אֻרְיָה (ur.vah)
ur.vah
stall
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun uriyah refers to a manger, crib, or stall for animals. With only two occurrences in the Bible, both found in 2 Chronicles, it describes the feeding troughs prepared for the royal horses and chariots. The text uses this specific term to highlight the scale and luxury of King Solomon’s court, noting that these stalls were located near Jerusalem.
Its meaning is concrete and functional, pointing to a place where livestock are fed rather than a general enclosure. Translators typically render it as "stalls" or "cribs," emphasizing the agricultural infrastructure required to maintain such a large royal household. The word underscores the economic power and organizational capacity of the kingdom during its peak.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word uriyah points to a simple feeding trough for animals, yet its appearance in Scripture carries weight beyond its humble function. In 2 Chronicles, it appears in records of King Solomon’s vast military and agricultural infrastructure. These stalls were not merely functional; they represented the immense economic power and organizational capacity of the kingdom at its peak.
For the modern reader, this concrete detail reminds us that God’s people have always lived within complex social and political structures. The text does not shy away from describing the luxury and scale of Solomon’s court, including these specialized facilities for horses and chariots. It invites us to consider how material resources were managed in ancient Israel.
While the focus often remains on spiritual matters, the Bible also acknowledges the realities of daily life, agriculture, and statecraft. These references ground our faith history in tangible reality, showing that even the most powerful rulers relied on practical systems to sustain their households and armies.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- stalls of1×
- and/ stalls1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וְ/אֻֽרָוֹת֙1×
- אֻֽרְי֤וֹת1×
Key Verses
-
II Chronicles 9:25
Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen that he stationed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem.
This verse highlights the sheer scale of Solomon’s resources by specifying four thousand stalls, illustrating the logistical capacity required to maintain his horses and chariots.
-
II Chronicles 32:28
also storehouses for the increase of grain, new wine, and oil; and stalls for all kinds of animals, and flocks in folds.
Here the term appears in a list of Hezekiah’s storehouses, showing that such agricultural infrastructure remained vital for sustaining the kingdom’s animals and economy.