a.ra.von is an item given temporarily as security until a promised payment is sent.

The term denotes security handed over while a promised goat is still to be sent, then sought back after that payment is dispatched, as shown in Genesis 38:17, Genesis 38:18, and Genesis 38:20.

1. Security held pending promised payment · dominant

   In Genesis 38:17, the masculine singular absolute noun occurs in the request for something to be given until the goat is sent. In Genesis 38:18, the requested items are a signet, cord, and staff; in Genesis 38:20, the goat is sent to receive the item back. The APB renders the relevant clause with “pledge.”

   Genesis 38:17Genesis 38:18Genesis 38:20

In the Anselm Project Bible: Across Genesis 38:17, Genesis 38:18, and Genesis 38:20, the APB presents the item as a “pledge” given, specified, and then recovered. The verse is read as a whole, but its clauses consistently portray temporary security pending the goat's delivery.