Lexical Summary arugah: Bed, garden bed, or plot Original Word: עֲרוּגָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance bed, furrow Or iarugah {ar-oo-gaw'}; feminine passive participle of arag; something piled up (as if (figuratively) raised by mental aspiration), i.e. A paterre -- bed, furrow. see HEBREW arag NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom arag Definition a garden terrace or bed NASB Translation bed (1), beds (3). Brown-Driver-Briggs [עֲרוּגָה] noun feminine garden terrace or bed; — construct עֲרוּגַת הַבּשֶֹׁם Songs 5:13 bed of balsam (simile); plural construct ׳עֲרֻגוֺת הַבּ Songs 6:2, מַטָּעָהּ ׳ע Ezekiel 17:7 i.e. where the vine was planted, עֲרֻגֹת צִמְחָהּ Ezekiel 17:10 (all figurative). Topical Lexicon Overview The word עֲרוּגָה occurs only four times in the Old Testament and consistently evokes the image of an ordered garden-plot or planting-bed. Whether used poetically in Song of Songs or prophetically in Ezekiel, the term portrays deliberate cultivation—soil that has been prepared to receive seed, supply nourishment, and display growth. Because Scripture presents Yahweh as both Gardener (Genesis 2:8) and Vinedresser (Isaiah 5:1-7; John 15:1), these short passages contribute to a wider biblical theology of God’s patient, purposeful care for His people. Literal Agricultural Context Ancient Near-Eastern gardens were usually laid out in small, elevated rectangles with irrigation furrows surrounding them. Such beds protected tender plants from trampling, permitted precise watering, and separated spices or vegetables by type. The same practice appears in later Jewish agriculture; the Mishnah speaks of raised ridges for melons and cucumbers. Therefore an עֲרוּגָה signified more than soil—it was a carefully shaped environment designed for flourishing. Symbolic and Poetic Usage in Song of Songs 1. Song of Songs 5:13 describes the bridegroom: “His cheeks are like beds of spice, towers of perfume; His lips are lilies, dripping with flowing myrrh”. The simile depicts the beloved’s face as a perfumed garden-plot, orderly yet luxuriant. Through these two references the Song highlights cultivated intimacy. Love is not a wild field but a cared-for space in which fragrance intensifies because the ground has been purposefully arranged. The picture invites reflection on marital faithfulness and, by extension, on covenant fidelity between the Lord and His people. Prophetic Imagery in Ezekiel 1. Ezekiel 17:7 portrays Judah as a transplanted vine that “sent out its roots toward him from the beds where it was planted”. The prophet is addressing the political intrigue of Zedekiah’s rebellion against Babylon. The beds in which the vine rests represent the covenant setting God had sovereignly arranged for Judah’s safety. By reaching toward another “great eagle” (Egypt) the vine jeopardizes the very environment intended for its growth. The threatened withering underscores that prosperity cannot be sustained apart from divine nurture. Theological Implications 1. Divine Sovereignty and Preparation: In every occurrence, the planting-bed exists because someone with authority shaped it first. This parallels God’s preparatory grace. He designs contexts (families, churches, nations) where life can flourish under His oversight (Ephesians 2:10). Practical Ministry Applications • Discipleship as Cultivation: Churches and families serve as spiritual beds where truth, accountability, and affection are deliberately arranged so that believers mature in Christ. Intertextual Connections Genesis 2:8 introduces the archetypal garden; Isaiah 58:11 pictures the soul as “a well-watered garden.” John 20:15 records that Mary mistook the risen Christ for “the gardener,” an echo that crowns the theme: the One who plants is also the One who raises from death. The scarce but vivid use of עֲרוּגָה thus participates in a grand storyline—from Eden, through covenant Israel, to the consummated new creation where the Lamb leads His people to living fountains (Revelation 7:17). Forms and Transliterations כַּעֲרוּגַ֣ת כערוגת לַעֲרוּג֖וֹת לערוגות מֵעֲרֻג֖וֹת מערגות עֲרֻגֹ֥ת ערגת ‘ă·ru·ḡōṯ ‘ăruḡōṯ aruGot ka‘ărūḡaṯ ka·‘ă·rū·ḡaṯ kaaruGat la‘ărūḡōwṯ la·‘ă·rū·ḡō·wṯ laaruGot mê‘ăruḡōwṯ mê·‘ă·ru·ḡō·wṯ mearuGotLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Songs 5:13 HEB: לְחָיָו֙ כַּעֲרוּגַ֣ת הַבֹּ֔שֶׂם מִגְדְּל֖וֹת NAS: His cheeks are like a bed of balsam, KJV: His cheeks [are] as a bed of spices, INT: his cheeks A bed of balsam Banks Songs 6:2 Ezekiel 17:7 Ezekiel 17:10 4 Occurrences |
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