Hebrew word · H4765
מַרְבָד
marvadim
covering
Coverlets or spreads laid over a bed or couch, probably woven or decorated. The verb רבד (rābad) means 'to spread, to deck (a couch)'. The noun occurs only twice in the Bible, here and in Proverbs 7:16.
Appears 2 times in 2 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·
What it means
spread, coverlet
Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).
In depth
From the study of Proverbs 31:22
- Range of meaning
Coverlets or spreads laid over a bed or couch, probably woven or decorated. The verb רבד (rābad) means 'to spread, to deck (a couch)'. The noun occurs only twice in the Bible, here and in Proverbs 7:16.
- Against the English
KJV and WEB say 'coverings of tapestry' and 'carpets of tapestry'. Modern readers hear wall hangings or floor rugs. BSB, NIV and ESV specify bed coverings. NASB and YLT keep it general ('coverings', 'ornamental coverings').
- How it drifted
In 1611 'tapestry' could mean any richly woven decorative fabric, including bed covers. Today it suggests a picture hung on a wall, and 'carpets' suggests floor coverings.
- Used elsewhere in the period
Proverbs 7:16: the seductive woman says, 'I have spread (rābadtî) my couch with coverings (marbaddîm), coloured linens of Egypt.' The Vulgate renders the word here stragulatam vestem, a spread or coverlet. Cognate forms meaning 'spread, couch-covering' turn up in later Hebrew and Aramaic.
Where it appears
Proverbs · 2
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Proverbs 7:16 מַ֭רְבַדִּים coverings
I have decked my bed with coverings, with colored linen from Egypt.
-
Proverbs 31:22 מַרְבַדִּ֥ים coverings
She makes coverings for her bed; her clothing is fine linen and purple.
Here: Woven or decorated spreads laid over a bed or couch, from a root meaning 'to spread out (a bed)'. It comes first in the line partly because this is the 'mem' line of an alphabet poem, but the fronting also puts weight on these fine furnishings.
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.