BIBLE HEBREW WORD STUDY
Yabbāšāh — Dry Ground in the Bible
יַבָּשָׁה (yabbāšāh) is a Hebrew noun referring to dry ground or dry land, the surface that emerges when water recedes.
Meaning of the word
The noun יַבָּשָׁה (yabbāšāh) denotes 'dry ground' or 'dry land.' It describes the solid, habitable surface of the earth as opposed to bodies of water. The word implies land that has been made dry or exposed, often through the gathering or recession of water.
The term is closely related to the more common adjective יָבֵשׁ (yābēsh, 'dry'), from which it derives. While יָבֵשׁ describes the quality of being dry, יַבָּשָׁה specifies a place or expanse of dry ground — terrain that can be walked upon, inhabited, or named.
Usage in Scripture
All five occurrences of יַבָּשָׁה appear in two narrative contexts. In Genesis 1:9–10, the word is used twice in the third day of creation, when God gathers the waters to one place so that dry land may appear, and then names the dry land 'Earth.' Here the term marks the foundational separation of land and sea in the created order.
The remaining three occurrences are in Exodus 14, describing the parting of the Red Sea. In Exodus 14:16, 22, and 29, the Israelites walk on יַבָּשָׁה 'in the midst of the sea.' The same word used at creation to describe the emergence of dry land now describes a miraculous re-enactment of that act, highlighting salvation through the sea.
The word in detail
- H3004 יַבָּשָׁה (yabbāšāh) is a feminine noun built on the root יָבֵשׁ (yābēsh, 'dry'). It functions as a substantive form of the adjective, naming the expanse of dry land that emerges when water recedes. Its limited but theologically significant occurrences place it at the origins of the created order and at a central salvation event.
Example verses
- Genesis 1:9 Here יַבָּשָׁה is the result of God's command to gather the waters, the dry ground that 'appears' and forms the third day's foundational separation.
- Genesis 1:10 God names the יַבָּשָׁה 'Earth,' giving the dry ground a created identity distinct from the gathered 'Seas.'
- Exodus 14:16 Moses is told to stretch out his hand so Israel may go through the sea on יַבָּשָׁה — dry ground in the midst of water.
- Exodus 14:22 Israel enters the sea on יַבָּשָׁה, with waters as walls on either side, echoing the creation of dry land within the waters.
Common questions
What does יַבָּשָׁה (yabbāšāh) mean?
It means 'dry ground' or 'dry land,' the solid surface that emerges when water is gathered or recedes.
How is יַבָּשָׁה different from יָבֵשׁ (yābēsh)?
יָבֵשׁ is the adjective 'dry,' while יַבָּשָׁה is the noun form referring specifically to an expanse of dry ground as a place.
Where does יַבָּשָׁה appear in the Bible?
All five occurrences appear in Genesis 1:9–10 (creation) and Exodus 14:16, 22, 29 (the parting of the Red Sea).