אֲרַם צוֹבָה
𐤀𐤓𐤌 𐤑𐤅𐤁𐤄
Aram Tsovah
H760 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
An ancient political territory or kingdom referred to as 'Aram of Zobah,' understood as a northwest Aramean state or region in northern Syria during the early monarchic period of Israelite history (primarily 11th–10th centuries BCE). The term designates both a region and its ruling house or polity, distinct from other Aramean entities such as Aram-Damascus. The phrase combines an ethnonym (Aram, referring to Arameans) with a geographic territory (Zobah).
Semantic Range
a specific Aramean kingdom or territory ('Aram Zobah' as a state); the region governed by Arameans from Zobah; the ruling house or lineage of Zobah; the military or political entity of Zobah in relation to Israelite kingdoms
Root / Etymology
Compound term: אֲרָם (Aram) is both an ethnonym for the Arameans and a geographic identifier for the territories historically inhabited by Aramean peoples. צוֹבָה (Zobah) is a toponym referencing a city, territory, or polity in northern Syria, likely west of the Euphrates. The underlying roots are א-ר-ם ('to be high, exalted') for Aram (used as an ethnonym/geographic term in biblical usage), and צו-ב-ה for Zobah, but the etymology of Zobah itself is otherwise uncertain.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In biblical texts, 'Aram Zobah' consistently refers to a particular Aramean kingdom or territory contemporary with the United Monarchy of Israel, especially in the narratives of Saul and David (e.g., 1 Samuel 14:47; 2 Samuel 8:3, 10:6–8). Aram Zobah is distinct from other Aramean states, notably Aram-Damascus. Later Jewish and Christian traditions sometimes conflate or confuse 'Zobah' with 'Coele-Syria' (a much later Hellenistic designation for a broad area of Syria). English translations sometimes transliterate as 'Aram-zobah' or render simply as 'Zobah' or 'Syria of Zobah,' but 'Syria' is anachronistic for the biblical context; 'Aram' is the correct historical term. The territory associated with Aram Zobah may have shifted over time and is otherwise unattested in extrabiblical sources. The people of Aram Zobah were Arameans, and the region lies north/northeast of ancient Israel, likely in upper Mesopotamia near present-day Syria or modern Lebanon. The form 'Aram Zobah' does not occur in later books after the monarchic period, and its significance is tied to a specific phase of Near Eastern history involving shifting Aramean polities.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
xlit ʼĂram Tsôbâh corrected to ʼĂram Tsôwbâh; from אֲרָם and צוֹבָא; Aram of Tsoba (or Coele-Syria); Aram-zobah.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
ארם (ʾ-r-m) — to be high, elevated, highland region
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H6307 | פַּדָּן | Aram highland |
| H726 | אֲרוֹמִי | and Aramean men |
| H7421 | רַמִּי | the Aramean men |
| H758 | אֲרָם | Aram Highland |
| H761 | אֲרַמִּי | Aramean man |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H760-02 |
צ֫וֹבָ֥ה | tsovah | HNp |
Zobah | Zobah | 1 |
H760-01 |
אֲרַ֪ם | aram | HNp |
Aram | Aram Highland | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H760-01 |
Psalms 60:2 | אֲרַ֪ם | aram-2 | HNp |
Aram | Aram Highland |
H760-02 |
Psalms 60:2 | צ֫וֹבָ֥ה | tsovah | HNp |
Zobah | Zobah |