4808. meribah

Lexicon

meribah: Quarreling, Strife, Contention

Original Word: מְרִיבָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: mriybah
Pronunciation: meh-ree-BAH
Phonetic Spelling: (mer-ee-baw')
Definition: Quarreling, Strife, Contention
Meaning: quarrel

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

provocation, strife

From riyb; quarrel -- provocation, strife.

see HEBREW riyb

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from rib
Definition
strife, contention
NASB Translation
strife (2).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

I. מְרִיבָה noun feminine strife, contention; — absolute ׳מ, of quarrel between herdsmen Genesis 13:8 (J); construct מְרִיבַת הָעֵדָה, of people's strife with Moses at Kadesh Numbers 27:14 (P), compare II. ׳מ 2

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Derived from the root רִיב (riyb), meaning "to strive" or "to contend."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: • G496: ἀντιλογία (antilogia) • meaning "contradiction" or "dispute."
• G3059: Λαοδικεία (Laodikeia) • a place name, but etymologically related to "people's judgment" or "people's rights," reflecting a sense of contention.
• G3894: παραπικρασμός (parapikrasmos) • meaning "provocation" or "rebellion," often used in contexts of testing or challenging authority.

These Greek terms, while not direct translations, share thematic elements of dispute, contention, and testing, resonating with the Hebrew concept of מְרִיבָה.

Usage: The word מְרִיבָה appears in the Hebrew Bible to describe incidents of contention between the Israelites and God, or among the Israelites themselves. It is notably used in reference to specific locations where the Israelites quarreled with God due to a lack of water.

Context: מְרִיבָה (Meribah) is a significant term in the Hebrew Bible, primarily associated with two key events during the Israelites' exodus from Egypt. The first occurrence is found in Exodus 17:7, where the Israelites, lacking water, quarrel with Moses at a place subsequently named Massah and Meribah. The name reflects the people's testing of the LORD, questioning, "Is the LORD among us or not?" The second notable mention is in Numbers 20:13, where the Israelites again contend with Moses over water at Kadesh. Here, Moses strikes the rock to bring forth water, but his actions lead to God's decree that he will not enter the Promised Land. This place is also called Meribah, highlighting the recurring theme of strife and testing. These narratives underscore the Israelites' struggles with faith and obedience, serving as a reminder of the consequences of doubt and disobedience.

Forms and Transliterations

בִּמְרִיבַת֙ במריבת כִּמְרִיבָ֑ה כמריבה מְרִיב֣וֹת מְרִיבַ֣ת מְרִיבַ֥ת מְרִיבָ֑ה מְרִיבָה֙ מריבה מריבות מריבת bim·rî·ḇaṯ bimrîḇaṯ bimriVat kim·rî·ḇāh kimrîḇāh kimriVah mə·rî·ḇāh mə·rî·ḇaṯ mə·rî·ḇō·wṯ mərîḇāh mərîḇaṯ mərîḇōwṯ meriVah meriVat meriVot

Englishman's Concordance

Genesis 13:8
HEB: נָ֨א תְהִ֤י מְרִיבָה֙ בֵּינִ֣י וּבֵינֶ֔יךָ
NAS: let there be no strife between
KJV: no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen
INT: Please Let there be strife between between

Numbers 27:14
HEB: בְּמִדְבַּר־ צִ֗ן בִּמְרִיבַת֙ הָֽעֵדָ֔ה לְהַקְדִּישֵׁ֥נִי
NAS: of Zin, during the strife of the congregation,
KJV: of Zin, in the strife of the congregation,
INT: the wilderness of Zin the strife of the congregation to treat

Deuteronomy 32:51
HEB: יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בְּמֵֽי־ מְרִיבַ֥ת קָדֵ֖שׁ מִדְבַּר־
INT: of Israel the waters provocation Kadesh the wilderness

Psalm 95:8
HEB: תַּקְשׁ֣וּ לְ֭בַבְכֶם כִּמְרִיבָ֑ה כְּי֥וֹם מַ֝סָּ֗ה
KJV: not your heart, as in the provocation, [and] as [in] the day
INT: harden your hearts the provocation the day of temptation

Psalm 106:32
HEB: עַל־ מֵ֥י מְרִיבָ֑ה וַיֵּ֥רַע לְ֝מֹשֶׁ֗ה
KJV: [him] also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill
INT: at the waters provocation ill Moses

Ezekiel 47:19
HEB: עַד־ מֵי֙ מְרִיב֣וֹת קָדֵ֔שׁ נַחֲלָ֖ה
KJV: [even] to the waters of strife [in] Kadesh,
INT: far as the waters provocation Kadesh to the brook

Ezekiel 48:28
HEB: מִתָּמָ֗ר מֵ֚י מְרִיבַ֣ת קָדֵ֔שׁ נַחֲלָ֖ה
KJV: [unto] the waters of strife [in] Kadesh,
INT: Tamar to the waters provocation Kadesh to the brook

7 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 4808
7 Occurrences

bim·rî·ḇaṯ — 1 Occ.
kim·rî·ḇāh — 1 Occ.
mə·rî·ḇāh — 2 Occ.
mə·rî·ḇaṯ — 2 Occ.
mə·rî·ḇō·wṯ — 1 Occ.