and the Jordan Valley. For the Amorites under Sihon, and later for Ammon, Yabbok’s gorge was a defensible border. When Moses led Israel into Transjordan, the river’s mid-course became the northern limit of the land immediately conquered, anticipating later tribal allotments east of the Jordan. Biblical Themes • Covenantal Identity: At Yabbok, Jacob’s wrestling match and subsequent renaming to “Israel” (Genesis 32:28) transform him from schemer to covenant bearer. The river thus becomes a threshold between old identity and new calling. Christological Echoes Jacob’s night encounter anticipates Gospel motifs of God taking on visible form, wrestling with human weakness to bless. Jacob’s wound and new name foreshadow the cruciform pattern of loss preceding exaltation. The setting by a river—symbol of cleansing and life—hints at future baptismal imagery fulfilled in the ministry of Jesus at the Jordan. Ministry Reflections • Personal Transformation: Like Jacob, believers often meet God in liminal spaces. Seasons of struggle may occur “at the ford of Yabbok,” yet they usher in deeper intimacy and a redefined walk. Summary Yabbok threads through Genesis, the Torah, the conquest, and the judges era as both a literal watercourse and a theological marker. It frames encounters with God, defines inheritance, and testifies to victories granted by divine hand. The river’s enduring lesson is that at every crossing—whether geographic, spiritual, or ministerial—God remains sovereign, faithful, and prepared to bless those who cling to Him even in the wrestling. Forms and Transliterations הַיַּבֹּ֔ק הַיַּבֹּ֖ק היבק יַבֹּ֣ק יַבֹּֽק׃ יַבֹּק֙ יבק יבק׃ haiyabBok hay·yab·bōq hayyabbōq yab·bōq yabBok yabbōqLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 32:22 HEB: אֵ֖ת מַעֲבַ֥ר יַבֹּֽק׃ NAS: and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. KJV: and passed over the ford Jabbok. INT: and crossed the ford of the Jabbok Numbers 21:24 Deuteronomy 2:37 Deuteronomy 3:16 Joshua 12:2 Judges 11:13 Judges 11:22 7 Occurrences |
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