אֲרַע

𐤀𐤓𐤏

ʼăraʻ

H772 noun

SILEX Entry

Root א־ר־ע to be firm, ground, earth, land

Definition

(Aramaic) Land, earth, ground—refers to the physical land, terrain surface, or the inhabited world in general. In extended usage, can denote a particular region, territory, or country, and in some poetic or figurative contexts may refer to the interior, a low place, or the underworld/realm below the surface.

Semantic Range

earth (the planet or world), land (general or specific territorial reference), ground, territory, region, the inhabited world, interior, low place, underworld (in poetic contexts)

Root / Etymology

Aramaic noun אֲרַע, from the cognate root א־ר־ע, closely related to the Hebrew root ארץ (א־ר־ץ) meaning 'earth, land.' The form is characteristic of Aramaic orthography and morphology, distinguishing it from the Hebrew אֶרֶץ, but sharing the same semantic field.

Historical & Contextual Notes

אֲרַע is found in the Aramaic portions of the Hebrew Bible, most notably in Daniel and Ezra, where it is typically used to refer to the general earth or to specific lands or regions (e.g., 'the land of Judah'). The term does not carry the developed religious or cosmological significance of 'earth' as in later traditions. In comparison to Hebrew אֶרֶץ, אֲרַע can also sometimes emphasize physicality, such as 'ground' as distinct from 'sky' or 'heaven.' In imperial or administrative contexts, it may refer to subject territories or provinces within a larger empire. English translations usually render this as 'land' or 'earth,' but may obscure whether the designation is general (earth as planet or realm) or particularized (a specific country or territory).

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

(Aramaic) corresponding to אֶרֶץ; the earth; by implication (figuratively) low; earth, interior.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

א־ר־ע (ʾ-r-ʿ) — ground, earth, land, firmness

Word Forms

7 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H772-02 אַרְעָֽ/א area ANcfsd/Td the earth the land the earth 14
H772-03 בְּ/אַרְעָ֣/א bearea AR/Ncfsd/Td in the earth in the land in the earth 2
H772-07 בְ/אַרְעָ֔/א vearea AR/Ncfsd/Td and earth the land on the earth 2
H772-01 אֲרַע ara ANcfsd earth the land the land 1
H772-06 וּ/בְ/אַרְעָ֑/א uvearea AC/R/Ncfsd/Td and-in-earth-the and in the land and in the land 1
H772-04 מֵֽ/אַרְעָ֛/א mearea AR/Ncfsd/Td from the earth from the land from the earth 1
H772-05 ארע/א r ANcfsc/Sd than land of land of 1

Occurrences in Scripture

22 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H772-04 Jeremiah 10:11 מֵֽ/אַרְעָ֛/א mearea AR/Ncfsd/Td from the earth from the land from the earth
H772-02 Daniel 2:35 אַרְעָֽ/א area ANcfsd/Td the earth the land the earth
H772-05 Daniel 2:39 ארע/א r ANcfsc/Sd than land of land of
H772-01 Daniel 2:39 אֲרַע ara ANcfsd earth the land the land
H772-02 Daniel 2:39 אַרְעָֽ/א area ANcfsd/Td the earth the land the land
H772-02 Daniel 3:31 אַרְעָ֖/א area ANcfsd/Td the earth the land the land
H772-02 Daniel 4:7 אַרְעָ֖/א area ANcfsd/Td of-(the)-earth the land the earth
H772-02 Daniel 4:8 אַרְעָֽ/א area ANcfsd/Td the-earth the land the earth
H772-03 Daniel 4:12 בְּ/אַרְעָ֣/א bearea AR/Ncfsd/Td in the earth in the land in the earth
H772-02 Daniel 4:12 אַרְעָֽ/א area ANcfsd/Td of the earth the land of the earth