עַרְקִי
𐤏𐤓𐤒𐤉
Areqi
H6208 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Demonym identifying an inhabitant or native of the locality ʻErek (Arka), located in the northern Syro-Palestinian region. Used specifically as an ethnonym for a member of the Arkite clan, listed among the descendants of Canaan. The word functions as an ethnic or geographic identifier rather than conveying a separate lexical meaning.
Semantic Range
inhabitant of Arka, Arkite, member of the Arkite clan; geographic/ethnic identifier
Root / Etymology
Patrial formation from an unused place name עַרְקָה (ʻErek/ʻArqa/Arka), with the gentilic ending -ִי (-î) denoting origin or affiliation. The root is uncertain as the place name itself is of unclear etymology, and its underlying Semitic root is not attested in Biblical Hebrew outside of this context.
Historical & Contextual Notes
עַרְקִי is an ethnonymic gentilic term, designating individuals belonging to or originating from the ancient settlement known as ʻErek or Arka. In the Table of Nations (Genesis 10:17; 1 Chronicles 1:15), the Arkites are listed among the descendants of Canaan, reflecting their identification as one of the various local groups inhabiting the Syro-Palestinian region during the Bronze and Iron Ages. Arka, identified with the site near modern Tell Arqa in northern Lebanon, was a city of significance through various periods, including Phoenician and later Greco-Roman times. The term עַרְקִי is not used beyond genealogical or territorial lists and does not indicate religious, political, or broader ethnic identity beyond its geographical sense. Most English translations render the term as 'Arkite,' but this transliteration obscures the uncertain or debated nature of the toponym's original meaning. The identification of ʻErek/Arka as a Canaanite people contextualizes their mention as ancestral groups rather than specific political entities during the biblical period.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
patrial from an unused name meaning a tush; an Arkite or inhabitant of Erek; Arkite.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
ערק (ʿ-r-q) — to flee, to run away (uncertain underlying root); place-name derived identity
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H6207 | עָרַק | the fleeing ones |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6208-01 |
הַֽ/עַרְקִ֖י | haareqi | HTd/Ngmsa |
the Arkite | the Arkite | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H6208-01 |
Genesis 10:17 | הַֽ/עַרְקִ֖י | haareqi | HTd/Ngmsa |
the Arkite | the Arkite |
H6208-01 |
1 Chronicles 1:15 | הַֽ/עַרְקִ֖י | haareqi | HTd/Ngmsa |
the Arkite | the Arkite |