Lexical Summary
ariel: altar hearth
Original Word:אֲרִאֵיל
Part of Speech:Noun Masculine
Transliteration:ari'eyl
Pronunciation:ah-ree-EL
Phonetic Spelling:(ar-ee-ale')
KJV: altar
NASB:altar hearth
Word Origin:[either by transposition forH739 (אֲרִיאֵל אֲרִאֵל - Ariel) or, more probably, an orthographical variation forH2025 (הַראֵל - Mountain of God)]
1. the altar of the temple
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
altar
Either by transposition for'ariy'el or, more probably, an orthographical variation forhar'el; the altar of the temple -- altar.
see HEBREW'ariy'el
see HEBREWhar'el
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originfrom an unused word
Definitionhearth, altar-hearth
NASB Translationaltar hearth (3).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
( ; from with aff. according to Ew
§ 163 g Ol
§ 220 Sm
Ezekiel 43:15 Di
Isaiah 29:1 and elsewhere; but this formation very rare & here dubious; Hi De Brd Or
Isaiah 29:1 derive from + =
hearth of El, see also RS
Semitic i. 469, who thinks of pillar-altars; compare MI
12 see Sm & So, and Dr
Sm xci) — Kt
Ezekiel 43:15,16; (Qr ); =
Ezekiel 43:15 (Vrss Co ), all with article, — of altar-hearth in Ezekiel's temple.
Topical Lexicon
Term Overviewאֲרִאֵיל (Strong’s Hebrew 741) designates the upper platform or “hearth” of the altar in Ezekiel’s vision of the restored temple. While a related form can signify “lion of God,” Ezekiel employs the term exclusively for the squared, fiery center where sacrifices are consumed.
Occurrence in Ezekiel’s Vision
Ezekiel records the word three times within his description of the future altar (Ezekiel 43:15 [twice], 16). The Berean Standard Bible renders the key verse:
“So the altar hearth shall be four cubits high, and four horns shall project upward from the hearth” (Ezekiel 43:15).
Here “altar hearth” translates אֲרִאֵיל, situating it at the meeting point between heaven-ward devotion and earth-bound offering in the prophetic temple.
Architectural and Liturgical Significance
1. Centrality: The אֲרִאֵיל is the geometric and theological center of the altar—four-sided, elevated, crowned with horns, and directly aligned beneath the glory of the LORD (Ezekiel 43:4–7).
2. Purification: Blood is applied specifically to its corners during the consecration ritual (Ezekiel 43:20), underscoring its role in atonement.
3. Perpetuity: Unlike earlier altars that moved with the tabernacle or stood in Solomon’s Temple, this hearth belongs to an eschatologically fixed sanctuary, signaling enduring fellowship between God and His covenant people.
Theological Themes
• Holiness: By prescribing exact measurements and a seven-day purification cycle (Ezekiel 43:23–26), the vision stresses that access to God remains regulated by His holiness even in the anticipated age of restoration.
• Atonement: Fire on the אֲרִאֵיל consumes sin offerings (Ezekiel 43:27), prefiguring the ultimate, once-for-all sacrifice (Hebrews 10:10).
• Kingship: The root imagery of “lion” intimates royal authority; the hearth becomes the throne of divine judgment and mercy where sin is judged and covenant love declared.
Typological Reflections in Redemptive History
Old Testament sacrificial fire foreshadows the cross, where Christ bore the consuming judgment of God (Isaiah 53:5;2 Corinthians 5:21). InRevelation 8:3-5 an altar of incense before God again appears, tying Ezekiel’s prophetic picture to the consummation when prayers and purified worship rise eternally.
Implications for Worship Today
• Reverent Approach: The detailed regulations remind believers that acceptable worship is defined by God, not human preference (John 4:24).
• Confidence in Atonement: The vision supplies assurance that God Himself provides the hearth, the fire, and ultimately the sacrifice, granting believers bold access through the blood of Jesus (Hebrews 10:19-22).
• Hope of Restoration: Ezekiel’s fixed altar directs hearts toward the promised renewal of all things, encouraging steadfastness in present service (1 Corinthians 15:58).
Intertextual Connections
Ezekiel’s אֲרִאֵיל interacts conceptually with:
• The bronze altar ofExodus 27:1-8 (prototype).
• Isaiah’s use of אֲרִיאֵל for Jerusalem (Isaiah 29:1-7), where the city itself becomes an altar-hearth of divine dealings.
• The “altar that is in heaven” (Revelation 6:9) where the faithfulness of the saints is remembered, showing continuity of sacrificial imagery across canon.
Summary
אֲרִאֵיל in Ezekiel marks the heart of restored worship, integrating themes of holiness, sacrifice, and divine kingship. It points beyond a physical structure to the ultimate meeting place of God and humanity accomplished in Christ and consummated in the new creation.
Forms and Transliterations
וְהַֽהַרְאֵ֖ל וְהָאֲרִיאֵ֗ל וּמֵהָאֲרִיאֵ֣ל והאריאל וההראל ומהאריאל ū·mê·hā·’ă·rî·’êl ūmêhā’ărî’êl umehaariEl vehaariEl vehaharEl wə·hā·’ă·rî·’êl wə·ha·har·’êl wəhā’ărî’êl wəhahar’êl
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