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עָרָה

𐤏𐤓𐤄

ʻârâh

H6169 noun

SILEX Entry

Root ערה to be bare, to lay bare, to expose, to empty

Definition

A (feminine) term referring to uncultivated or exposed ground, typically a bare or open tract of land, often situated within marshy or reedy areas; in some contexts, specifically indicates ground characterized by the presence of marsh plants such as reeds or papyrus. The term may also more narrowly denote a site associated with such wetland vegetation.

Semantic Range

bare or level plot of ground, open terrain, exposed area especially in wetland or marsh settings, ground overgrown with reeds or papyrus, marshland, by extension (rarely) the marsh vegetation itself

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root ערה (ʿ-r-h), meaning 'to be bare, exposed, empty out, pour'. The noun עָרָה applies the sense of bareness or exposure from the root to terrain—a bare, level, or open area, especially within reedy or marshy environments. The term's connection to marsh plants and reeds is likely geographic and ecological, referencing terrain lacking cover but overgrown with specific riverbank vegetation.

Historical & Contextual Notes

The word עָרָה occurs only rarely in the Hebrew Bible and almost exclusively in the context of marshy or reedy terrain, such as those found along the Nile or major riverbanks (e.g., Isaiah 19:7 referring to Egypt). Its precise semantic scope is debated; older translators sometimes rendered it as 'paper reed' due to its association with riverine vegetation, but the core sense is of exposed, bare, or open ground in wetland settings. It should be distinguished from other terms for marsh vegetation (e.g., גֹּמֶא gome’ for papyrus) and from terms denoting ordinary fields or dry land. Later Judaean and wider Near Eastern contexts sometimes used analogous terms for reed beds or uncultivated riverbank ground. Standard English translations as 'paper reed' narrow the sense; the term primarily denotes exposed, reedy ground.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

feminine from עָרָה; a naked (i.e. level) plot; paper reed.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

ערה (ʿ-r-h) — to be bare, to expose, to empty, to lay bare

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4626 מַעַר like the exposed part of
H4629 מַעֲרֶה from an exposed pasture
H4630 מַעֲרָה bare clearings of
H4631 מְעָרָה in the cave
H4632 מְעָרָה and Mearah

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6169-01 עָר֥וֹת arot HNcfpa bare places bare marsh-tracts 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6169-01 Isaiah 19:7 עָר֥וֹת arot HNcfpa bare places bare marsh-tracts
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