אָרוֹן

𐤀𐤓𐤅𐤍

ʼârôwn

H727 noun

SILEX Entry

Root ארה to gather, collect

Definition

A container or chest, typically large and often constructed of wood. Most prominently, it refers to the sacred chest known as the 'ark of the covenant' that held the tablets of the covenant in Israelite tradition. In other narrative or ritual contexts, it can refer to a chest for storage or, in one instance, a coffin.

Semantic Range

chest, box, container for sacred objects (ark of the covenant), coffin, chest for offerings, storage chest

Root / Etymology

From the root אָרָה (to gather, collect), conveying the sense of a receptacle designed to hold or convene objects. The noun אָרוֹן is a nominal derivative, designating any kind of chest, box, or container, though contextually specialized for the sacred ark.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, אָרוֹן most frequently designates the 'ark of the covenant' (aron habberit), the central object of cultic focus in the tabernacle and, later, the Temple. This use is concentrated in the Torah, Joshua, Samuel, and Kings, always with reference to the Israelite religious context. In Genesis 50:26, the term refers to Joseph's coffin in Egypt, showing its broader lexical range. In 2 Kings 12:10–11 and 2 Chronicles 24:8–11, אָרוֹן describes a chest set up for temple offerings, signifying a more general box or chest. English 'ark' as a translation is accurate for the cultic object but can obscure the ordinary meaning of 'chest' or 'box' in other passages. Later tradition came to closely associate אָרוֹן exclusively with the sacred object, but biblical usage is broader. The term is distinct from תֵּבָה (tevah), used for Noah's ark and Moses’ basket, which denotes a large, boat-like container, suggesting different function and form. In post-biblical Hebrew, אָרוֹן can mean 'coffin' or 'closet'. Across biblical history, the word's semantic range narrows in ritual contexts but remains broad in narrative uses.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or אָרֹן; from אָרָה (in the sense of gathering); a box; ark, chest, coffin.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

ארה (ʾ-r-h) — gather, collect, draw together

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H717 אָרָה I plucked
H718 אֲרוּ and look!
H723 אֻרְוָה feeding-stalls of
H738 אֲרִי lions
H745 אַרְיֵה the lion

Word Forms

5 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H727-01 אֲר֖וֹן aron HNcbsc the ark gathering chest of 128
H727-03 הָ/אָרֹ֑ן haaron HTd/Ncbsa the ark the gathering-chest 49
H727-05 וַ/אֲר֨וֹן vaaron HC/Ncbsc and the ark and chest 9
H727-04 לָ/אָר֡וֹן laaron HRd/Ncbsa for the ark to the chest 9
H727-02 בָּ/אָר֖וֹן baaron HRd/Ncbsa in the ark in the gathering-chest 7

Occurrences in Scripture

202 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H727-02 Genesis 50:26 בָּ/אָר֖וֹן baaron HRd/Ncbsa in a coffin in the gathering-chest
H727-01 Exodus 25:10 אֲר֖וֹן aron HNcbsc an ark gathering chest of
H727-03 Exodus 25:14 הָ/אָרֹ֑ן haaron HTd/Ncbsa of the ark the gathering-chest
H727-03 Exodus 25:14 הָ/אָרֹ֖ן haaron-2 HTd/Ncbsa the ark the gathering-chest
H727-03 Exodus 25:15 הָ/אָרֹ֔ן haaron HTd/Ncbsa of the ark the gathering-chest
H727-03 Exodus 25:16 הָ/אָרֹ֑ן haaron HTd/Ncbsa the ark the gathering-chest
H727-03 Exodus 25:21 הָ/אָרֹ֖ן haaron HTd/Ncbsa the ark the gathering-chest
H727-03 Exodus 25:21 הָ֣/אָרֹ֔ן haaron-2 HTd/Ncbsa the ark the gathering-chest
H727-01 Exodus 25:22 אֲרֹ֣ן aron HNcbsc ark gathering chest of
H727-01 Exodus 26:33 אֲר֣וֹן aron HNcbsc ark gathering chest of