◄ 3997. meboah ►
Lexical Summary
meboah: Entrance, entry, coming in

Original Word: מְבוֹאָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: mbowah
Pronunciation: meh-BO-ah
Phonetic Spelling: (meb-o-aw')
KJV: entry
Word Origin: [feminine of H3996 (מָבוֹא - entrance)]

1. a haven

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
entry

Feminine of mabow'; a haven -- entry.

see HEBREW mabow'

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
the same as mabo, q.v.

Topical Lexicon
Linguistic and Cultural Background

מְבוֹאָה (mevo’ah) belongs to the broad Hebrew family built on the verb בּוֹא, “to come” or “to go.” While the masculine form מָבוֹא (mavo’) appears frequently, this feminine derivative is rare enough that the Masoretic text offers no unambiguous occurrences. Ancient translators and commentators nevertheless preserved the noun as a technical term for a doorway, gateway, or port of entry. In Near-Eastern city planning an inner gate gave access to civic life, while an outer gate controlled the flow of travelers and commerce. The distinction between the two shaped economic security, ritual purity, and covenantal identity.

Concept of Entrances and Exits in Scripture

Scripture continually frames obedience in terms of “going out” and “coming in.” Deuteronomy 28:6 blesses Israel “when you come in and when you go out,” expressing comprehensive covenant care. Moses prays that his successor will “lead them out and bring them in” (Numbers 27:17), pointing to shepherd-like leadership that guards both movement and rest. The Psalms echo this promise: “The Lord will watch over your coming and going, both now and forevermore” (Psalm 121:8). Though מְבוֹאָה itself is not cited, its semantic field underscores every passage in which God supervises entrances and exits, whether of people, blessings, or judgments.

Architectural Imagery in Ezekiel’s Vision

Ezekiel’s temple vision assigns spiritual weight to doorways. The prophet records a precise layout in which each gate, vestibule, and hallway embodies holiness by gradation—outer to inner, common to consecrated. The feminine nuance of מְבוֹאָה suits the prophet’s interest in thresholds, spaces that receive yet regulate. Every approach to the sanctuary dramatizes the need for purification before deeper access to God. While Ezekiel employs the masculine מָבוֹא more than once, the thematic overlap invites a legitimate theological application of מְבוֹאָה: the holiness of entry points and the accountability attached to them.

Covenantal Resonances

An entrance may mark covenant renewal. Joshua erected a memorial at the Jordan — Israel’s literal entrance to the land (Joshua 4:1-9). Centuries later Nehemiah rebuilt Jerusalem’s gates to signal the restoration of worship and national identity (Nehemiah 3:1-32). The principle stands: wherever God’s people cross a threshold by divine mandate, the doorway functions sacramentally, testifying that the Lord both initiates access and defines its terms.

Messianic and Ecclesiological Implications

In the New Testament, Jesus declares, “I am the gate; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved” (John 10:9). The claim gathers every Old-Testament doorway into one Person. Hebrews 10:19-20 interprets His flesh as the “new and living way” into the heavenly sanctuary, transforming architectural imagery into incarnational reality. Therefore, מְבוֹאָה anticipates Christologically the exclusive yet gracious access God now offers to Jews and Gentiles alike (Ephesians 2:18).

Pastoral and Devotional Applications

1. Moral self-examination: believers are urged to guard the “gateways” of the heart (Proverbs 4:23).
2. Worship planning: church architecture or liturgy can reinforce the progression from invitation to consecration, mirroring Ezekiel’s graded holiness.
3. Missional mindset: gospel proclamation serves as a spiritual מְבוֹאָה, opening the kingdom to those outside while affirming covenant boundaries inside (Matthew 28:19-20).

Summary

Though the feminine noun מְבוֹאָה does not surface clearly in the extant Hebrew text, its concept permeates Scripture. From patriarchal journeys to prophetic blueprints and apostolic teaching, the theme of controlled, sanctified access finds its climax in Jesus Christ, the definitive gateway to God.

Links
Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts
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