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אֶרֶךְ

𐤀𐤓𐤊

Erekhe

H751 noun

SILEX Entry

Root ארך to be long, to make long, prolong

Definition

Proper noun indicating a city known as Erek or Erech, an ancient Mesopotamian urban center identified with the Sumerian city of Uruk. In biblical usage, it refers specifically to a place in Babylonia. The primary sense is the name of the city rather than a descriptor of its attributes.

Semantic Range

Erek/Erech (proper noun; the city of Erech/Uruk in Babylonia); not used for 'length' as a common noun; geographic name only

Root / Etymology

From the root אָרַךְ (ʼ-r-k), meaning 'to be long, to prolong.' The direct semantic connection of the city's name to the Hebrew root is uncertain; the biblical spelling follows the pattern of semiticized foreign place names. It is likely a transliteration of the original Sumerian/ Akkadian name Uruk/Erech rather than an etymological derivative from Hebrew.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the context of Genesis 10:10, אֶרֶךְ (Erek/Erech) appears as one of the cities founded by Nimrod in the land of Shinar (southern Mesopotamia), associated with the early cradle of Mesopotamian civilization. Archaeologically, the city is identified as Uruk, a major Sumerian metropolis influential in the development of writing and early urban civilization. The term occurs only in proper noun contexts and does not function as a common noun meaning 'length' in its biblical occurrences; such usage is reserved for the related noun אָרֶךְ or the root אָרַךְ. English translations render the term as 'Erech,' but this may obscure identification with the historically significant Uruk. The city is referenced only in early genealogical and geographical lists, not in narratives or prophecy. It should not be confused with the abstract noun for 'length.'

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from אָרַךְ; length; Erek, a place in Babylon; Erech.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

ארך (ʾ-r-k) — to be long, to make long, prolong

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H216 אוֹר length of
H724 אֲרוּכָה restored wholeness
H748 אָרַךְ I will lengthen
H749 אֲרַךְ sufficient
H750 אָרֵךְ long-of

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H751-01 וְ/אֶ֖רֶךְ veerekhe HC/Np and Erech and Erek 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H751-01 Genesis 10:10 וְ/אֶ֖רֶךְ veerekhe HC/Np and Erech and Erek
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