עָרֵל (a.rel)
a.rel
uncircumcised
H:AQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 17 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:A
Definition
Definition
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word arel literally means uncircumcised, but its weight in Scripture goes far beyond physical description. In Genesis, it marks those outside the covenant promise, yet the text quickly expands the concept to describe spiritual conditions. When Moses speaks of his own lips or when Jeremiah describes a people with an ear that cannot listen, the term points to a barrier between humanity and God.
This word invites us to examine our own hearts. It reminds us that true belonging is not merely about external rituals but about a heart that is open, humble, and responsive to the living God. The journey from being uncircumcised in spirit to having a heart aligned with Him is one of grace and transformation.
For your faith life, this word offers comfort rather than condemnation. It shows that God sees the internal reality of who we are. He desires a connection that goes deeper than surface-level observance, inviting us into a relationship defined by trust and obedience rather than mere form.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 17 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- <the>/ uncircumcised4×
- the/ uncircumcised [men]3×
- uncircumcised2×
- [am] uncircumcised of2×
- uncircumcised [man]1×
- the/ uncircumcised [men]?1×
- the/ uncircumcised1×
- and/ an uncircumcised1×
- an uncircumcised [man]1×
- [is] uncircumcised1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- הָ/עֲרֵלִֽים\׃2×
- עָרֵ֥ל1×
- עָרֵ֖ל1×
- עֲרַ֥ל1×
- עֲרַ֣ל1×
- עֲרֵלָ֣ה1×
- עֲרֵלִ֣ים1×
- עֲרֵלִ֖ים1×
- וְ/עָרֵ֣ל\׀1×
- הָ/עֲרֵלִ֨ים1×
- הָ/עֲרֵלִ֤ים1×
- הָ/עֲרֵלִ֣ים1×
Key Verses
-
Genesis 17:14
The uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his people. He has broken my covenant.”
This verse establishes the baseline covenantal boundary where physical circumcision is required to remain part of God's people.
-
Leviticus 26:41
I also walked contrary to them, and brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised heart is humbled, and they then accept the punishment of their iniquity,
Here the term shifts metaphorically to describe a stubborn heart that must be humbled before restoration can occur.
-
I Samuel 17:26
David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done to the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
David uses this label to highlight Goliath’s spiritual rebellion against the living God, framing the conflict as theological rather than just military.
-
Jeremiah 6:10
To whom should I speak and testify, that they may hear? Behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they can’t listen. Behold, Yahweh’s word has become a reproach to them. They have no delight in it.
The prophet applies the word to the people's inability to hear God, showing that spiritual deafness is a form of uncircumcision.