אַרְפָּד
𐤀𐤓𐤐𐤃
Arepad
H774 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A proper noun designating a city in the region of northern Syria, mentioned in the Hebrew Bible primarily in contexts relating to military campaigns and geopolitical alliances. The name may connote something like 'spreading out' or 'broad expanse,' but is used exclusively as a toponym without further lexical usage.
Semantic Range
(only as a place name) Arpad, an Aramean/Syrian city-state; does not occur with a common noun or verb meaning in the Hebrew Bible
Root / Etymology
The word אַרְפָּד (ʼArpâd) is most likely derived from the root רָפַד (r-p-d), which means 'to spread out, to make a bed, to lay flat.' However, as a proper noun for a city, the connection to the root meaning is not clearly reflected in the historical or biblical narrative. It may reflect an earlier, now obscure, naming convention or toponymic practice.
Historical & Contextual Notes
'Arpad' designates a city-state located in northern Syria (modern Tell Rif‘at), frequently referenced in Neo-Assyrian and biblical records. In the Hebrew Bible, Arpad is cited alongside other Levantine cities, especially in prophetic or historical passages recounting Assyrian conquests (e.g., 2 Kings 18:34; 19:13; Isaiah 10:9; 37:13; Jeremiah 49:23). During the Iron Age, Arpad was a significant Aramean city and later became an Assyrian provincial center; its inhabitants would be considered Arameans/Syrians, not Israelites or Judahites. Biblical references do not reflect religious or ethnic descriptions of the city, focusing rather on its political role. The city of Arpad is sometimes rendered 'Arphad' in older English translations, but this reflects Greek/Latin tradition rather than the original Hebrew; such Latinate forms are not historically precise for the Iron Age context. There is no evidence that the place name itself contained connotations beyond its designation as a city; standard English translations correctly treat it as a proper noun. The word is not found in contexts outside of toponymy (it does not carry the common verb/noun sense of the root רָפַד in biblical usage).
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from רָפַד; spread out; Arpad, a place in Syria; Arpad, Arphad.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
רפד (r-p-d) — to spread, to spread out, to lay flat
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H7502 | רָפַד | Pad me |
| H7507 | רְפִידָה | his spread-out base |
| H7508 | רְפִידִים | in Rephidim |
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H774-03 |
וְ/אַרְפָּ֗ד | vearepad | HC/Np |
and Arpad | and Arpad | 3 |
H774-01 |
אַרְפָּ֔ד | arepad | HNp |
of Arpad | Arpad | 2 |
H774-02 |
כְ/אַרְפַּד֙ | khearepad | HR/Np |
like Arpad | like Arpad | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
6 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H774-03 |
2 Kings 18:34 | וְ/אַרְפָּ֗ד | vearepad | HC/Np |
and Arpad | and Arpad |
H774-01 |
2 Kings 19:13 | אַרְפָּ֔ד | arepad | HNp |
of Arpad | Arpad |
H774-02 |
Isaiah 10:9 | כְ/אַרְפַּד֙ | khearepad | HR/Np |
like Arpad | like Arpad |
H774-03 |
Isaiah 36:19 | וְ/אַרְפָּ֔ד | vearepad | HC/Np |
and Arpad | and Arpad |
H774-01 |
Isaiah 37:13 | אַרְפָּ֔ד | arepad | HNp |
of Arpad | Arpad |
H774-03 |
Jeremiah 49:23 | וְ/אַרְפָּ֔ד | vearepad | HC/Np |
and Arpad | and Arpad |