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אֲרָא

𐤀𐤓𐤀

Ara

H690 noun

SILEX Entry

Root ארי (probable) or uncertain uncertain; possibly to be lion-like, to be strong (if from ארי)

Definition

Proper name referring to an individual, 'Ara,' listed as an ancestor of a clan among the Israelite families returning from Babylonian exile. The meaning of the name itself is uncertain and may relate to 'lion' by assonance or derivative association, but this connection is not explicit in the text.

Semantic Range

personal name, clan ancestor, possibly derived from 'lion' as an attribute or sobriquet

Root / Etymology

Etymology is uncertain. The form may be related phonetically to the root ארי (ʾary, 'lion'), but the actual derivation is unclear. It is likely a proper name of possible animal association, consistent with Hebrew naming customs, but direct evidence is lacking.

Historical & Contextual Notes

'Ara' appears in 1 Chronicles 7:38 and Ezra 2:5; Nehemiah 7:10 as an Israelite ancestor of a family returning from exile. The connection to 'lion' (אֲרִי, ʾarî) suggested in older sources is uncertain; while animal names are common among Israelites, the spelling differs. In post-exilic lists, the name functions strictly as an identifier for a family or clan. Later English translations sometimes render the name as 'Ara,' and in KJV may associate it with 'lion,' but contemporary scholarship reserves judgment about its true lexical meaning. No evidence connects this name directly to the English 'Jew' or post-biblical Jewish identities; usage here is strictly genealogical within Israelite community records.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

probably for אֲרִי; lion; Ara, an Israelite; Ara.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

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Root Family

ארי (ʾ-r-y) — uncertain; possibly lion-like strength

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H691 אֶרְאֵל lion-mighty warrior
H739 אֲרִיאֵל Lion of God
H740 אֲרִיאֵל like Lion-of-God
H744 אַרְיֵה the lions

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H690-01 וַ/אְרָֽא vaera HC/Np and Ara Ara 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H690-01 1 Chronicles 7:38 וַ/אְרָֽא vaera HC/Np and Ara Ara
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