אֲרִאֵיל
𐤀𐤓𐤀𐤉𐤋
ʼăriʼêyl
H741 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A term referring specifically to the altar of the temple, particularly in prophetic visions; denotes the altar in its significance as the central place of sacrificial offering. The use is closely associated with imagery involving fire and the site of atonement in ritual practice. The primary meaning is the altar (particularly of burnt offering) in the Jerusalem temple, especially as seen in visionary or symbolic contexts.
Semantic Range
altar (especially the altar of burnt offering in the temple), hearth, sacred site of sacrifice, possible symbolic extension to Jerusalem or Zion as sacrificial center
Root / Etymology
Uncertain. The form אֲרִאֵיל may be a variant spelling of אריאל (Ariel, meaning 'lion of El' or 'hearth of El') or of הראל (Harel, meaning 'mountain of El'). There is scholarly debate whether it arises from transposition or as an orthographic variant. The root elements in both possible etyma (ארי and הר) are themselves the subject of discussion: 'lion' (אַרְיֵה) and 'mountain' (הַר) combined with אֵל ('El', God) or potentially referring metaphorically to the altar as the 'hearth' or 'mountain' of God.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The term appears in Ezekiel 43:15-16 as the designation of the altar in the prophet's temple vision. The form is limited in the Hebrew Bible and is distinct from אריאל 'Ariel' (Isa 29:1, as a poetic name for Jerusalem or Zion, possibly also related to the idea of the altar as God's hearth). Later Jewish interpreters tended to harmonize all forms as referring to the same object (the temple altar), though these terms may have had distinct origins or nuances. English translations conventionally render the word as 'altar,' which accurately reflects its biblical usage, though the Hebrew carries a weight of symbolic association (lion, hearth, divine mountain) lost in standard translations. Though the English translation 'altar' is functionally adequate, it does not capture the full depth of the term's imagery and symbolic value in prophetic and ritual contexts.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
either by transposition for אֲרִיאֵל or, more probably, an orthographical variation for הַרְאֵל; the altar of the temple; altar.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
ארי/הרל (ʾ-r-y / h-r-l) — lion, mountain, hearth, burning place
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H741-02 |
וְ/הָ/אֲרִיאֵ֗ל | vehaariel | HC/Td/Ncmsa |
and-the-altar-hearth | and the altar-hearth | 1 |
H741-03 |
ו/ה/אראיל | vhryl | HC/Td/Ncmsa |
and-the-altar-hearth | El-hearth altar | 1 |
H741-01 |
וּ/מֵ/הָ/אֲרִאֵ֣יל | umehaarieyl | HC/R/Td/Ncmsa |
and-from-the-hearth | and from the altar-hearth | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H741-01 |
Ezekiel 43:15 | וּ/מֵ/הָ/אֲרִאֵ֣יל | umehaarieyl | HC/R/Td/Ncmsa |
and-from-the-hearth | and from the altar-hearth |
H741-03 |
Ezekiel 43:16 | ו/ה/אראיל | vhryl | HC/Td/Ncmsa |
and-the-altar-hearth | El-hearth altar |
H741-02 |
Ezekiel 43:16 | וְ/הָ/אֲרִיאֵ֗ל | vehaariel | HC/Td/Ncmsa |
and-the-altar-hearth | and the altar-hearth |