Original Word: עֹרֵב
Part of Speech: Proper Name
Transliteration: `Oreb
Pronunciation: oh-REV
Phonetic Spelling: (o-rabe')
KJV: Oreb
NASB: Oreb
Word Origin: [the same as H6158 (עוֹרֵב עוֹרֵב - raven)]

1. Oreb, the name of a Midianite and of the cliff near the Jordan

Oreb

Or mowreb {o-rabe'}; the same as oreb; Oreb, the name of a Midianite and of the cliff near the Jordan -- Oreb.

see HEBREW oreb

Word Origin
from the same as ereb
Definition
a Midianite
NASB Translation
Oreb (7).

Identity and Historical Setting

Oreb, whose name carries the idea of “raven,” is introduced as one of two Midianite princes (the other being Zeeb) who spearheaded Midian’s oppressive raids against Israel during the days of the judges. Their incursions devastated Israel’s agriculture, driving the people to hide in mountain clefts and caves. The rise of Oreb and Zeeb marks the climax of a seven-year cycle of Midianite tyranny that provoked the Israelites’ cry for deliverance (Judges 6:1-6).

Defeat by Gideon and Symbolism of the Rock of Oreb

Gideon’s divinely orchestrated night attack scattered the Midianite camp, sending the fleeing host toward the Jordan. Ephraimite troops cut off the enemy’s escape at the fords, captured Oreb and Zeeb, and executed them (Judges 7:25). The prince Oreb was slain “at the rock of Oreb,” a site immediately named after his death and forever linked with God’s judgment on Midian. The slaughter at a “rock” evokes Yahweh as Israel’s Rock of refuge and strength; the very terrain testifies to His supremacy over the boastful oppressor.

Subsequent Biblical References

Judges 8:3 records Gideon’s conciliatory reminder to Ephraim: “God has delivered into your hands Oreb and Zeeb, the princes of Midian.” The conquest is celebrated as the LORD’s doing, not man’s.

Psalm 83:11 invokes the memory: “Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb, and all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna.” Here Oreb becomes a literary emblem of utter defeat for any coalition that conspires against God’s covenant people.

Isaiah 10:26 reaches back to the same moment: “The LORD of Hosts will brandish a whip against them, as He did when He struck Midian at the rock of Oreb.” For Isaiah’s generation the downfall of Oreb serves as a paradigm for future deliverances; the decisive blow against Assyria will mirror Gideon’s victory.

Geographical Considerations

While the precise location of the rock of Oreb is lost to history, its placement east of the Jordan suggests a point near the traditional fords opposite modern Nahr ez-Zerqa. The topography—steep ravines and exposed outcrops—would have provided ideal ambush ground for the Ephraimites. The permanence of the name in the narrative indicates that survivors and later travelers could still identify the site, perpetuating the account of God’s intervention.

Typological and Prophetic Echoes

1. Divine reversal: Just as Gideon’s minuscule force shattered a vast army, so God delights to save “not by might nor by power” (Zechariah 4:6).
2. Covenant faithfulness: Oreb’s demise underlines the promise to Abraham, “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse” (Genesis 12:3).
3. Prototype of eschatological judgment: Both Psalm 83 and Isaiah 10 employ Oreb as a model for the final overthrow of God’s enemies, foreshadowing Revelation’s depiction of the nations gathered in futile rebellion.

Theological and Ministry Reflections

• God’s sovereignty extends over geopolitical powers; princes fall when He decrees.
• Naming places after divine interventions anchors memory in geography, encouraging subsequent generations to rehearse God’s acts.
• Leaders who oppress God’s people inevitably become cautionary tales; their legacy instructs believers to trust in the LORD rather than in human strength.
• The rock of Oreb illustrates how God turns the strength of the wicked into their place of punishment, assuring the faithful that no enemy is beyond His reach.

Practical Lessons for Believers

1. Trust God amid overwhelming odds—He can rout entire armies with a trumpet, a torch, and an obedient servant.
2. Celebrate victories in a way that honors God, just as Gideon credited the capture of Oreb and Zeeb to the LORD (Judges 8:3).
3. Remember past deliverances; let historical acts of salvation fuel present faith and future hope.

In Scripture, the brief life account of Oreb moves from prominence to ignominy within a single night, underscoring the fragile tenure of those who rise against the purposes of God.

כְּעֹרֵ֣ב כערב עֹרֵ֣ב עוֹרֵ֑ב עוֹרֵ֤ב עוֹרֵב֙ עורב ערב ‘ō·rêḇ ‘ō·w·rêḇ ‘ōrêḇ ‘ōwrêḇ kə‘ōrêḇ kə·‘ō·rêḇ keoRev oRevInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts