733. Arach

Lexical Summary

Arach: To prolong, to lengthen, to extend

Original Word: אָרַח
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Arach
Pronunciation: ah-RAHK
Phonetic Spelling: (aw-rakh')
KJV: Arah
NASB: Arah
Word Origin: [from H732 (אָרַח - goes)]

1. way faring
2. Arach, the name of three Israelites

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

Arach, the name of three Israelites

From 'arach; way faring; Arach, the name of three Israelites: Arah.

see HEBREW 'arach

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from arach
Definition
perhaps "traveler," an Isr. name
NASB Translation
Arah (4).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

אָרַח proper name, masculine (traveler ?)

1 a man of Asher 1 Chronicles 7:39.

2 head of a family of returning exiles Ezra 2:5 = Nehemiah 7:10; perhaps= אָרַ֑ח Nehemiah 6:18.

Topical Lexicon

Identity and Meaning

Arah (“wayfarer” or “traveler”) designates three Israelite figures whose lines emerge in distinct periods of Old Testament history. Although separated by time, each appearance shares the common thread of covenant continuity—first within the tribe of Asher, later in the community restored from exile, and finally in the moral tests faced during Jerusalem’s rebuilding.

Biblical Occurrences

• 1 Chronicles 7:39 – Arah listed as a son of Ulla in the tribal genealogy of Asher.
• Ezra 2:5 – “the descendants of Arah, 775” who returned with Zerubbabel.
• Nehemiah 7:10 – Parallel census, “the descendants of Arah, 652,” reflecting later verification of the same clan.
• Nehemiah 6:18 – Tobiah the Ammonite was “son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah,” exposing a network of oaths that threatened the integrity of Nehemiah’s reforms.

Genealogical Context

1. Tribal Origins: The first Arah anchors a family within Asher, one of the northern tribes. Chronicles preserves the line to affirm that even lesser-known households retained their place in Israel’s covenant story.
2. Post-Exilic Clan: Centuries later, another clan bearing the same ancestral name surfaces among those who “came up” from Babylon. Their sizable number (775 in Ezra, 652 in Nehemiah) suggests both growth during captivity and subsequent attrition—possibly through death, dispersion, or verification procedures recorded in Nehemiah’s later census.
3. Alliance with Tobiah: Shecaniah son of Arah united his house to the Ammonite governor through marriage. The resulting “many in Judah… bound by oath” (Nehemiah 6:18) illustrates how family loyalties could compromise spiritual fidelity when yoked to hostile outsiders.

Historical Significance

• Restoration Witness: The clan of Arah represents the thousands who left relative security in Persia to reclaim the Promised Land. Their inclusion in the return lists underscores God’s providence in preserving tribal identities despite exile.
• Community Integrity: Nehemiah’s reforms drew resistance partly because influential Judeans—related to Arah’s line—had vested interests with Tobiah. The episode highlights the practical challenges of holiness when political, economic, and family pressures collide.
• Record-Keeping: Variations between Ezra 2 and Nehemiah 7 demonstrate meticulous administrative care. Rather than contradictions, the differing numbers reveal stages in resettlement and ongoing efforts to authenticate genealogies for temple service and land distribution.

Spiritual and Theological Insights

1. God Remembers the Obscure: Arah’s name surfaces only in lists, yet Scripture records him. Covenant faithfulness values every household, not merely the prominent.
2. Pilgrimage Motif: Bearing a name meaning “traveler,” the descendants of Arah embodied pilgrimage by leaving Babylon for Zion—an earthly emblem of the believer’s call to press toward the heavenly city.
3. Purity and Separation: The alliance with Tobiah warns that relational choices can either advance or hinder God’s work. Nehemiah’s resolve models pastoral vigilance when family ties threaten corporate holiness.

Lessons for Ministry Today

• Shepherd every name on the roll; unseen members matter to God’s redemptive plan.
• Encourage congregations to embrace costly obedience when God summons them to new frontiers.
• Maintain relational integrity; ministry leaders must discern alliances that could dilute gospel witness.
• Keep accurate records; transparency in stewardship and membership honors biblical precedent.

Selected Scripture

Ezra 2:5 – “the descendants of Arah, 775.”

Nehemiah 6:18 – “For many in Judah were bound by oath to him, since he was son-in-law of Shecaniah son of Arah; and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berechiah.”

Forms and Transliterations

אָרַ֑ח אָרַ֔ח אָרַ֥ח ארח ’ā·raḥ ’āraḥ aRach

Englishman's Concordance

1 Chronicles 7:39
HEB: וּבְנֵ֖י עֻלָּ֑א אָרַ֥ח וְחַנִּיאֵ֖ל וְרִצְיָֽא׃
NAS: of Ulla [were] Arah, Hanniel
KJV: of Ulla; Arah, and Haniel,
INT: the sons of Ulla Arah Hanniel and Rizia

Ezra 2:5
HEB: בְּנֵ֣י אָרַ֔ח שְׁבַ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת
NAS: the sons of Arah, 775;
KJV: The children of Arah, seven hundred
INT: the children of Arah seven hundred

Nehemiah 6:18
HEB: לִשְׁכַנְיָ֣ה בֶן־ אָרַ֑ח וִֽיהוֹחָנָ֣ן בְּנ֔וֹ
NAS: the son of Arah, and his son
KJV: the son of Arah; and his son
INT: of Shecaniah the son of Arah Jehohanan and his son

Nehemiah 7:10
HEB: בְּנֵ֣י אָרַ֔ח שֵׁ֥שׁ מֵא֖וֹת
NAS: the sons of Arah, 652;
KJV: The children of Arah, six hundred
INT: the children of Arah six hundred

4 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 733
4 Occurrences

’ā·raḥ — 4 Occ.