Lexical Summary
aruchah: Healing, restoration, health
Original Word:אֲרֻחָה
Part of Speech:Noun Feminine
Transliteration:aruchah
Pronunciation:ah-roo-KHAH
Phonetic Spelling:(ar-oo-khaw')
KJV: allowance, diet, dinner, victuals
NASB:allowance, dish, ration
Word Origin:[feminine passive participle ofH732 (אָרַח - goes) (in the sense of appointing)]
1. a ration of food
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
allowance, diet, dinner, victuals
Feminine passive participle of'arach (in the sense of appointing); a ration of food -- allowance, diet, dinner, victuals.
see HEBREW'arach
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originpass. part. of
arachDefinitiona meal, allowance
NASB Translationallowance (4), dish (1), ration (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
(of food) absolute
Jeremiah 40:5; construct
Proverbs 15:17a portion of herbs, i.e. a slender meal; elsewhere of allowance given to captive king Jehoiachin,
a continual allowance2 Kings 25:30 =
Jeremiah 52:34;
ib. = id.Topical Lexicon
Meaning and Scope of the ConceptThe word אֲרֻחָה centres on the idea of a prepared portion of food supplied on a regular basis—whether the simple fare of an ordinary household or the official “daily ration” issued by a monarch or military officer. Whenever the term surfaces, it highlights a gracious act of provision that secures a person’s well-being for the immediate day, not for a distant future.
Occurrences and Narrative Settings
•2 Kings 25:30 &Jeremiah 52:34 – A daily allowance is granted to the released King Jehoiachin in Babylon.
•Jeremiah 40:5 – Nebuzaradan gives Jeremiah provisions and a gift before releasing him at Mizpah.
•Proverbs 15:17 – Contrasts a humble meal with vegetables and the richest banquet, stressing that love outweighs luxury.
By appearing four times in the exile narratives (counting the parallels) and once in Wisdom literature, the term spans both historical reporting and practical moral instruction.
Royal Allowance to Jehoiachin
“Jehoiachin received a daily portion for each day, all the days of his life” (2 Kings 25:30).
The event occurs in 562 BC when Evil-merodach ascends the Babylonian throne. The gesture:
1. Demonstrates a policy of benevolent exile, allowing the former Judean king to live with dignity.
2. Keeps the Davidic line alive, silently echoing the covenant promise that David’s house would endure.
3. Foreshadows restoration, as a sustained royal survivor becomes a living pledge that Judah’s account is not finished.
Provision for Jeremiah
“Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard gave him provisions and a gift and let him go” (Jeremiah 40:5).
Here the ration underscores two truths:
• The messenger of God is preserved even when the nation falls.
• Pagan authority unwittingly fulfills divine care, showing that the LORD can use any instrument to feed His servants.
Wisdom Contrast in Proverbs
“Better a small serving of vegetables where there is love than a fattened ox with hatred” (Proverbs 15:17).
The term depicts a modest, perhaps even meagre, meal. Within the proverb it teaches that the moral and relational climate of the table outweighs its culinary splendour. Love sanctifies the simplest fare; animosity spoils the richest feast.
Theological Emphases
1. Daily Sufficiency: Echoes Israel’s manna experience and anticipates the petition, “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11).
2. Covenant Preservation: The daily ration to Jehoiachin secures a tangible line of continuity between exile and eventual restoration in Zerubbabel (seeHaggai 1:1).
3. Divine Sovereignty: Whether by Babylonian king or imperial captain, God remains the unseen Provider.
Practical Lessons for Ministry
• Encourage Contentment – Believers are called to value love, fellowship, and righteous relationships above material abundance.
• Model Daily Dependence – Regular prayer and thanksgiving for “today’s bread” cultivates humility and guards against anxiety over tomorrow.
• Practice Generous Provision – Churches and families should mirror the LORD’s pattern by meeting daily needs within the body, especially for the marginalized.
Christological and Gospel Connections
The preserved Davidic captive receiving a daily portion prefigures the ultimate preservation of the Messianic line culminating in Jesus Christ. Moreover, just as Jehoiachin’s table was furnished without his earning it, so the Gospel offers an unearned, sustaining grace, inviting all who hunger to be satisfied in the true Bread of Life (John 6:35).
Forms and Transliterations
אֲרֻחַ֣ת אֲרֻחַ֨ת אֲרֻחַת֩ אֲרֻחָ֥ה ארחה ארחת וַאֲרֻחָת֗וֹ וארחתו ’ă·ru·ḥāh ’ă·ru·ḥaṯ ’ăruḥāh ’ăruḥaṯ aruChah aruChat vaaruchaTo wa’ăruḥāṯōw wa·’ă·ru·ḥā·ṯōw
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