Lexical Summary orach: paths, way, path Original Word: אֹרַח Strong's Exhaustive Concordance manner, highway From 'arach; a well-trodden road (literally or figuratively); also a caravan -- manner, path, race, rank, traveller, troop, (by-, high-)way. see HEBREW 'arach NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom arach Definition a way, path NASB Translation caravans (1), childbearing* (1), course (1), highways (1), path (13), paths (19), traveler (1), way (15), ways (6). Brown-Driver-Briggs אֹ֫רַח noun masculineJob 6:18 (feminineProverbs 15:19) way, path (Assyrian ur—u COTGloss, Aramaic אֹרַח,  ) — ׳א absolute Psalm 19:6 +; construct Proverbs 4:18 +; suffix אָרְחִי Job 19:8; Psalm 139:3 < Infinitive construct, and "" רִבְעִי (Infinitive construct of II. רבע), not דרכי, compare Bae. etc.; plural absolute אֳרָחוֺת Judges 5:6 (twice in verse) construct אָרְחוֺת Job 8:13 +; suffix אָרְחֹתָ֑י Job 13:27; Job 33:11; אָרְחוֺתָם Joel 2:7; Proverbs 9:15; אָרְחֹתֵיהֶם Proverbs 2:15; also אֹרְחֹתָיו Isaiah 2:3 +; אֹרְחֹתֶיךָ Psalm 119:15 + etc.; — way, path (in Hebrew mostly poetry) 1 literal Judges 5:6 (twice in verse) Songs of Deborah (alone = highways, opposed to עֲקַלְקַלּוֺת ׳א crooked (by- paths;) compare also הֹלְכֵי נְתִיבוֺת ib.); Isaiah 33:8 ׳עֹבֵר א = wayfarer ("" מְסִלּוֺת), see also Genesis 49:17 (blessing of Jocob) ("" דֶּרֶךְ) & הֵמְיַשְּׁרִים אָרְחוֺתָם those who make straight their ways ("" עֹבְרֵי דָרֶ֑ךְ) Proverbs 9:15, ׳בּוֺא א go (tread) a path Isaiah 41:3; of course of locusts Joel 2:7 ׳לֹא יְעַבְּטוּן א they confuse not their paths ("" דְּרָכִים); יַמִּים ׳א paths of the seas Psalm 8:9; רוּץ אֹרַח run along a path, figurative of sun Psalm 19:6. 2 figurative path, way, of course & fortunes of life Job 13,27 = Job 33:11; Job 19:8 ("" נְתִיבוֺת) Psalm 139:3 ("" דֶּרֶךְ) Psalm 142:4 ("" נְתִיבָה) Proverbs 3:6 ("" דֶּרֶךְ) Proverbs 4:18; Proverbs 15:19 (both "" id.) Isaiah 26:7 ("" מַעְגָּל) so דֶּרֶךְ אֹרְחֹתֶיךָ Isaiah 3:12; plain or even path מִישׁוֺר ׳א Psalm 27:11; in two cases with a special reference (1) אֹרַח כַּנָּשִׁים Genesis 18:11 (J) of menstruation; (2) אֹרַח לֹא אָשׁוּב אֶהֱלֹךְ a path (which) I shall not return, I am going Job 16:22 i.e. to Sh®°ôl, compare Assyrian name of lower world irƒit lâ târat, land without return, see Jr10; Jr65. 3 figurative way, of mode of living, or of character Job 34:11 ("" מֹּעַל) Psalm 119:9. Specifically: a. ways of ׳י, his mode of action Psalm 25:10; b. of man's righteousness, called ways of ׳י Psalm 25:4 ("" דְּרָכִים) Psalm 44:19; Psalm 119:15 ("" מִּקּוּדִים) Isaiah 2:3 = Micah 4:2 ("" דְּרָכִים) compare מִשְׁמָּטֶיךָ ׳א Isaiah 26:8; also way of justice, uprightness, etc. מִשְׁמָּט ׳א Proverbs 2:8 ("" דֶּרֶח) Proverbs 17:23; Isaiah 40:14 ("" דֶּרֶח), ישֶׁר ׳א Proverbs 2:13 ("" id.), צְדָקָה ׳א Proverbs 8:20 ("" נְתִיבוֺת), Proverbs 12:28 ("" דֶּרֶךְ נְתִיבָה); so אֹרַה alone Isaiah 30:11 ("" דֶּרֶךְ) Proverbs 15:10; note especially אֹרַח חַיִּים, path of life, in righteousness & enjoyment of God Psalm 16:11; Proverbs 2:19; Proverbs 5:5; Proverbs 15:24 (opposed to שְׁאוֺל), also לְחַיִּים ׳א Proverbs 10:17 (on these compare Str Proverbs 14:32); c. of wickedness, מָּרִיץ ׳א way, path of the violent Psalm 17:4, compare also Proverbs 22:25; רְשָׁעְים ׳א Proverbs 4:14 ("" דֶּרֶךְ), בֹּצֵעַ ׳א Proverbs 1:19; followed by abstract שָׁ֑קֶר ׳א Psalm 119:104, so Psalm 119:128 ("" מִּקּוּדִים), also with adjective רָע ׳א Psalm 119:101 compare Proverbs 2:15 (עִקְּשִׁים crooked) called עלָוֺם ׳הָא Job 22:15; note also אֵידָם ׳א their destructive ways, i.e. ways that cause destruction Job 30:12 (compare Job 19:12). 4 by meton. traveler, wayfarer Job 31:32 (compare חֵלֶךְ 2 Samuel 12:4) & in plural caravans 2 Samuel 6:18,19 but read perhaps לָאֹרֵחַ 2Sam 31:32, אֹרְחוֺת 2 Samuel 6:18,19. Topical Lexicon Overview and Semantic Rangeאֹרַח denotes a well-defined path, track, or course and, by extension, a pattern of conduct. The word moves easily from literal roads beaten into the earth by caravan traffic to figurative descriptions of moral choice. Of its approximately fifty-nine appearances, over half occur in poetical books, where the interplay between physical travel and spiritual direction is a central motif. Literal Usage: Travel and Caravan Routes Several texts employ אֹרַח for the lanes used by merchants, nomads, or military forces. Job dramatically captures the instability of desert travel: “Caravans turn aside from their routes; they go into the wasteland and perish. The caravans of Tema look for water; the travelers of Sheba hope for it” (Job 6:18-19). Here אֹרַח evokes rutted tracks across arid soil—routes that can disappear with shifting sands, leaving caravans disoriented. Historical books occasionally echo this sense, hinting at the commercial arteries that bound Israel to its neighbors. Such references remind readers that Israel’s faith developed at crossroads of trade and diplomacy; God’s revelation met people on real roads populated by real pilgrims. Figurative Usage: Moral and Spiritual Paths Wisdom literature converts the caravan trail into an ethical metaphor. Proverbs is especially rich: • “Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers” (Proverbs 4:14). Here אֹרַח contrasts two mutually exclusive life-courses. Righteous paths lead toward light, openness, and safety; wicked paths curve into darkness and hazard. The imagery reinforces covenant theology: obedience yields clarity, disobedience produces confusion. Patterns Across Canonical Books Psalms – The psalmists repeatedly anchor confidence in God by appealing to His paths. “My steps have held to Your paths; my feet have not slipped” (Psalm 17:5). Because God’s character is steadfast, His paths are level ground for the faithful. Job – Suffering interrogates the reliability of every “path.” Job 8:19 uses אֹרַח to describe a rootless plant uprooted from its track, underscoring life’s fragility apart from divine wisdom. Proverbs – As shown above, Proverbs builds a theology of decision-making on contrasting paths. Prophets – Though less frequent, prophetic uses call nations back to God’s ways by exposing the ruin of crooked paths (for example, Isaiah 59:8). Theology of the Path 1. Revelation – God’s instruction carves a dependable track through a fallen world. His statutes are not abstract ideals but navigational lines (Psalm 119:35 employs a synonym yet develops the same concept). 2. Providence – The Lord “guards the paths of justice” (Proverbs 2:8), implying personal supervision over those who walk them. 3. Judgment – Wicked paths end in sudden destruction (Proverbs 2:15, 19). The same word that once guided caravans to commerce can lead rebels to calamity when they ignore divine landmarks. Christological and New Testament Connections Greek ὁδός (hodos), the common Septuagint counterpart to אֹרַח, surfaces prominently in the New Testament. Jesus pronounces Himself “the way” (John 14:6), echoing the Hebrew notion of a divinely authorized path. Early believers were even called “the Way” (Acts 9:2), signifying that the church embodies the righteous אֹרַח foretold in Scripture. Applications for Ministry and Discipleship • Expository preaching can trace the motif of God-given paths to show how Scripture envisions obedience as directional rather than merely behavioral. Related Terms and Distinctions אֹרַח often overlaps with דֶּרֶךְ yet tends to stress the trodden nature of a path, whereas דֶּרֶךְ can signify a broader course or journey. Both unite in portraying life before God as purposeful movement. Selected Occurrences by Theme Moral Contrast - Proverbs 2:20; 4:14; 4:18; 15:19 Divine Guidance - Psalm 17:5; Psalm 25:10; Proverbs 2:8 Human Frailty - Job 6:18-19; Job 13:27; Job 19:8 Judgment on the Wicked Righteous Assurance These passages collectively affirm that God not only charts the righteous path but also walks it with His people, ensuring its culmination in the eternal fellowship promised throughout Scripture. Forms and Transliterations אֳרָח֑וֹת אֳרָח֖וֹת אָ֭רְחוֹת אָרְח֑וֹ אָרְח֣וֹת אָרְח֥וֹת אָרְחִ֣י אָרְחֶֽךָ׃ אָרְחֹתֵיהֶ֣ם אָרְחֹתָֽי׃ אָרְחוֹתָ֑י אֹ֑רַח אֹ֖רְחוֹתֶ֣יךָ אֹ֖רַח אֹ֣רַח אֹ֤רַח אֹ֥רַח אֹ֧רַח אֹ֬רַח אֹֽרְחֹתֶ֖יךָ אֹֽרְחֹתֶֽיךָ׃ אֹֽרְחֹתָ֑יו אֹֽרְחוֹתָֽם׃ אֹֽרַח׃ אֹרְחֹתֶֽיךָ׃ אֹרְחוֹתָֽם׃ ארח ארח׃ ארחו ארחות ארחותי ארחותיך ארחותם׃ ארחי ארחך׃ ארחתי׃ ארחתיהם ארחתיו ארחתיך ארחתיך׃ בְּאֹ֣רַח בְּאֹֽרְחֹתָ֑יו בְּאֹֽרַח־ בְּאֹרְחֹתָ֑יו בארח בארח־ בארחתיו הַאֹ֣רַח הארח וְאָרְח֖וֹת וְאֹ֖רַח וְאֹ֣רַח וּֽכְאֹ֥רַח וארח וארחות וכארח לָאֹ֥רַח לארח ’ā·rə·ḥe·ḵā ’ā·rə·ḥî ’ā·rə·ḥō·ṯāy ’ā·rə·ḥō·ṯê·hem ’ā·rə·ḥō·w·ṯāy ’ā·rə·ḥō·wṯ ’ā·rə·ḥōw ’ārəḥeḵā ’ārəḥî ’ārəḥōṯāy ’ārəḥōṯêhem ’ārəḥōw ’ārəḥōwṯ ’ārəḥōwṯāy ’o·rā·ḥō·wṯ ’ō·raḥ ’ō·rə·ḥō·ṯāw ’ō·rə·ḥō·ṯe·ḵā ’ō·rə·ḥō·w·ṯām ’ō·rə·ḥō·w·ṯe·ḵā ’ōraḥ ’orāḥōwṯ ’ōrəḥōṯāw ’ōrəḥōṯeḵā ’ōrəḥōwṯām ’ōrəḥōwṯeḵā areChecha areChi areCho areChot arechoTai arechoteiHem bə’ōraḥ bə’ōraḥ- bə’ōrəḥōṯāw bə·’ō·raḥ bə·’ō·raḥ- bə·’ō·rə·ḥō·ṯāw beOrach beorechoTav ha’ōraḥ ha·’ō·raḥ haOrach lā’ōraḥ lā·’ō·raḥ laOrach Orach oraChot OrechoTam orechoTav orechoTeicha ū·ḵə·’ō·raḥ ucheOrach ūḵə’ōraḥ veareChot veOrach wə’ārəḥōwṯ wə’ōraḥ wə·’ā·rə·ḥō·wṯ wə·’ō·raḥLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 18:11 HEB: לִהְי֣וֹת לְשָׂרָ֔ה אֹ֖רַח כַּנָּשִֽׁים׃ NAS: Sarah was past childbearing. KJV: to be with Sarah after the manner of women. INT: become Sarah the manner of women Genesis 49:17 Judges 5:6 Judges 5:6 Job 6:18 Job 6:19 Job 8:13 Job 13:27 Job 16:22 Job 19:8 Job 22:15 Job 30:12 Job 31:32 Job 33:11 Job 34:11 Psalm 8:8 Psalm 16:11 Psalm 17:4 Psalm 19:5 Psalm 25:4 Psalm 25:10 Psalm 27:11 Psalm 44:18 Psalm 119:9 Psalm 119:15 59 Occurrences |
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