Original Word: תֵּל אָבִיב
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Tel 'Abiyb
Pronunciation: tel ah-VEEB
Phonetic Spelling: (tale aw-beeb')
KJV: Tel-abib
NASB: Tel-abib
Word Origin: [from H8510 (תֵּל - heap) and H24 (אָבִיבּ - Abib)]

1. mound of green growth
2. Tel-Abib, a place in Chaldaea

Tel-abib

From tel and 'abiyb; mound of green growth; Tel-Abib, a place in Chaldaea -- Tel-abib.

see HEBREW tel

see HEBREW 'abiyb

Word Origin
from tel and abib
Definition
"hill of grain," a place in Bab.
NASB Translation
Tel-abib (1).

תֵּל אָבִיב proper name, of a location in Babylonia on the 'river Chebar,' Ezekiel 3:15.

Biblical Setting

Tel-abib appears once in Scripture, Ezekiel 3:15: “Then I came to the exiles at Tel-abib who lived by the Kebar Canal, and I sat there among them seven days in astonishment” (Berean Standard Bible). It designates an exilic settlement of Judeans in Babylonia along the Chebar (Kebar) Canal. Ezekiel’s physical relocation there immediately follows his visionary call (Ezekiel 1:1–3:14), framing the prophet’s ministry from within the very community he is commissioned to serve.

Historical Background

After the second deportation (597 BC), Nebuchadnezzar settled many Judean captives in agricultural colonies near Babylon. Cuneiform texts attest to numerous “river settlements” (ālu ša nār) positioned along irrigation canals southeast of modern Baghdad. Tel-abib was likely one such settlement, perhaps near Nippur, where fertile land required constant supervision. Exiles were expected to maintain canals, pay taxes, and supply produce to the empire. Living conditions were challenging yet offered a measure of stability that allowed prophetic activity, scribal schools, and the preservation of covenant identity.

Prophetic Significance

1. Identification with the People: By sitting “seven days in astonishment,” Ezekiel bore the grief of his compatriots (cf. Job 2:13), modeling a shepherd-prophet who first shares the people’s burden before announcing the word of the LORD.
2. Watchman Commission: The silence at Tel-abib precedes the watchman mandate (Ezekiel 3:16-21). The locale thus stands at the hinge between revelation and proclamation, underscoring that authentic ministry emerges from empathetic presence among the afflicted.
3. Symbol of Hope amid Ruin: Though exiles were geographically uprooted, the name evokes imagery of a “mound” and “fresh growth” (spring). The juxtaposition of devastation (a tell of ruins) with renewal previews the overarching message of restoration (Ezekiel 37; 40–48).

Theological Themes

• Sovereign Discipline and Faithfulness: Tel-abib reminds readers that divine judgment uproots yet never annihilates the covenant people (Leviticus 26:44).
• Presence of God in Exile: The glory first seen by the Chebar Canal (Ezekiel 1:3) demonstrates that God is not confined to Jerusalem’s temple; He accompanies His people into foreign lands (Psalm 139:7–10).
• Ministry from the Margins: Prophetic authority does not depend on political power or geographic centrality. Significant revelation can originate from distant settlements (cf. Daniel 1:17; Acts 16:13).

Application for Ministry Today

• Incarnational Engagement: Effective servants of God share location and emotion with those they serve before speaking truth.
• Patient Preparation: A “seven-day silence” teaches the value of reflective waiting, allowing God’s word to mature in the messenger’s heart (James 1:19).
• Hope for the Displaced: Modern believers facing displacement—whether through persecution, migration, or cultural marginalization—find precedent for flourishing spiritual life far from familiar structures.

Related References

Ezekiel 1:1; 1:3—initial setting by the Chebar Canal

Psalm 137:1—grief of captives by Babylonian waters

Jeremiah 29:4–7—call to seek the welfare of the foreign city

1 Peter 1:1—elect exiles of the Dispersion

Revelation 1:9—ministry birthed in exile on Patmos

Summary

Tel-abib serves as a geographical marker and theological testimony: God meets His people in the place of captivity, equips His messengers amid shared sorrow, and transforms ruins into the seedbed of restoration.

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