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אַמְרָפֶל

𐤀𐤌𐤓𐤐𐤋

Amerafel

H569 noun

SILEX Entry

Root uncertain uncertain, personal name (king's name)

Definition

Proper name designating a ruler, specifically 'Amraphel,' identified as a king of Shinar (likely southern Mesopotamia) in Genesis 14. The word functions exclusively as a personal name in the Hebrew Bible, with no clear meaning beyond its use as such. Its lexical sense, outside of the narrative reference, is undefined due to lack of etymological transparency.

Semantic Range

Amraphel (personal name), king of Shinar; used only as a foreign royal name in Genesis 14

Root / Etymology

Etymology uncertain. The name אַמְרָפֶל (Amraphel) does not correspond precisely to known Semitic roots or common Hebrew formations. It is generally considered to be of foreign (non-Hebrew) origin, possibly Akkadian or West Semitic, but no definitive derivation has been established. Some proposals have linked the name to known Mesopotamian rulers or titles, but no consensus exists.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Amraphel appears only in Genesis 14:1,9, where he is named as a king of Shinar allied with other monarchs in a confederation that battles Abraham (Abram). Modern scholarship connects Shinar with southern Mesopotamia, commonly identified with Sumer or Babylonia. While older traditions occasionally associated Amraphel with Hammurabi of Babylon, this identification is now considered speculative and linguistically unsupported. The Hebrew text offers no descriptive meaning for this name; it functions strictly as a personal appellation. The presence of such foreign royal names in the patriarchal narratives reflects Bronze Age Near Eastern political realities, but Amraphel's identity remains historically unverified. This name is rendered in English translations as 'Amraphel' due to its function as a proper noun and lack of clear semantic meaning.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of uncertain (perhaps foreign) derivation; Amraphel, a king of Shinar; Amraphel.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

uncertain (uncertain) — uncertain, personal name (royal name)

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1085 בִּלְדַּד Bildad
H1095 בֵּלְטְשַׁאצַּר Belteshatsar
H1114 בִּלְשָׁן Bilshan
H1150 בִּנְעָא Bin'a
H116 אֱדַיִן and then

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H569-02 וְ/אַמְרָפֶל֙ veamerafel HC/Np and Amraphel and Amraphel 1
H569-01 אַמְרָפֶ֣ל amerafel HNp Amraphel Amraphel 1

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H569-01 Genesis 14:1 אַמְרָפֶ֣ל amerafel HNp Amraphel Amraphel
H569-02 Genesis 14:9 וְ/אַמְרָפֶל֙ veamerafel HC/Np and Amraphel and Amraphel
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