Lexical Summary Arad: Arad Original Word: עֲרָד Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Arad From an unused root meaning to sequester itself; fugitive; Arad, the name of a place near Palestine, also of a Canaanite and an Israelite -- Arad. Brown-Driver-Briggs [עָרַג] verb long for (compare Arabic  ascend, II. bend, incline toward ( );  high, elevated; Ethiopic  ascend; Late Hebrew עֲרוּגָה = Biblical Hebrew); — Qal Imperfect3feminine singular תַּעֲרֹג Psalm 42:2 (of stag, with עַל of thing in simile); with אֶל, of longing for God Psalm 42:2 (subject נַפְשִׁי), so תַּעֲרוֺג Joel 1:20 (of beasts, craving water). I. עֲרָד proper name, of a location Canaanite city in the Negeb, Αραδ (Egyptian ±a-ru-dâ WMM As.u.Eur.168,170); — Judges 1:16, ׳מֶלֶחעֿ Numbers 21:1 (JE) = Numbers 33:40, Joshua 12:14 (D, Α(ι)ραθ, A ᵐ5L Αδερ); probably modern Tel Arad, 16 2-Janmiles south of Hebron; compare GFM Judges 1:16 Buhl Geogr. 182. II. עֲרָד proper name, masculine Benjamite 1 Chronicles 8:15, Ωρηρ, A Αρωδ, ᵐ5L Αραδ. Topical Lexicon Identity and SettingArad designates both a Canaanite city-state in the Negev and, once, a Benjamite individual. The city lay about twenty miles east-northeast of Beersheba, guarding routes that linked the southern Rift Valley with the Judean hill country. Its position made it the first fortified center that Israel had to face after the Red Sea generation began to approach Canaan from the south. Occurrences in Scripture 1. Numbers 21:1 records the Canaanite king of Arad attacking Israel as they advanced “along the way of Atharim.” Historical Significance The clash at Arad is the first recorded engagement after Israel turned from Kadesh toward the Promised Land. Israel’s initial defeat (captives were taken) led to a solemn vow: “If You will deliver this people into our hands, we will devote their cities to destruction” (Numbers 21:2). The LORD granted the request, and the conquest of Hormah followed. This episode previews the larger campaign under Joshua, demonstrating that victory hinged on reliance upon God rather than military strength. Joshua 12:14’s inclusion of the king of Arad among the vanquished confirms the fulfillment of the vow made in Numbers 21. The appearance of Arad again in Judges 1:16, now safely within Judah’s sphere, underlines Israel’s permanent possession of territory once ruled by hostile Canaanites. Geographical and Archaeological Insights Tel Arad (modern Horvat ‘Arad) has yielded remains from two principal periods: • Early Bronze Age: a large, well-planned Canaanite city that was abandoned long before the Exodus, yet its name and strategic site endured. These layers show how the location moved from pagan control to Israelite administration and finally to a garrison safeguarding Judah’s southern frontier. Theological Themes 1. Divine Faithfulness – The progression from Numbers to Joshua illustrates the LORD’s consistent commitment to Israel’s conquest promises (Genesis 15:18-21). Ministry Applications • Trust in God’s Sovereign Timing – Just as Israel had to wait until God delivered the Canaanite into their hand, believers learn to move forward only under divine direction. In Summary Arad stands as an early milestone in Israel’s entrance into Canaan, a reminder of God’s deliverance in response to prayer, and a geographical testament to His unfolding plan—from wilderness skirmish, to Joshua’s complete conquest, to settled life within Judah’s inheritance. Forms and Transliterations וַעֲרָ֖ד וערד עֲרָ֑ד עֲרָ֔ד עֲרָ֖ד עֲרָד֙ ערד ‘ă·rāḏ ‘ărāḏ aRad vaaRad wa‘ărāḏ wa·‘ă·rāḏLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Numbers 21:1 HEB: הַכְּנַעֲנִ֤י מֶֽלֶךְ־ עֲרָד֙ יֹשֵׁ֣ב הַנֶּ֔גֶב NAS: the king of Arad, who lived KJV: And [when] king Arad the Canaanite, INT: the Canaanite the king of Arad lived the Negev Numbers 33:40 Joshua 12:14 Judges 1:16 1 Chronicles 8:15 5 Occurrences |
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