עֲרָד
𐤏𐤓𐤃
Arad
H6166 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper noun, used primarily as a place name referring to a city in the Negeb region of southern Canaan, and as a personal name for an individual of Israelite and possibly Canaanite association. In biblical usage, 'Arad' identifies (1) a settlement or city located south of Hebron, associated with Canaanites during the Israelite entry into Canaan and later as an area of temporary Israelite campsite; and (2) an individual in genealogical records, described as a descendant of Beriah from the tribe of Benjamin.
Semantic Range
name of a city in southern Canaan, personal name of an Israelite individual
Root / Etymology
From a root עָרַד (uncertain, not attested elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible). Strong proposed an underlying idea of 'to sequester, to flee,' but this is not supported by direct evidence from Biblical Hebrew; the root is non-attested. The form עֲרָד stands as an ancient toponym and personal name, possibly of pre-Israelite/Canaanite linguistic origin, and not transparently derived from a known Hebrew verb.
Historical & Contextual Notes
1. As a place name, Arad refers specifically to a Canaanite city in the Negeb (cf. Num 21:1; Josh 12:14; Judg 1:16), which remained inhabited into the Iron Age. Archaeological evidence confirms a significant site south of Hebron known as Tell Arad. 2. The city is notable during the time of Israelite migration into Canaan as a site of conflict (Numbers 21). 3. The personal name 'Arad' appears in genealogies (1 Chron 8:15), likely reflecting the reuse of geographic names as family names, a common practice in ancient Israelite naming conventions. 4. The suggested sense of 'fugitive' does not occur in context but reflects an etymological guess, not lexical usage. 5. Later English translations sometimes retain the place name or, in genealogical mention, may render it as a personal name, but never as a common noun with the sense of 'fugitive.' 6. 'Palestine' in Strong's gloss is anachronistic—biblical references place Arad as a city in the Negeb during the Late Bronze and Iron Ages, prior to the later geographic labels.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from an unused root meaning to sequester itself; fugitive; Arad, the name of a place near Palestine, also of a Canaanite and an Israelite; Arad.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
ערד (ʿ-r-d) — uncertain; possibly to flee, to sequester (not attested)
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6166-01 |
עֲרָד֙ | arad | HNp |
of Arad | Arad | 4 |
H6166-02 |
וַ/עֲרָ֖ד | vaarad | HC/Np |
and Arad | and Arad | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
5 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6166-01 |
Numbers 21:1 | עֲרָד֙ | arad | HNp |
of Arad | Arad |
H6166-01 |
Numbers 33:40 | עֲרָ֔ד | arad | HNp |
of Arad | Arad |
H6166-01 |
Joshua 12:14 | עֲרָ֖ד | arad | HNp |
of Arad | Arad |
H6166-01 |
Judges 1:16 | עֲרָ֑ד | arad | HNp |
Arad | Arad |
H6166-02 |
1 Chronicles 8:15 | וַ/עֲרָ֖ד | vaarad | HC/Np |
and Arad | and Arad |