אָרַח
𐤀𐤓𐤇
ʼârach
H732 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To travel, journey, or go along a road or path; to be on the way or set out on a journey. The verb denotes the action of traversing a distance, whether on foot or by other means, with particular emphasis on being in motion along a route, rather than simply arriving at a destination. May refer to individuals or groups engaged in purposeful or habitual travel.
Semantic Range
to travel, to journey, to go along a road or path, to be a wayfarer, to set out on a journey, to be on the way
Root / Etymology
Root: ארח. The root carries the core notion of moving along a path or way. The verb אָרַח ('arach) is primarily used to denote the act of traveling or journeying. It likely gave rise to the noun אֹרֵחַ (oreach, 'traveler, wayfarer') and אֹרַחַת (orachat, 'caravan'), which describe those who journey or the collective group of travelers. The core meaning of the root is movement along a road or course, and the verb describes the action associated with this root.
Historical & Contextual Notes
אָרַח appears only a few times in the Hebrew Bible, typically in narrative contexts describing individuals or groups setting out on a journey (e.g., Genesis 34:21, Judges 19:17). In these contexts, it often implies purposeful movement, sometimes in the context of hospitality—receiving or observing a traveler. The noun forms derived from this root ('traveler', 'caravan') are more common and figure in stories involving travel, migration, or trade. While the English 'wayfaring' is used in older translations, the sense of ongoing movement or journey is more central. This term does not denote the method of travel but focuses on the process or state of being on a journey. In later Hebrew, the focus on journey or travel continues, and related nouns retain the connotation of companionship or passage along a path. The verb is distinct from הלך (halakh, 'to go, walk') in that it emphasizes journeying with purpose rather than the more general idea of movement or locomotion. In post-biblical usage, the root contributes to the vocabulary of travel and hospitality. Standard English translations may underrepresent the sense of purposeful journey present in the Hebrew, particularly as 'traveler' in modern English connotes a sense of transience that is sometimes, but not always, present in ancient contexts.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to travel; go, wayfaring (man).
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
ארח (ʾ-r-ḥ) — to travel, to journey, to go along a path
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H733 | אָרַח | Arach |
| H734 | אֹרַח | your journey-path |
| H735 | אֹרַח | your paths |
| H736 | אֹרְחָה | journeying caravan of |
| H737 | אֲרֻחָה | prescribed ration |
Word Forms
5 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H732-03 |
אֹֽרְחִ֔ים | orechim | HVqrmpa |
of-travelers | journeying men | 1 |
H732-05 |
וְ/אָרַ֣ח | vearach | HC/Vqp3ms |
who goes | and he traveled | 1 |
H732-04 |
וּ/כְ/אֹרֵ֖חַ | ukheorecha | HC/R/Vqrmsa |
and like a traveler | journeying one | 1 |
H732-02 |
לָ/אֹרֵ֖חַ | laorecha | HRd/Vqrmsa |
for the guest | to a traveling one | 1 |
H732-01 |
הָ/אֹרֵ֖חַ | haorecha | HTd/Vqrmsa |
the traveler | the journeying one | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
5 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H732-01 |
Judges 19:17 | הָ/אֹרֵ֖חַ | haorecha | HTd/Vqrmsa |
the traveler | the journeying one |
H732-02 |
2 Samuel 12:4 | לָ/אֹרֵ֖חַ | laorecha | HRd/Vqrmsa |
for the guest | to a traveling one |
H732-03 |
Jeremiah 9:1 | אֹֽרְחִ֔ים | orechim | HVqrmpa |
of-travelers | journeying men |
H732-04 |
Jeremiah 14:8 | וּ/כְ/אֹרֵ֖חַ | ukheorecha | HC/R/Vqrmsa |
and like a traveler | journeying one |
H732-05 |
Job 34:8 | וְ/אָרַ֣ח | vearach | HC/Vqp3ms |
who goes | and he traveled |