777. Artsa
Lexical Summary
Artsa: To the land, toward the land, groundward

Original Word: אַרְצָא
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: artsa'
Pronunciation: ahr-TSAH
Phonetic Spelling: (ar-tsaw')
KJV: Arza
NASB: Arza
Word Origin: [from H776 (אֶרֶץ - land)]

1. earthiness
2. Artsa, an Israelite

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Arza

From 'erets; earthiness; Artsa, an Israelite -- Arza.

see HEBREW 'erets

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from erets
Definition
an Isr.
NASB Translation
Arza (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
אַרְצָא proper name, masculine chamberlain of Zimri 1 Kings 16:9.

Topical Lexicon
Occurrence and Narrative Setting

Arza (Artsa) appears once in Scripture, 1 Kings 16:9, where his house in Tirzah becomes the scene of King Elah’s assassination. The verse notes: “While Elah was in Tirzah, getting drunk in the house of Arza who was in charge of the household in Tirzah, Zimri, commander of half his chariots, conspired against him”. Arza is presented as steward (Hebrew: “over the house”)—a position of high trust within the royal administration.

Historical Background

1 Kings 16 records the closing years of the Omride–pre-Omride northern kingdom before Omri’s consolidation of power. Elah, son of Baasha, reigns only two years (circa 886–885 BC). Zimri’s coup occurs in a context of moral and political decay already denounced by the prophets (1 Kings 16:1–4). Tirzah, a royal residence from Jeroboam I to Omri, lies in the central hill country, commanding strategic trade routes. The text’s brief focus on Arza underlines how even the private quarters of the court echoed Israel’s broader covenant infidelity.

Roles and Relationships

1. Chief Household Officer: Comparable to Joseph in Potiphar’s house (Genesis 39:4) or Obadiah under Ahab (1 Kings 18:3), Arza controlled the provisions, finances, and domestic personnel of the palace.
2. Host to the King: His personal residence hosted royal banqueting. Hospitality for the monarch implied privilege and intimate access, but also unique accountability before God (cf. Proverbs 25:5).
3. Unwitting Catalyst: Though the text does not accuse Arza of conspiracy, his location becomes the stage on which divine judgment against Baasha’s dynasty falls (1 Kings 16:3–4,12).

Spiritual Lessons

• Compromise breeds vulnerability. Elah’s drunkenness in a servant’s house reflects a king surrendered to appetite rather than covenant stewardship; such laxity invites disaster.
• Positions of trust are spiritually weighty. Arza’s proximity to power recalls Jesus’ warning: “From everyone who has been entrusted with much, much will be required” (Luke 12:48).
• God’s sovereignty over palace intrigues. Though plotted by men, Zimri’s coup fulfills the prophetic word; Arza’s house becomes an instrument in God’s redemptive history, demonstrating that “He removes kings and establishes them” (Daniel 2:21).

Christological and Theological Implications

The contrast between Elah’s self-indulgent banquet and the righteous kingship of Christ anticipates the Gospel’s portrayal of a servant-king who uses table fellowship for mercy rather than excess (Luke 22:27,30). Arza’s fleeting cameo underscores the transience of human kingdoms over against the eternal kingdom promised to the Son of David (2 Samuel 7:16; Isaiah 9:6–7).

Practical Application for Ministry

• Ethical leadership: Elders and ministry leaders are warned by Elah’s failure that personal discipline safeguards public trust (1 Timothy 3:2–3).
• Guardianship of space: Whether a home, church, or workplace, the places believers steward can foster either holiness or corruption. “Do not give the devil a foothold” (Ephesians 4:27).
• Prayer for those in authority: Arza’s role reminds the church to intercede for aides, advisors, and civil servants who shape the environment of rulers (1 Timothy 2:1–2).

Related Topics

Drunkenness and leadership—Leviticus 10:8–11; Proverbs 31:4–5

Palace conspiracies—2 Kings 15:10; Esther 2:21–23

Stewardship in Scripture—Genesis 39:4–6; Luke 16:1–13

Forms and Transliterations
אַרְצָ֔א ארצא ’ar·ṣā ’arṣā arTza
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Englishman's Concordance
1 Kings 16:9
HEB: שִׁכּ֔וֹר בֵּ֣ית אַרְצָ֔א אֲשֶׁ֥ר עַל־
NAS: in the house of Arza, who
KJV: in the house of Arza steward of [his] house
INT: drunk the house of Arza who over

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 777
1 Occurrence


’ar·ṣā — 1 Occ.

776
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