Original Word: עָבוּר
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: `abuwr
Pronunciation: ah-BOOR
Phonetic Spelling: (aw-boor')
KJV: old corn
NASB: produce
Word Origin: [the same as H5668 (עָבוּר עָבוּר - sake)]

1. passed, i.e. kept over
2. used only of stored grain

old corn

The same as abuwr; passed, i.e. Kept over; used only of stored grain -- old corn.

see HEBREW abuwr

Word Origin
from abar
Definition
produce, yield
NASB Translation
produce (1).

I. [עָבוּר] noun [masculine] produce, yield (compare Assyrian ebûru, id., Dl^{HWB 11}; Syriac corn); — construct עֲבוּד הָאָרֶץ Joshua 5:11,12 (P).

Definition and Range of Meaning

עָבוּר refers to the harvested produce of the land, especially grain that is ready to be eaten. It highlights the tangible yield of the soil that God grants to His people once they have entered and begun to possess their inheritance.

Occurrences

1. Joshua 5:11 – “The day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land—unleavened cakes and roasted grain.”
2. Joshua 5:12 – “The manna ceased the day after they ate the produce of the land; and there was no more manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate from the crops of the land of Canaan.”

Historical Context

These two verses stand at a pivotal moment in Israel’s history. After forty years of wilderness wandering, Israel crossed the Jordan, celebrated Passover, and—at last—tasted Canaan’s own food. The nation moved from surviving on daily, miraculous manna to harvesting the bounty of the covenant land. עָבוּר therefore marks the fulfillment of God’s promise to give Israel “a land flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 3:17), demonstrating the transition from the wilderness era to settled life in promise, cultivation, and stewardship.

Theological Significance

1. Covenant Fulfillment: Eating the land’s produce ratified God’s oath to Abraham (Genesis 12:7). The land’s fertility testified that the Lord is faithful to every word He speaks (Joshua 21:45).
2. Divine Provision in Ordinary Means: While manna was supernatural, עָבוּר shows God’s continued provision through ordinary agriculture. Miraculous supply yielded to vocational labor, yet both came from the same gracious Provider.
3. Memorial of Passover Completion: The meal of local grain, eaten immediately after Passover, unites redemption (blood on doorposts) with inheritance (fruit of the land). Salvation and provision form an inseparable pair in biblical theology.
4. Ceasing of Manna: The termination of manna the next day illustrates how God’s miracles never create dependency for dependency’s sake; they serve a redemptive purpose and then give way to covenant responsibility and maturity.

Typological and Prophetic Insights

1. Firstfruits and Resurrection: Israel’s first taste of Canaan’s grain foreshadows the festival of Firstfruits (Leviticus 23:10–11) and ultimately points to Jesus Christ, “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20). Just as the initial harvest guaranteed the full ingathering, Christ’s resurrection secures the believer’s future resurrection.
2. Bread of Life: The shift from manna (prefiguring the daily portion of Christ in the wilderness journey) to harvested grain anticipates the believer’s fuller participation in Christ’s life after His redemptive work is finished (John 6:32–35).
3. Millennial Expectation: Prophetic passages such as Amos 9:13 picture an age when “the mountains shall drip with sweet wine” and harvest overflows. עָבוּר in Joshua previews that eschatological abundance.

Ministry and Practical Application

• Faith and Work: Believers trust God for provision yet labor faithfully in the fields (Colossians 3:23). God’s blessing rests upon diligent stewardship rather than idleness.
• Gratitude for Ordinary Blessings: Daily bread, though obtained through regular means, is as much a gift as miraculous manna; every meal invites thanksgiving (1 Timothy 4:4–5).
• Transitional Seasons: Churches and individual Christians experience phases when God provides in striking ways, followed by periods of steady, seemingly ordinary supply. Recognizing both as divine sustenance cultivates contentment and perseverance.
• Commemoration of Redemption: The Lord’s Supper, like Israel’s Passover followed by eating the land’s produce, weds the memory of deliverance to the enjoyment of ongoing covenant blessings.

See Also

Manna; Firstfruits; Grain Offering; Providence; Promise Land; Divine Faithfulness

מֵעֲב֣וּר מֵעֲב֥וּר מעבור mê‘ăḇūr mê·‘ă·ḇūr meaVurInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts