Lexical Summary
Arad: Arad
Original Word:עֲרָד
Part of Speech:verb; proper name, of a location; proper name, masculine
Transliteration:`Arad
Pronunciation:ah-RAHD
Phonetic Spelling:(ar-awd')
KJV: Arad
Word Origin:[from an unused root meaning to sequester itself]
1. fugitive
2. Arad, the name of a place near Israel, also of a Canaanite and an Israelite
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Arad
From an unused root meaning to sequester itself; fugitive; Arad, the name of a place near Palestine, also of a Canaanite and an Israelite -- Arad.
Brown-Driver-Briggs
[] (compare Arabic
ascend, II.
bend, incline toward (
);
high, elevated; Ethiopic
ascend; Late Hebrew = Biblical Hebrew); —
Imperfect3feminine singularPsalm 42:2 (of stag, with of thing in simile); with , of longing for GodPsalm 42:2 (subject ), soJoel 1:20 (of beasts, craving water).
I. , (Egyptian±a-ru-dâ WMM As.u.Eur.168,170); —Judges 1:16,Numbers 21:1 (JE) =Numbers 33:40,Joshua 12:14 (D, (), AL ); probably modernTel Arad, 16 2-Janmiles south of Hebron; compare GFMJudges 1:16 Buhl Geogr. 182.
II.1 Chronicles 8:15, , A ,L .
Topical Lexicon
Identity and SettingArad designates both a Canaanite city-state in the Negev and, once, a Benjamite individual. The city lay about twenty miles east-northeast of Beersheba, guarding routes that linked the southern Rift Valley with the Judean hill country. Its position made it the first fortified center that Israel had to face after the Red Sea generation began to approach Canaan from the south.
Occurrences in Scripture
1.Numbers 21:1 records the Canaanite king of Arad attacking Israel as they advanced “along the way of Atharim.”
2.Numbers 33:40 revisits the same event in the wilderness itinerary.
3.Joshua 12:14 lists the king of Arad among the thirty-one kings conquered under Joshua.
4.Judges 1:16 places the Kenites in “the Negev near Arad,” indicating continuing occupation under Israelite control.
5.1 Chronicles 8:15 names Arad as a descendant of Beriah, showing the term’s later use as a personal name within Benjamin.
Historical Significance
The clash at Arad is the first recorded engagement after Israel turned from Kadesh toward the Promised Land. Israel’s initial defeat (captives were taken) led to a solemn vow: “If You will deliver this people into our hands, we will devote their cities to destruction” (Numbers 21:2). The LORD granted the request, and the conquest of Hormah followed. This episode previews the larger campaign under Joshua, demonstrating that victory hinged on reliance upon God rather than military strength.
Joshua 12:14’s inclusion of the king of Arad among the vanquished confirms the fulfillment of the vow made inNumbers 21. The appearance of Arad again inJudges 1:16, now safely within Judah’s sphere, underlines Israel’s permanent possession of territory once ruled by hostile Canaanites.
Geographical and Archaeological Insights
Tel Arad (modern Horvat ‘Arad) has yielded remains from two principal periods:
• Early Bronze Age: a large, well-planned Canaanite city that was abandoned long before the Exodus, yet its name and strategic site endured.
• Iron Age: a Judean fortress with a tripartite temple court, incense altars, and standing stones. The sanctuary’s eventual dismantling accords with reforms that centralized worship in Jerusalem (2 Kings 23).
These layers show how the location moved from pagan control to Israelite administration and finally to a garrison safeguarding Judah’s southern frontier.
Theological Themes
1. Divine Faithfulness – The progression from Numbers to Joshua illustrates the LORD’s consistent commitment to Israel’s conquest promises (Genesis 15:18-21).
2. Holiness and Herem – The destruction of Arad’s towns underscores the principle of devoting hostile, idolatrous centers to God (Deuteronomy 7:2).
3. Dependence on God – Israel’s vow inNumbers 21 reflects proper acknowledgment that victory is a gift, not a right.
4. Covenant Integration –Judges 1:16 shows the Kenites, originally outsiders, finding a home near Arad within Judah. This points to the inclusiveness of those who align themselves with the people of God (Exodus 18:9-12;Romans 11:17).
Ministry Applications
• Trust in God’s Sovereign Timing – Just as Israel had to wait until God delivered the Canaanite into their hand, believers learn to move forward only under divine direction.
• Vigilance Against Compromise – The later Judean cultic site at Arad became a temptation to decentralize worship. Spiritual victories require ongoing obedience, not mere initial conquest.
• Welcoming Covenant Partners – The Kenites’ settlement near Arad models hospitality toward those who share faith in the LORD, regardless of ethnic origin.
• Memorializing God’s Acts – The chronicling of Arad from Torah through Chronicles encourages churches to record and rehearse God’s faithfulness across generations.
In Summary
Arad stands as an early milestone in Israel’s entrance into Canaan, a reminder of God’s deliverance in response to prayer, and a geographical testament to His unfolding plan—from wilderness skirmish, to Joshua’s complete conquest, to settled life within Judah’s inheritance.
Forms and Transliterations
וַעֲרָ֖ד וערד עֲרָ֑ד עֲרָ֔ד עֲרָ֖ד עֲרָד֙ ערד ‘ă·rāḏ ‘ărāḏ aRad vaaRad wa‘ărāḏ wa·‘ă·rāḏ
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