a.rav denotes lying concealed in readiness to attack, whether by an organized force or by hostile individuals seeking a victim.

The term most often marks hostile waiting in concealment before an attack, whether a planned force is positioned against a city or enemy or an individual waits to harm another. The same pattern appears in portrayals of predatory pursuit, including those who wait for blood, catch the afflicted, or attack travelers.

1. Concealed force positioned for an attack · dominant

   In Joshua 8:4, the Qal active participle occurs in the command to position men behind the city and remain ready; the APB renders the clause "lie in ambush against the city behind the city." The participial forms in Joshua 8:19 and Judges 20:37 identify the concealed group as it rises from its place, enters, and strikes, while Jeremiah 51:12 calls for such attackers to be prepared against Babylon.

   Joshua 8:4Joshua 8:19Judges 20:37Judges 9:342 Chronicles 20:22Jeremiah 51:12
2. Hostile lurking for a victim · common

   In Deuteronomy 19:11, the sequential perfect stands within a sequence where a man hates his neighbor, waits for him, rises against him, and kills him. In Psalm 10:9, repeated Qal imperfects describe waiting in a hiding place to catch the afflicted; Proverbs 1:11 likewise places the cohortative in an invitation to wait for blood.

   Deuteronomy 19:11Psalm 10:9Proverbs 1:11Proverbs 24:15Micah 7:2Lamentations 4:19

In the Anselm Project Bible: Across the verses, the APB commonly presents the action with "lie in ambush," "ambush," or "lying in wait," and it may call the concealed party an "ambush" or "ambushers." These renderings present the clauses' overall action rather than a fixed English equivalent for every form.