1 earliest use:

a. arid steppe west of Dead Sea (in southern Judah) 1 Samuel 23:24, also Ezekiel 47:8; Isaiah 51:3, whence name ׳יָם הָע Joshua 3:16 (JE) "" יָם הַמֶּלַח), also 2 Kings 14:25; Deuteronomy 4:49, and ("" id.) Deuteronomy 3:17; Joshua 12:3 (D); נַחַל הָעֲרָבָה Amos 6:14 must be east of Dead Sea, si vera lectio, but read probably מִצְרַיִם ׳נ see נַחַל.

b. Jordan-valley west of river + adjacent plain; near ford (opposite Jericho) 2 Samuel 2:29, compare Joshua 8:14 (JE); also Deuteronomy 11:30; 2 Kings 25:4 = Jeremiah 39:4 = Jeremiah 52:7; — 2 Samuel 15:28; 2 Samuel 17:16 see עֲבָרָה

c. Jordan-valley east of river 2 Samuel 4:7.

2 in D:

a. especially of east Jordan plain Deuteronomy 1:1 (probably) Joshua 12:1,3, east half of Jordan-valley Deuteronomy 3:17; Deuteronomy 4:49; of entire Jordan-valley (between כִּנֶּרֶת and Dead Sea, modern El-Ghôr, the Depression) Deuteronomy 1:7; Joshua 11:2,16; west Jordan plain only Joshua 12:8; depression south of Dead Sea (modern Wady el-`Arabah) Deuteronomy 2:8.

3 in P always plural construct עַרְבוֺת מוֺאָב (east Jordan) Numbers 22:1 11t. (see מוֺאָב); עְרֵחוֺ ׳ע (West Jordan) Joshua 4:13; Joshua 5:10, also 2 Kings 25:5 = Jeremiah 39:5 = Jeremiah 52:8.

4 apparently North Arabian desert Isaiah 40:3; Isaiah 41:19.

5 in General the steppe (often "" מִדְבָּר), Jeremiah 17:6; Jeremiah 50:12; Isaiah 33:9; Isaiah 35:1,6; Job 24:5; Job 39:6; Psalm 68:5; זְאֵב עֲרָבוֺת Jeremiah 5:6 (figurative of invader); compare description of Exodus אֶרֶץ עֲרָבָה וְשׁוּחָה Jeremiah 2:6; in simile, of a plain, of future land of Judah Zechariah 14:10. — See Dr^{Deuteronomy 1:1 and references} Buhl^{Geogr. 111}.

עַרְבָתִי see בֵּית הָעֲרָבָה

V. ערב (√ of following; compare Assyrian erêbu, enter, go in; erêb šamši, sunset; Arabic set (distinct from depart, = Sabean עֿרב withdraw, according to DHM^{Epigr. Denkm. 27}), place of sunset, west; Sabean מערבם, מערבי [not עֿ !] west, western, CIS^{iv. p. 199} DHM^l.c.; Ethiopic set (of heavenly bodies), so Syriac ; evening (Lag^{BN 64 f.}); Zinjirli מערב west; Late Hebrew עֶרֶב = Biblical Hebrew. Hence also Εὐπώπη, Europe, Lewy^{Fremdw. 139}).