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The Hebrew word אֵבֶה (ʾēbeh) from H14 (in the sense of inclining toward); papyrus: swift.
It has two possible meanings according to its etymology:
1. Desire, longing:
This meaning (Strong's H15) comes from the root אָבָה (ʾāvâh), which we already mentioned and which means "to be willing" or "to consent." As a derivative, אֵבֶה (ʾēbeh) in this sense means a strong desire or longing for something. It appears once in the King James Version of the Bible as "desire" (Psalm 10:17).
2. Reed, Papyrus (Swift):
This meaning (Strong's H16) also derives from אָבָה (ʾāvâh), but in the sense of "to incline toward." It refers to the papyrus plant, which was used to build ships.
Since these papyrus vessels were likely swift, אֵבֶה (ʾēbeh) also carries the connotation of "swift."
It appears once in the King James Version translated as "swift" (Job 9:26), where it likely refers to swift ships made of reeds or papyrus. Therefore, the meaning of אֵבֶה (ʾēbeh) depends on the context, but primarily relates to either an intense desire or to the papyrus plant and the associated idea of swiftness. |
