אֲרֶשֶׁת
𐤀𐤓𐤔𐤕
ʼăresheth
H782 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
An earnest request, desire, or petition; denotes a longing or strong wish, most often in the sense of a prayerful request or expressed longing, rather than a general craving. Used especially to indicate a specific appeal or entreaty, particularly in poetic or liturgical language.
Semantic Range
earnest request, prayerful longing, solemn petition, entreaty, desire expressed in prayer
Root / Etymology
Root: ארשׁ. This root, seen in related verbal forms, means 'to desire,' 'to long for,' or 'to wish to acquire.' The noun אֲרֶשֶׁת is formed on this base, indicating the result or expression of longing or desire, specifically as a request or entreaty.
Historical & Contextual Notes
The noun אֲרֶשֶׁת appears only in poetic contexts in the Hebrew Bible, notably in Psalm 21:3 (English v. 2), generally signifying a fervent request or petition to a deity—here, in the context of a royal psalm, it refers to the king's heartfelt entreaty granted by YHWH. The word is rare, its occurrence limited to a highly formal or stylistic register. It should be distinguished from more common terms for request or prayer such as שְׁאֵלָה (she'elah; general request, inquiry) and תְּפִלָּה (tefillah; prayer), which are used in broader or less formal situations. Later Jewish and Christian translations sometimes render the word as 'desire' or 'petition,' but these may obscure its concentrated, solemn nuance of an earnest, often sacred, entreaty. Its usage does not appear to have shifted significantly as it is not attested outside biblical poetry, nor in later Hebrew writings with clear continuity, suggesting the term is archaic or reserved for elevated diction.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from אָרַשׂ (in the sense of desiring to possess); a longing for; request.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
ארשׁ (ʾ-r-š) — desire, longing, wish to acquire
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H782-01 |
וַ/אֲרֶ֥שֶׁת | vaareshet | HC/Ncfsc |
and the request | and earnest petition-of | and the request of | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H782-01 |
Psalms 21:3 | וַ/אֲרֶ֥שֶׁת | vaareshet | HC/Ncfsc |
and the request | and earnest petition-of | and the request of |