אֲרוֹן (a.ron)
a.ron
ark
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 171 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew word a.ron denotes a chest or box, derived from a root meaning "to gather." While it appears in various contexts, such as the money chest in 2 Kings 12:10 or the coffin of Joseph in Genesis 50:26, its primary biblical significance lies in the Ark of the Covenant. This sacred container held the stone tablets of the Law and served as the focal point of Israel’s worship.
Scripture frequently identifies it by specific titles, including "the ark of the testimony" (Exodus 25:22) and "the ark of the covenant of the Lord" (Deuteronomy 10:8). These designations highlight its role not merely as a storage vessel, but as the tangible symbol of God’s presence among His people. The term appears over one hundred times in the Old Testament, particularly in narratives involving the conquest of Canaan and the establishment of the temple.
Translators consistently render a.ron as "ark," preserving the sense of a protected container for holy items. The word underscores the reverence due to God’s commands, marking the ark as the central object of Israel’s religious life and a reminder of the covenant relationship between Yahweh and His chosen nation.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word aron refers to a sacred chest, most famously known as the Ark of the Covenant. This wooden box, overlaid with gold, held the stone tablets of the Law and served as the visible symbol of God’s presence among His people. It was not merely a storage container but the focal point where heaven met earth, marking the center of Israel’s worship and their covenant relationship with Yahweh.
For your faith today, this image reminds us that God desires to dwell among us. Just as the ark signified His promise to guide and protect Israel, it points to the deeper truth that we are never alone. The reverence shown to this holy object teaches us to approach God with awe, knowing He is both transcendent and intimately present in our lives.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 171 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- [the] ark of122×
- the/ ark45×
- and/ [the] ark of9×
- for the/ ark3×
- an ark of3×
- to/ [the] ark of2×
- the/ chest2×
- in the/ ark2×
- for/ [the] ark of2×
- [was] in the/ ark2×
- to the/ chest1×
- of the/ ark1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- אֲר֣וֹן50×
- אֲר֥וֹן23×
- אֲר֨וֹן11×
- אֲר֤וֹן11×
- אֲרוֹן֙8×
- אֲר֧וֹן8×
- הָ/אָרֹ֖ן6×
- אֲרוֹן\־5×
- אֲר֖וֹן5×
- וַ/אֲר֥וֹן4×
- הָ֣/אָר֔וֹן4×
- הָ/אָרֹ֑ן4×
Key Verses
-
Exodus 25:22
There I will meet with you, and I will tell you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the covenant, all that I command you for the children of Israel.
This verse establishes the ark as the specific location where God promises to meet with Moses and speak from above the mercy seat.
-
Exodus 40:21
He brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up the veil of the screen, and screened the ark of the covenant, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
Here the ark is brought into the tabernacle and screened by the veil, fulfilling the command to house the covenant within God's dwelling place.
-
Numbers 10:33
They set forward from the Mount of Yahweh three days’ journey. The ark of Yahweh’s covenant went before them three days’ journey, to seek out a resting place for them.
The ark leads the Israelites forward as they journey from Mount Sinai, acting as a guide to find their resting place.