Oreb

In Bible versions:

Oreb: NET AVS NIV NRSV NASB TEV
Zeeb: NET AVS NIV NRSV NASB TEV

a prince of Midian in the time of Gideon
a place; a noted rock

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a raven
wolf

Hebrew

Strongs #06159: bre `Oreb or brwe `Owreb

Oreb = "raven"

n pr m
1) one of the chieftains of the Midianite army defeated by Gideon

n pr loc
2) a rock east of the Jordan where Oreb and part of his army fell
to the Ephraimites

6159 `Oreb o-rabe'

or mOwreb {o-rabe'}; the same as 6158; Oreb, the name of a
Midianite and of the cliff near the Jordan:-Oreb.
see HEBREW for 06158

Strongs #02062: baz Z@'eb

Zeeb = "wolf"

1) one of the two princes of Midian mentioned in the conquest; brought
to bay in a winepress

2062 Ze'eb zeh-abe'

the same as 2061; Zeeb, a Midianitish prince:-Zeeb.
see HEBREW for 02061

Zeeb [EBD]

the wolf, one of the two leaders of the great Midianite host which invaded Israel and was utterly routed by Gideon. The division of that host, which attempted to escape across the Jordan, under Oreb and Zeeb, was overtaken by the Ephraimites, who, in a great battle, completely vanquished them, their leaders being taken and slain (Judg. 7:25; Ps. 83:11; Isa. 10:26).

Oreb [NAVE]

OREB
1. A prince of Midian, overcome by Gideon and killed by the Ephraimites, Judg. 7:25; 8:3; Psa. 83:11.
2. A rock E. of the Jordan, where Oreb was slain, Judg. 7:25; Isa. 10:26.

Zeeb [NAVE]

ZEEB, a prince of Midian, Judg. 7:25; 8:3; Psa. 83:11.

OREB [SMITH]

(raven), one of the chieftains of the Midianite host which invaded Israel, and was defeated and driven back by Gideon. (Judges 7:25) (B.C. 1362.) Isaiah, (Isaiah 10:26) refers to the magnitude of this disaster. Comp. (Psalms 83:1) ...

ZEEB [SMITH]

(wolf), one of the two "princes" of Midian in the great invasion of Israel. (B.C. about 1250.) He is always named with Oreb. (Judges 7:25; 8:3; Psalms 83:11) Zeeb and Oreb were not slain at the first rout of the Arabs, but at a later stage of the struggle, probably ill crossing the Jordan at a ford farther down the river. Zeeb, the wolf, was brought to bay in a wine-press which in later times bore his name --the "wine-press of Zeeb." [OREB]

OREB [ISBE]

OREB - In 2 Esdras 2:33 the King James Version for Mt. HOREB (which see; so the Revised Version (British and American)).

OREB; ZEEB [ISBE]

OREB; ZEEB - o'-reb, ze'-eb, zeb (`orebh, "raven," especially "crow"), and (ze'ebh, "wolf") (Jdg 7:25; 8:3; Ps 83:11, and Isa 10:26 (Oreb only)): Two Midianite chieftains captured and beheaded by the Ephraimites, who brought their heads to Gideon.

1. Meaning of Names:

As to the meaning of the two names, both words are found in Arabic. Robertson Smith, Kinship, etc. (190 ff, 218 ff), says that the use of the names of animals as names of persons is a relic of totemism. But Noldeke (ZDMG, XL, 160 ff) and others hold that such a use shows a desire that those so named should be as disagreeable to their enemies as the plant or animal which the name denoted. Some again (e.g. Stade, Geschichte, 189 ff) maintain that the two names here are borrowed from localities and not vice versa, as Jdg 7:25 implies. If so, we must take the names to be originally two places, apparently in Ephraim, for the words "beyond Jordan" in 7:25 contradict 8:4, where it is said that Gideon came to the Jordan and passed over. Moore (Jgs, 214) suggests that the two localities were near the junction with the Jordan of the stream that comes from Wady Far`ah. The construction of the Hebrew allows of a translation "the rock (called) Oreb," and "the winepress (called) Zeeb."

2. The Battle of Oreb:

The account of a battle here is corroborated by Isa 10:26, a verse which mentions the "rock of Oreb," and suggests that the great defeat of the Midianites took place there (compare Isa 9:4). The passage in Isa 10:24-26 is prose, however, and is said to be late editing (see G.H. Box, Isa, 65). In Ps 83:11 (Hebrew 12) there is a prayer that God would make the "nobles" among the Psalmist's enemies as Oreb and Zeeb.

David Francis Roberts

ZEEB [ISBE]

ZEEB - ze'-eb, zeb.

See OREB.