River
From BibleEncyclopedia.Net
(1.) Heb. 'aphik, properly the channel or ravine that holds water (2Sa_22:16), translated “brook,” “river,” “stream,” but not necessarily a perennial stream (Eze_6:3; Eze_31:12; Eze_32:6; Eze_34:13).
(2.) Heb. nahal, in winter a “torrent,” in summer a “wady” or valley (Gen_32:23; Deu_2:24; Deu_3:16; Isa_30:28; Lam_2:18; Eze_47:9).
These winter torrents sometimes come down with great suddenness and with desolating force. A distinguished traveler thus describes his experience in this matter:, “I was encamped in Wady Feiran, near the base of Jebel Serbal, when a tremendous thunderstorm burst upon us. After little more than an hour's rain, the water rose so rapidly in the previously dry wady that I had to run for my life, and with great difficulty succeeded in saving my tent and goods; my boots, which I had not time to pick up, were washed away. In less than two hours a dry desert wady upwards of 300 yards broad was turned into a foaming torrent from 8 to 10 feet deep, roaring and tearing down and bearing everything upon it, tangled masses of tamarisks, hundreds of beautiful palm trees, scores of sheep and goats, camels and donkeys, and even men, women, and children, for a whole encampment of Arabs was washed away a few miles above me. The storm commenced at five in the evening; at half-past nine the waters were rapidly subsiding, and it was evident that the flood had spent its force.” (Compare Mat_7:27; Luk_6:49.)
(3.) Nahar, a “river” continuous and full, a perennial stream, as the Jordan, the Euphrates (Gen_2:10; Gen_15:18; Deu_1:7; Psa_66:6; Eze_10:15).
(4.) Tel'alah, a conduit, or water-course (1Ki_18:32; 2Ki_18:17; 2Ki_20:20; Job_38:25; Eze_31:4).
(5.) Peleg, properly “waters divided”, i.e., streams divided, throughout the land (Psa_1:3); “the rivers [i.e., 'divisions'] of waters” (Job_20:17; Job_29:6; Pro_5:16).
(6.) Ye'or, i.e., “great river”, probably from an Egyptian word (Aur), commonly applied to the Nile (Gen_41:1-3), but also to other rivers (Job_28:10; Isa_33:21).
riv´ẽr:
(1) The usual word is נהר, nāhār (Aramaic נהר, nehar (Ezr_4:10]], etc.)), used of the rivers of Eden (Gen_2:10-14), often of the Euphrates (Gen_15:18]], etc.), of Abana and Pharpar (2Ki_5:12]]), the river of Gozan (2Ki_17:6]]), the river Chebar (Eze_1:1]]), the rivers (canals?) of Babylon (Psa_137:1]]), the rivers of Ethiopia (Isa_18:1]]; Zep_3:10]]). Compare nahr, the common Arabic word for “river.”
(2) יאור, ye'ōr, according to BDB from Egyptian 'iotr, 'io'r, “watercourse,” often of the Nile (Exo_1:22]], etc.). In Isa_19:6]], for יארי מצור, ye'ōrē mācōr, the King James Version “brooks of defense,” the Revised Version (British and American) has “streams of Egypt.” In Isa_19:7]], Isa_19:8]], for ye'ōr, the King James Version “brooks,” and Zec_10:11]], the King James Version “river,” the Revised Version (British and American) has “Nile.” In Job_28:10, the King James Version “He cutteth out rivers among the rocks,” the Revised Version (British and American) has “channels,” the Revised Version margin “passages.”
(3) There are nearly 100 references to נהל, naḥal. In about half of these the King James Version has “brook” and in about half “river.” the Revised Version (British and American) has more often “brook” or “valley.” But the Revised Version (British and American) has river in “whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers” (Lev_11:9]]); “the river Jabbok” (Deu_2:37; Jos_12:2); the stream issuing from the temple (Eze_47:5-12). the Revised Version (British and American) has “brook of Egypt,” i.e. el-‛Arîsh (Num_34:5]]; Jos_15:47]]; 1Ki_8:65]]; 2Ki_24:7]]; 2Ch_7:8]]; Amo_6:14]], “of the Arabah”); “brook (the King James Version “river”) of Kanah” (Jos_16:8); “valley (the King James Version “river”) of the Arnon” (Deu_2:24]]). English Versions of the Bible has “valley”: of Gerar (Gen_26:17), of Zered (Num_21:12), but “brook Zered” (Deu_2:13]]), of Eschol (Num_32:9]]), of Sorek (Jdg_16:4), of Shittim (Joe_3:18). English Versions of the Bible has “brook”: Besor (1Sa_30:10]]), Kidron (2Sa_15:23]]), Gaash, (2Sa_23:30), Cherith (1Ki_17:3); also the feminine נחלה, naḥălāh, “brook (the King James Version “river”) of Egypt” (Eze_47:19; Eze_48:28). The torrent-valley (wâdy) is often meant.
(4) פּלג, pelegh, with feminine פּלגּה, pelaggāh, the King James Version “river,” is in the Revised Version (British and American) translated “stream,” except English Versions of the Bible “river of God” (Psa_65:9); “streams of water” (Psa_1:3]]; Pro_5:16]]; Isa_32:2]]; Lam_3:48]]); “streams of honey” (Job_20:17); “streams of oil” (Job_29:6]]).
(5) אפיק, 'aphīḳ, the King James Version “river,” except English Versions of the Bible “water brooks” (Psa_42:1), is in the Revised Version (British and American) “watercourses” (Eze_6:3]]; Eze_31:12]]; Eze_32:6]]; Eze_34:13]]; Eze_35:8; Eze_36:4, Eze_36:6), “water-brooks” (Son_5:12]]; Joe_1:20]]).
(6) יוּבל, yūbhal, English Versions of the Bible “river” (Jer_17:8]]), a full flowing stream. אבל, 'ubhāl, and אוּבל, 'ūbhāl, English Versions of the Bible “river” (Dan_8:2]], Dan_8:3]], Dan_8:6]]).
(7) ποταμός, potamós: of the Jordan (Mar_1:5]]); Euphrates (Rev_9:14]]); “rivers of living water” (Joh_7:38]]); “river of water of life” (Rev_22:1]]). So always in Greek for “river” in the Revised Version (British and American) Apocrypha (1 Esdras 4:23, etc.).
