med'-o: (1) `aroth, "the meadows (the King James Version "paper reeds") by the Nile" (Isaiah 19:7); ma`areh-gabha`, the King James Version "meadows of Gibeah," the Revised Version (British and American) "Maareh-geba," the Revised Version margin "the meadow of Geba, or Gibeah" (Judges 20:33); from `arah, "to be naked"; compare Arabic ariya, "to be naked," `ara'a', "a bare tract of land." `Aroth and ma`areh signify tracts bare of trees. (2) 'achu, in Pharaoh's dream of the kine, the King James Version "meadow," the Revised Version (British and American) "reed grass" (Genesis 41:2,18). 'Achu is found also in Job 8:11, the King James Version and the Revised Version (British and American) "flag," the Revised Version margin "reed-grass." According to Gesenius, achu is an Egyptian word denoting the vegetation of marshy ground. (3) 'abhel keramim, "Abel-cheramim," the Revised Version margin "The meadow of vineyards," the King James Version "the plain (the King James Version margin, "Abel") of the vineyards" (Judges 11:33); "Abel-beth-maacah" (1 Kings 15:20; 2 Kings 15:29; compare 2 Samuel 20:14-15,18); "Abel-shittim" (Numbers 33:49; compare Numbers 25:1; Joshua 2:1; 3:1; Judges 7:22; Joel 3:18; Micah 6:5); "Abel-meholah" (Judges 7:22; 1 Kings 4:12; 19:16); "Abel-maim" (2 Chronicles 16:4); "Abel-mizraim" (Genesis 50:11); "stone," the King James Version "Abel," the Revised Version margin "Abel," that is "a meadow" (1 Samuel 6:18); compare Arabic 'abal, "green grass," and 'abalat, "unhealthy marshy ground," from wabal, "to rain."

Alfred Ely Day

From the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Edited by James Orr, published in 1939 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

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