אַרְוַד
𐤀𐤓𐤅𐤃
Arevad
H719 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Arvad refers to a Phoenician island-city located off the coast of northern Syria, known in the Hebrew Bible as a place whose inhabitants are mentioned as foreign seafarers and skilled craftsmen. The name functions exclusively as a proper noun for the city and its people and does not carry independent lexical meaning beyond geographic reference.
Semantic Range
Arvad (island city), people of Arvad; islanders; Arvadites
Root / Etymology
The word אַרְוַד (ʼArvad) is traditionally connected to the root רוּד (rud, 'to roam, wander'), though this etymology is uncertain—הtymology uncertain. As a place name, it likely entered Hebrew via Northwest Semitic usage; the lexical meaning is tied to the ancient city rather than to the root.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Arvad was a prominent Phoenician city-state and island, known in classical sources as Aradus (modern-day Arwad, off the coast near Tartus, Syria). In the Hebrew Bible, its inhabitants are referenced (e.g., Ezekiel 27:8,11) as shipbuilders and warriors in the context of Tyre’s extensive trade network. The city is referenced only as a geographic and ethnonymic term, never as a common noun or adjective. The term is not applied in the Hebrew Bible to the Israelite or Judahite population and is always non-Israelite in context. While some English translations might use "Arvad" directly, others may supply "Arvadites" for its citizens (cf. Gen 10:18). The term does not take on broader or transferred meanings in the biblical period.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
probably from רוּד; a refuge for the roving; Arvad, an island-city of Palestine; Arvad.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
רוד (r-w-d) — to roam, wander, go about
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H719-01 |
אַרְוַ֣ד | arevad | HNp |
Arvad | Arvad | 1 |
H719-02 |
וְ/אַרְוַ֔ד | vearevad | HC/Np |
and Arvad | and Arvad | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H719-02 |
Ezekiel 27:8 | וְ/אַרְוַ֔ד | vearevad | HC/Np |
and Arvad | and Arvad |
H719-01 |
Ezekiel 27:11 | אַרְוַ֣ד | arevad | HNp |
Arvad | Arvad |