עָרָה (a.rah)
a.rah
bulrush
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The noun arah refers to a bare, open space or a desolate area. In the Hebrew Bible, it describes land that has been stripped of vegetation and cover, leaving only exposed earth.
This word appears just once in Scripture, in Isaiah 19:7. There, it depicts the devastation of Egypt’s Nile-dependent agriculture. When the waters recede or are destroyed, the fields where reeds and crops once grew become arah—empty, barren ground without shelter or produce.
Its meaning is straightforward but stark. It conveys loss and exposure. The image is not of a natural wilderness, but of cultivated land rendered useless by judgment or disaster.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word arah paints a picture of sudden exposure. It describes land that has been stripped bare, leaving only empty earth where crops once stood. In Isaiah 19:7, this term captures the devastation of Egypt’s fertile fields when their water source is gone. The image is stark: what was once lush and productive becomes dry and barren.
For your faith, this word reminds us that our security depends on who sustains us. When human systems fail or resources vanish, we are left with a choice. Do we trust in the temporary stability of our own efforts? Or do we rest in the One who provides even when circumstances look desolate?
It is easy to feel vulnerable when life feels stripped down. Yet this biblical imagery points us toward dependence on God rather than self-reliance. In seasons of loss or uncertainty, remember that your worth is not tied to your productivity or possessions. You are held by a Creator who sees you in the emptiness and offers true peace.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- reeds1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- עָר֥וֹת1×
Key Verses
-
Isaiah 19:7
The meadows by the Nile, by the brink of the Nile, and all the sown fields of the Nile, will become dry, be driven away, and be no more.
This verse uses the word to depict the total loss of Egypt's agricultural productivity when its water source is destroyed.