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אֲרִי

𐤀𐤓𐤉

ʼărîy

H738 noun

SILEX Entry

Root ארה to pluck, tear, snatch (prey)

Definition

A member of the species Panthera leo, a lion; used both for the literal animal and, metaphorically, for individuals or entities characterized by exceptional strength, ferocity, or majesty. In some contexts, can signify a powerful participant in a struggle, a leader, or a threatening force due to the lion's notoriety for predatory prowess in the ancient Near East. In poetry and prophetic literature, frequently serves as an emblem of danger, bravery, or sovereignty.

Semantic Range

lion (literal animal), predator, symbol of strength or threat, figure of royalty or bravery, agent of violence or destruction, metaphor for powerful individuals or nations

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root אַרָה (arah), which conveys the sense of violence or tearing. The root meaning is 'to pluck, tear, or snatch (prey)' and the word אֲרִי is an agent noun relating to the one who performs such actions, i.e., a lion.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, אֲרִי occurs frequently in both straightforward zoological contexts and as a literary metaphor for mighty individuals, nations, or threats. The animal itself was well known in the ancient southern Levant, and frequent lion imagery appears in royal iconography from surrounding cultures. Poetic and wisdom texts (e.g., Psalms, Proverbs) often use אֲרִי or its extended form אֲרִיֵה (ʼarîeih) to evoke danger, power, or majesty, and the lion is also listed among predators in narrative texts. The word is sometimes extended to compounds such as כְּפִיר (young lion) to specify age or ferocity. English translations typically render אֲרִי as 'lion,' which generally preserves the substance of the Hebrew; however, certain metaphorical or symbolic aspects—such as the lion as a figure of threatening political power or as a motif for courage—may be flattened in translation. While 'pierce' appears in some marginal translators’ notes, it is not a standard sense of אֲרִי itself but relates more to the predatory action implied by the root.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or (prolonged) [ar-yay']; from אָרָה (in the sense of violence); a lion; (young) lion, [phrase] pierce (from the margin).

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

ארה (ʾ-r-h) — to pluck, tear, snatch (prey)

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H717 אָרָה I plucked
H718 אֲרוּ and look!
H723 אֻרְוָה feeding-stalls of
H727 אָרוֹן gathering chest of
H745 אַרְיֵה the lion

Word Forms

18 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H738-03 אַרְיֵה֙ areyeh HNcmsa lion tearer-lion 20
H738-02 אֲרָי֔וֹת arayot HNcmpa lions lions 13
H738-06 הָ/אַרְיֵ֑ה haareyeh HTd/Ncmsa the lion the tearing-lion 10
H738-10 כְּ/אַרְיֵ֛ה keareyeh HR/Ncmsa like a lion like a lion 10
H738-07 הָֽ/אֲרִי֙ haari HTd/Ncmsa the lion the tearer 7
H738-04 אֲרִ֣י ari HNcmsa lion tearing lion 4
H738-09 כַּ/אֲרִ֛י kaari HR/Ncmsa like a lion tearing-one (lion) 3
H738-17 וְ/הָ֣/אַרְיֵ֔ה vehaareyeh HC/Td/Ncmsa and the lion and the lion 2
H738-16 וְ/אַרְיֵ֖ה veareyeh HC/Ncmsa and-lion and a tearing-lion 2
H738-05 הָ֣/אֲרָי֔וֹת haarayot HTd/Ncmpa lions the tearing lions 2

Occurrences in Scripture

81 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H738-03 Genesis 49:9 אַרְיֵה֙ areyeh HNcmsa lion tearer-lion
H738-10 Genesis 49:9 כְּ/אַרְיֵ֛ה keareyeh HR/Ncmsa like a lion like a lion
H738-18 Numbers 23:24 וְ/כַ/אֲרִ֖י vekhaari HC/R/Ncmsa and as a lion and like a tearing-lion
H738-09 Numbers 24:9 כַּ/אֲרִ֛י kaari HR/Ncmsa like a lion tearing-one (lion)
H738-03 Deuteronomy 33:22 אַרְיֵ֑ה areyeh HNcmsa lion tearer-lion
H738-02 Judges 14:5 אֲרָי֔וֹת arayot HNcmpa of lions lions
H738-06 Judges 14:8 הָ/אַרְיֵ֑ה haareyeh HTd/Ncmsa of the lion the tearing-lion
H738-06 Judges 14:8 הָ/אַרְיֵ֖ה haareyeh-2 HTd/Ncmsa the lion the tearing-lion
H738-06 Judges 14:9 הָ/אַרְיֵ֖ה haareyeh HTd/Ncmsa of the lion the tearing-lion
H738-14 Judges 14:18 מֵ/אֲרִ֑י meari HR/Ncmsa than a lion from a tearing-lion
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