Lexical Summary mabo: Entrance, coming, entry, arrival Original Word: מָבוֹא Strong's Exhaustive Concordance by which came, as cometh, in coming, as men enter into, entering, entrance intoFrom bow'; an entrance (the place or the act); specifically (with or without shemesh) sunset or the west; also (adverb with preposition) towards -- by which came, as cometh, in coming, as men enter into, entering, entrance into, entry, where goeth, going down, + westward. Compare mowba'. see HEBREW bow' see HEBREW shemesh see HEBREW mowba' NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom bo Definition entrance, a coming in, entering NASB Translation come (1), enter (1), entrance (13), entry (1), place of its setting (1), setting (5), sunset* (1), west* (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs מָבוֺא noun masculineJeremiah 38:14 entrance, a coming in, entering; — ׳מ absolute Jeremiah 38:14 3t. + Ezekiel 42:9 Kt (Qr מֵבִיא wrong, compare Co); construct מְבוֺא Deuteronomy 11:30 12t.; suffix מְבוֺאוֺ Psalm 104:19 2t.; מְבֹאוֺ Psalm 50:1; מבואך 2 Samuel 3:25 Kt (Qr מוֺבָאֶ֑ךָ inexplicable compare Dr); plural construct מְבוֺאֵי Ezekiel 26:10, מְבוֺאֹת Ezekiel 27:3; — 1 entrance, i.e. place or way of entrance, into a city Judges 1:24,25; 1 Chronicles 4:39; Proverbs 8:3 (מְּתָחִים ׳מ); into buildings 2 Kings 11:16; 2 Kings 16:18; 1 Chronicles 9:19 (שֹׁמְרֵי הַמָּבוֺא), 2 Chronicles 23:13,15; Jeremiah 38:14; Ezekiel 42:9; Ezekiel 46:19; see also מְבוֺאֹת יָם entrance of (the) sea, gate of the sea, of situation of Tyre Ezekiel 27:3. 2 entering, act of entrance, by violence, in storm of city Ezekiel 26:10; coming in or together, making a crowd, כִּמְבוֺא עָ֑ם Ezekiel 33:31 simile of eagerness to hear Yahweh's word; in phrase אֶתמֿוֺצָאֲךָ וְאֶתמֿבואך 2 Samuel 3:25 thy going out and thy coming in, mode of entering temple, or the people who enter Ezekiel 44:5; particularly of sunset מְבוֺא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ Psalm 104:19; = west Deuteronomy 11:30; Joshua 1:4; Joshua 23:4 הַיָּם הַגָּדוֺל מְבוֺא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ = Mediterranean, Zechariah 8:7 אֶרֶץ מְבוֺא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ ("" אֶרֶץ מִזְרָח), Malachi 1:11; Psalm 50:1; Psalm 113:3 sunset = west, opposed to sunrise = east; in phrase from east to west, i.e. over the whole earth, everywhere on earth. Topical Lexicon Overview מָבוֹא (Strong’s 3996) functions in Scripture as a richly textured noun of motion and place—whether the literal entryway to a city, house, or sanctuary, or the figurative “going in” and “setting” of the sun. Its usage draws attention to boundaries where divine purpose is encountered: the moment of crossing from outside to inside, from day to night, from exile to restoration. Geographical Boundaries and Covenant Land Deuteronomy 11:30 and Joshua 1:4; 23:4 frame Israel’s inheritance “toward the going down of the sun”. By attaching the western horizon to covenant promise, מָבוֹא marks the perimeter of the land Yahweh swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The language reminds readers that territorial limits are God-defined, not human-negotiated, and that obedience determines secure possession (cf. Deuteronomy 11:22-24). City Gates and Military Strategy Judges 1:24-25 shows spies securing intel “at the entrance of the city,” a pattern mirrored in 2 Kings 11:16; 16:18; 2 Chronicles 23:13, 15, where palace and temple entrances become flashpoints of royal legitimacy and judgment. The gate is where decisions are executed (cf. Proverbs 8:3), where Athaliah meets her death, and where Ahaz’s syncretistic alterations provoke prophetic censure. מָבוֹא thus speaks to the intersection of political power, worship fidelity, and communal safety. Temple and Priestly Guardianship 1 Chronicles 9:19 identifies Levites as “keepers of the entrance to the camp of the LORD,” an early forerunner of later temple porters. Ezekiel enlarges this role: “Pay careful attention to the entrance of the temple and all the exits of the sanctuary” (Ezekiel 44:5). In Ezekiel 42:9 and 46:19 the prophet is escorted through various מָבוֹא points, underscoring ritual purity and ordered worship. Guarded entries distinguish holy from common, preserving the dwelling place of God among His people. Cosmic Order: Sunrise and Sunset Psalms 50:1; 104:19; 113:3; Malachi 1:11, along with Zechariah 8:7, employ מָבוֹא for the sun’s daily descent. “From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the LORD is to be praised” (Psalm 113:3). The word portrays creation’s clockwork obedience, providing a backdrop for universal worship and eschatological hope: Yahweh’s renown will stretch from east to west, embracing all nations (Malachi 1:11). Wisdom and Daily Life Proverbs 8:3 locates personified Wisdom “beside the gates at the entrance to the city.” Here מָבוֹא is the arena of moral choice and public discourse. Wisdom calls where people cross thresholds of commerce, justice, and relationship, inviting righteousness at life’s decision points. Royal Courts and Political Intrigue 2 Samuel 3:25 records Joab’s warning to David that Abner came “to know your going out and your coming in.” מָבוֹא couples with military espionage, illustrating vulnerability when leadership neglects discernment. Jeremiah 38:14 describes Zedekiah’s clandestine consultation with Jeremiah “at the third entrance to the house of the LORD,” suggesting that kings who manipulate sacred spaces rather than heed prophetic truth court disaster. Prophetic Oracles against Nations Ezekiel 26:10; 27:3 employ מָבוֹא with maritime imagery—“at the entrances of your gates” and “at the entrance of the seas”—to denounce Tyre’s pride. The gateway that once welcomed global trade becomes the breach through which divine judgment enters, emphasizing the futility of security apart from God. Call to Authentic Worship Ezekiel 33:31 exposes superficial listeners who “come to you as My people come,” yet fail to act. Crossing the threshold to hear God’s word is meaningless without obedient hearts. The same principle underlies Malachi 1:11: authentic honor must rise everywhere the sun sets. Mission and Eschatology Zechariah 8:7 promises salvation “from the land of the east and from the land of the west,” framing global redemption with the vocabulary of מָבוֹא. The term anticipates the Great Commission: one day every people group will enter the household of God through Christ, the true gate (John 10:9), fulfilling the typology embedded in ancient entrances. Practical Ministry Reflections 1. Guard the Entrances. Churches should steward physical and spiritual thresholds—membership, doctrine, leadership—with Levite-like vigilance (cf. Titus 1:9). Conclusion מָבוֹא threads through Scripture as both literal doorway and symbolic horizon, uniting themes of covenant land, temple holiness, royal authority, cosmic order, and missional scope. Wherever someone stands at a threshold—physical or spiritual—God’s sovereignty, holiness, and redemptive purpose meet them there, urging faithful entry into His everlasting kingdom. Forms and Transliterations בַּמָּב֗וֹא בַמָּבוֹא֮ במבוא הַמָּבֽוֹא׃ הַמֵּבִיא֙ המבוא׃ המביא כִּמְבוֹאֵ֖י כִּמְבוֹא־ כמבוא־ כמבואי לִמְב֣וֹא למבוא מְב֖וֹא מְב֣וֹא מְב֤וֹא מְב֥וֹא מְבֹאֽוֹ׃ מְבוֹא֑וֹ מְבוֹא֗וֹ מְבוֹאֹ֣ת מְבוֹאֽוֹ׃ מָבוֹא֙ מֹ֣ובָאֶ֔ךָ מבאו׃ מבוא מבואו מבואו׃ מבואת מובאך bam·mā·ḇō·w ḇam·mā·ḇō·w bammāḇōw ḇammāḇōw bammaVo ham·mā·ḇō·w ham·mê·ḇî hammāḇōw hammaVo hammêḇî hammeVi kim·ḇō·w- kim·ḇō·w·’ê kimḇōw- kimḇōw’ê kimVo kimvoEi lim·ḇō·w limḇōw limVo mā·ḇō·w māḇōw maVo mə·ḇō·’ōw mə·ḇō·w mə·ḇō·w·’ōṯ mə·ḇō·w·’ōw məḇō’ōw məḇōw məḇōw’ōṯ məḇōw’ōw meVo mevoO mevoOt mō·w·ḇā·’e·ḵā moaEcha mōwḇā’eḵā vammaVoLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Deuteronomy 11:30 HEB: אַֽחֲרֵי֙ דֶּ֚רֶךְ מְב֣וֹא הַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁ בְּאֶ֙רֶץ֙ KJV: where the sun goeth down, in the land INT: west of the way down the sun the land Joshua 1:4 Joshua 23:4 Judges 1:24 Judges 1:25 2 Samuel 3:25 2 Kings 11:16 2 Kings 16:18 1 Chronicles 4:39 1 Chronicles 9:19 2 Chronicles 23:13 2 Chronicles 23:15 Psalm 50:1 Psalm 104:19 Psalm 113:3 Proverbs 8:3 Jeremiah 38:14 Ezekiel 26:10 Ezekiel 27:3 Ezekiel 33:31 Ezekiel 42:9 Ezekiel 44:5 Ezekiel 46:19 Zechariah 8:7 Malachi 1:11 25 Occurrences |
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