← H6173 H6175 →

עָרוֹם

𐤏𐤓𐤅𐤌

ʻârôwm

H6174 adjective

SILEX Entry

Root ערם to be bare, exposed, uncovered

Definition

Lacking clothing, unclothed—used of being fully or partially without garments; in extended or metaphorical senses, denoting vulnerability, exposure, or defenselessness. Commonly describes a person literally not wearing clothes but is also employed as a symbol for destitution, the lack of protection, or innocence. Can refer to both social shame (being deprived of dignifying attire) and existential precariousness (exposed to danger or to the gaze of others).

Semantic Range

naked, unclothed, lacking clothing, physically bare, defenseless, vulnerable, destitute, exposed (figurative)

Root / Etymology

From the root עָרַם (ʿ-r-m), meaning 'to be bare' or 'to be crafty'. This adjective (עָרוֹם) is derived from the root's primary meaning 'to be bare, exposed,' not from the secondary stem 'to be crafty' (which produces a different adjective, עָרוּם). The base sense is physical nakedness or bareness.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, עָרוֹם typically refers to literal nakedness (e.g., Genesis 2:25: Adam and Eve were עֲרוּמִּים and not ashamed), but more frequently in later passages it connotes social or economic vulnerability (Job 22:6, Isaiah 58:7). The term may also indicate a state of precarity, such as victims of poverty who lack adequate clothing (e.g., Ezekiel 18:7, 16). The same root yields a homograph (עָרוּם, H6175) meaning 'crafty, shrewd', but context and vocalization distinguish the physical sense (עָרוֹם) from the figurative ('shrewd'). English translations may render עָרוֹם as 'naked', 'bare', or 'without clothing', but often fail to capture the word's nuances of vulnerability and social precarity in prophetic and wisdom literature. Notably, nakedness in the ancient Near East was associated with shame, especially in public; however, in Genesis 2 the lack of shame highlights innocence. After the exile, references to עָרוֹם more often denote dire poverty and call for acts of mercy. There is no anachronistic association with later religious or ethnic identities in its usage.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or עָרֹם; from עָרַם (in its original sense); nude, either partially or totally; naked.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.

+ Add Bantu Hebrew Word

Root Family

ערם (ʿ-r-m) — to be bare, exposed, uncovered

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4636 מַעֲרֹם their barenesses
H5903 עֵירֹם bare
H6175 עָרוּם shrewd one
H6191 עָרַם shrewd (masculine singular)
H6192 עָרַם were heaped up

Word Forms

4 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H6174-01 עָרֹ֔ם arom HAamsa naked bare one 11
H6174-03 עֲרוּמִּ֔ים arumim HAampa naked naked ones 2
H6174-04 וְ/עָר֑וֹם vearom HC/Aamsa and naked and bare 2
H6174-02 עֲרֻמָּ֔ה arumah HAafsa naked bare, unclothed 1

Occurrences in Scripture

16 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H6174-03 Genesis 2:25 עֲרוּמִּ֔ים arumim HAampa naked naked ones
H6174-01 1 Samuel 19:24 עָרֹ֔ם arom HAamsa naked bare one
H6174-01 Isaiah 20:2 עָר֥וֹם arom HAamsa naked bare one
H6174-01 Isaiah 20:3 עָר֣וֹם arom HAamsa naked bare one
H6174-01 Isaiah 20:4 עָר֣וֹם arom HAamsa naked bare one
H6174-01 Isaiah 58:7 עָרֹם֙ arom HAamsa naked bare one
H6174-02 Hosea 2:5 עֲרֻמָּ֔ה arumah HAafsa naked bare, unclothed
H6174-01 Amos 2:16 עָר֛וֹם arom HAamsa naked bare one
H6174-04 Micah 1:8 וְ/עָר֑וֹם vearom HC/Aamsa and naked and bare
H6174-01 Job 1:21 עָרֹ֨ם arom HAamsa Naked bare one
← H6173 Hebrew Lexicon H6175 →