עֲרוֹעֵר
𐤏𐤓𐤅𐤏𐤓
Aroer
H6177 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper name designating one or more locations in the biblical land of Transjordan and southern Canaan, often understood as '(place of) bare region' or 'exposed area.' The term refers specifically to settlements or sites marked by openness or lack of shelter, probably due to their geographic placement on exposed cliffs, plateaus, or uncultivated land. Sometimes used in parallelism or contrast to more settled or cultivated places.
Semantic Range
bare or exposed region, place name for sites on cliffs or uncultivated land, city by the Arnon Gorge, settlement in the territory allocated to Reuben or Gad, a location in the Negeb, border town
Root / Etymology
From the Hebrew root ערר (ʿ-r-r), which conveys the sense of bareness, destitution, or lack of covering. The place name עֲרוֹעֵר (ʿĂrôʿêr or ʿArʿôr) most likely draws upon this sense to characterize a bare or exposed location. The name may have descriptive or symbolic implications based on the original landscape or settlement conditions. Multiple variants of the spelling occur in the Hebrew Bible, reflecting preservation of the same name across different textual traditions.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, 'Aroer' (עֲרוֹעֵר) identifies at least three distinct locations: (1) a city east of the Jordan, in territory first conquered by the Amorites and assigned to Reuben; (2) a site on the northern bank of the Arnon Gorge, also in Transjordan, marking a border of Moab; (3) a location in the Negeb region, possibly on the border of Judah. These sites are typically associated with exposed terrain (e.g., cliffs or deserts), reflecting the probable sense of the root meaning. The name passed into various translations and traditions; in English Bibles, 'Aroer' is used, but ancient readers would have recognized the implicit reference to landscape bareness. There is no theological or religious association with the name itself; it primarily functions as a toponym. Some confusion arises in identifying which Aroer is intended in narrative contexts, especially in Deuteronomy, Joshua, and the prophetic books, given shifting territorial realities during the Iron Age and later periods. Later use of the name did not retain the root's descriptive connotation for most readers.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or עֲרֹעֵר; or עַרְעוֹר; the same as עֲרוֹעֵר; nudity of situation; Aroer, the name of three places in or near Palestine; Aroer.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
ערר (ʿ-r-r) — to be bare, stripped, exposed, destitute
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H6176 | עֲרוֹעֵר | like a barren shrub |
| H6185 | עֲרִירִי | stripped-of-heirs |
| H6199 | עַרעָר | the bare desert-shrub |
| H6209 | עָרַר | utterly strip bare |
Word Forms
5 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6177-03 |
מֵֽ/עֲרֹעֵ֡ר | mearoer | HR/Np |
from Aroer | from Bare-Place | 8 |
H6177-01 |
עֲרֹעֵֽר | aroer | HNp |
of Aroer | Exposed-Region | 4 |
H6177-02 |
בַּ/עֲרֹעֵ֛ר | baaroer | HR/Np |
in Aroer | in Bare-Region | 2 |
H6177-04 |
וּ/בְ/עַרְע֣וֹר | uveareor | HC/R/Np |
and in Aroer | and in Bare-Region | 1 |
H6177-05 |
בַ/עֲרוֹעֵ֗ר | vaaroer | HR/Np |
in Aroer | in Bare-Region | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
16 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6177-01 |
Numbers 32:34 | עֲרֹעֵֽר | aroer | HNp |
Aroer | Exposed-Region |
H6177-03 |
Deuteronomy 2:36 | מֵֽ/עֲרֹעֵ֡ר | mearoer | HR/Np |
From Aroer | from Bare-Place |
H6177-03 |
Deuteronomy 3:12 | מֵ/עֲרֹעֵ֞ר | mearoer | HR/Np |
from Aroer | from Bare-Place |
H6177-03 |
Deuteronomy 4:48 | מֵ/עֲרֹעֵ֞ר | mearoer | HR/Np |
from Aroer | from Bare-Place |
H6177-03 |
Joshua 12:2 | מֵ/עֲרוֹעֵ֡ר | mearoer | HR/Np |
from Aroer | from Bare-Place |
H6177-03 |
Joshua 13:9 | מֵ/עֲרוֹעֵ֡ר | mearoer | HR/Np |
from Aroer | from Bare-Place |
H6177-03 |
Joshua 13:16 | מֵ/עֲרוֹעֵ֡ר | mearoer | HR/Np |
from Aroer | from Bare-Place |
H6177-01 |
Joshua 13:25 | עֲרוֹעֵ֕ר | aroer | HNp |
Aroer | Exposed-Region |
H6177-04 |
Judges 11:26 | וּ/בְ/עַרְע֣וֹר | uveareor | HC/R/Np |
and in Aroer | and in Bare-Region |
H6177-03 |
Judges 11:33 | מֵ/עֲרוֹעֵר֩ | mearoer | HR/Np |
from Aroer | from Bare-Place |