עָרַג
𐤏𐤓𐤂
ʻârag
H6165 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To deeply long for, yearn, or desire intensely, especially in a state of deprivation; the verb expresses an aching or passionate longing, sometimes accompanied by a visible or audible sign such as panting or crying out. In the biblical context, it most often describes psalmists' intense longing for God, likening it to an animal's thirst or panting after water.
Semantic Range
to long for, yearn, earnestly desire, pant after, ardently seek, to cry out in longing
Root / Etymology
Root: ערג. The root conveys a sense of intense yearning or strong emotional desire, including the physical manifestations of that feeling (such as panting or crying out).
Historical & Contextual Notes
עָרַג appears only a few times in the Hebrew Bible, all in poetic contexts (e.g., Psalms 42:2; 84:3), always expressing the depth of human longing, often spiritual or existential in nature. The verb typically describes the soul's yearning for God, likened to physical thirst or the panting of a deer. This is distinct from other Hebrew roots involving desire, such as חמד (to covet, desire), which may have a broader, more material sense. In later Hebrew, ערג developed further to signify nostalgia or longing for a lost home or time. English versions often use 'long for,' 'yearn,' or 'pant,' but these may miss the full emotional and existential intensity conveyed in Hebrew. The verb is rarely used outside psalmic or poetic texts.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to long for; cry, pant.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
ערג (ʿ-r-g) — to long for, yearn, deeply desire
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H6170 | עֲרוּגָה | arranged planting-beds of |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6165-01 |
תַּעֲר֣וֹג | taarog | HVqi3fs |
pants | she yearns intensely | 3 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6165-01 |
Joel 1:20 | תַּעֲר֣וֹג | taarog | HVqi3fs |
pant | she yearns intensely |
H6165-01 |
Psalms 42:2 | תַּעֲרֹ֥ג | taarog | HVqi3fs |
pants | she yearns intensely |
H6165-01 |
Psalms 42:2 | תַעֲרֹ֖ג | taarog-2 | HVqi3fs |
pants | she yearns intensely |