HERB . (1) yârâq, yereq , twice tr. [Note: translate or translation.] ‘green thing’ ( Exodus 10:15 , Isaiah 15:6 ); gan yârâq , ‘garden of herbs,’ Deuteronomy 11:10 , 1 Kings 21:2 . (2) ‘çseb , herbage in general, Genesis 1:11 (cf. Arab. [Note: Arabic.] ’ushb ). See Grass. (3) deshe’ is six times tr. [Note: translate or translation.] ‘herb’ ( Deu 32:2 , 2 Kings 19:26 , Job 38:27 , Psalms 37:2 , Isaiah 37:27; Isaiah 66:14 ). (4) ’ôrôth , 2 Kings 4:39 ‘herbs.’ This is explained to be the plant colewort, but may have been any eatable herbs that survived the drought. The expressions ‘dew of herbs’ ( Isaiah 26:19 AV [Note: Authorized Version.] ) and ‘upon herbs’ ( Isaiah 18:4 AV [Note: Authorized Version.] ) are obscure. In the NT we have the Gr. terms botanç ( Hebrews 6:7 ‘grass’) and lachanon = yereq ( Matthew 13:32 ).

See also Bitter Herbs.

E. W. G. Masterman.