International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: River

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International Standard Bible Encyclopedia: River


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riv´ẽr:

(1) The usual word is נהר, nāhār (Aramaic נהר, nehar (, etc.)), used of the rivers of Eden (-14), often of the Euphrates (, etc.), of Abana and Pharpar (), the river of Gozan (), the river Chebar (), the rivers (canals?) of Babylon (), the rivers of Ethiopia (; ). Compare nahr, the common Arabic word for “river.”

(2) יאור, ye'ōr, according to BDB from Egyptian 'iotr, 'io'r, “watercourse,” often of the Nile (, etc.). In , for מצור יארי, ye'ōrē mācōr, the King James Version “brooks of defense,” the Revised Version (British and American) has “streams of Egypt.” In , , for ye'ōr, the King James Version “brooks,” and , the King James Version “river,” the Revised Version (British and American) has “Nile.” In , the King James Version “He cutteth out rivers among the rocks,” the Revised Version (British and American) has “channels,” the Revised Version margin “passages.”

(3) There are nearly 100 references to נהל, naḥal. In about half of these the King James Version has “brook” and in about half “river.” the Revised Version (British and American) has more often “brook” or “valley.” But the Revised Version (British and American) has river in “whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers” (); “the river Jabbok” (; ); the stream issuing from the temple (-12). the Revised Version (British and American) has “brook of Egypt,” i.e. el-‛Arı̂sh (; ; ; ; ; , “of the Arabah”); “brook (the King James Version “river”) of Kanah” (); “valley (the King James Version “river”) of the Arnon” (). English Versions of the Bible has “valley”: of Gerar (), of Zered (), but “brook Zered” (), of Eschol (), of Sorek (), of Shittim (). English Versions of the Bible has “brook”: Besor (), Kidron (), Gaash, (), Cherith (); also the feminine נחלה, naḥălāh, “brook (the King James Version “river”) of Egypt” (; ). The torrent-valley (wâdy) is often meant.

(4) פּלג, pelegh, with feminine פּלגּה, pelaggāh, the King James Version “river,” is in the Revised Version (British and American) translated “stream,” except English Versions of the Bible “river of God” (); “streams of water” (; ; ; ); “streams of honey” (); “streams of oil” ().

(5) אפיק, 'aphı̄ḳ, the King James Version “river,” except English Versions of the Bible “water brooks” (), is in the Revised Version (British and American) “watercourses” (; ; ; ; ; , ), “water-brooks” (; ).

(6) יוּבל, yūbhal, English Versions of the Bible “river” (). אבל, 'ubhāl, and אוּבל, 'ūbhāl, English Versions of the Bible “river” (, , ).

(7) ποταμός, potamós: of the Jordan (); Euphrates (); “rivers of living water” (); “river of water of life” (). So always in Greek for “river” in the Revised Version (British and American) Apocrypha (1 Esdras 4:23, etc.). See BROOK; STREAM; VALLEY.