Lexical Summary ebah: Enmity, hostility, hatred Original Word: אֵיבָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance emnity, hatred From 'ayab; hostility -- emnity, hatred. see HEBREW 'ayab NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom ayab Definition enmity NASB Translation enmity (5). Brown-Driver-Briggs אֵיבָה noun feminine enmity — ׳י Genesis 3:15 2t.; construct אֵיבַת Ezekiel 25:15; Ezekiel 35:5 — enmity, personal hostility, between men Numbers 35:21,22 (P), between serpent & woman Genesis 3:15 (J), between peoples אֵיבַת עוֺלָם Ezekiel 25:15; Ezekiel 35:5. Topical Lexicon Overview of Usage The word denotes a deep-seated, hostile disposition that endures over time. It appears five times in the Old Testament, describing hostility of three kinds: (1) the primordial conflict between the serpent and the woman (Genesis), (2) human hatred leading to bloodshed (Numbers), and (3) national malice that spans generations (Ezekiel). Together these passages trace the course of enmity from Eden’s garden to Israel’s borders and point forward to its ultimate defeat. Genesis 3:15 – Primeval Enmity and Messianic Hope “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; He will crush your head, and you will strike His heel.” (Genesis 3:15) Here the term identifies a divinely imposed hostility between two lines: the serpent’s seed and the woman’s seed. It is not merely personal animosity but a cosmic conflict rooted in the entrance of sin. The prophecy moves beyond the immediate curse to promise a Deliverer who will decisively wound the serpent, even while Himself being wounded. This establishes the biblical motif of ongoing spiritual warfare that finds resolution in the Messiah’s victory (John 12:31; Romans 16:20). Numbers 35 – Legal Weight of Personal Hatred The Mosaic legislation distinguishes murder from manslaughter by the presence or absence of this enmity: Enmity exposes deliberation and intent. Its recognition protects the innocent and restrains vengeance, underscoring the sanctity of human life and the moral gravity of harboring sustained hatred (Leviticus 19:17; 1 John 3:15). Ezekiel 25:15; 35:5 – Ancestral Hostility among the Nations Ezekiel indicts the Philistines and Edom for acting “with ancient hostility” against Judah and Israel. Their long-standing enmity is portrayed as sin against the Lord Himself, warranting divine recompense: “Because you harbored an ancient hostility and delivered the children of Israel over to the power of the sword… therefore, as surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, I will give you over to bloodshed.” (Ezekiel 35:5-6) The prophet reveals that national animus, though entrenched in history, remains subject to God’s righteous judgment. Theological Themes 1. Spiritual Conflict: The Edenic promise frames all subsequent hostilities as manifestations of the broader struggle between good and evil. Ministry Significance • Preaching the Gospel: Genesis 3:15 provides the first glimpse of redemption, enabling evangelists to trace the promise through Scripture. Forms and Transliterations אֵיבַ֣ת אֵיבַ֥ת אֵיבָ֖ה איבה איבת בְאֵיבָ֞ה באיבה וְאֵיבָ֣ה ׀ ואיבה ’ê·ḇāh ’ê·ḇaṯ ’êḇāh ’êḇaṯ ḇə’êḇāh ḇə·’ê·ḇāh eiVah eiVat veeiVah wə’êḇāh wə·’ê·ḇāhLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 3:15 HEB: וְאֵיבָ֣ה ׀ אָשִׁ֗ית בֵּֽינְךָ֙ NAS: And I will put enmity Between KJV: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, INT: enmity will put Between Numbers 35:21 Numbers 35:22 Ezekiel 25:15 Ezekiel 35:5 5 Occurrences |
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