Lexical Summary
Aram: Aram
Original Word:אֲרָם
Part of Speech:proper name, masculine; feminine; masculine
Transliteration:Aram
Pronunciation:ah-RAHM
Phonetic Spelling:(arawm')
KJV: Aram, Mesopotamia, Syria, Syrians
NASB:Aram, Arameans
Word Origin:[from the same asH759 (אַרמוֹן - citadels)]
1. the highland
2. Aram or Syria, and its inhabitants
3. (also) the name of the son of Shem, a grandson of Nahor, and of an Israelite
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Aram, Mesopotamia, Syria, Syrians
From the same as'armown; the highland; Aram or Syria, and its inhabitants; also the name of the son of Shem, a grandson of Nahor, and of an Israelite -- Aram, Mesopotamia, Syria, Syrians.
see HEBREW'armown
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Originof uncertain derivation
DefinitionSyria and its inhab., also the names of a son of Shem, a grandson of Nahor, and an Isr.
NASB TranslationAram (65), Aram-maacah* (1), Arameans (64).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
149 (Assyrian
Aramu, etc., see Dl
Pa 257; Thes and others propose √ = but compare Nö as below) —
Genesis 10:22,23;1 Chronicles 1:17.
Genesis 22:21.
1 Chronicles 2:23.
1 Chronicles 7:34. — Elsewhere only of AramÊan people & land (= above),2Samuel 8:52Samuel 10:14.
people, singular collective =the Aramoeans, a leading branch of the Shemitic stock inhabiting Mesopotamia & northern Syria, in many tribes & settlements;2 Samuel 8:5 (twice in verse);2 Samuel 8:6 +1 Kings 20:20,21 +1 Chronicles 19:10,12 + (64 t. Samuel Kings Chronicles)Amos 9:7;Isaiah 7:2,4,5,8;Isaiah 9:11;Isaiah 17:3;Jeremiah 35:11; soEzekiel 16:57;Ezekiel 27:16, but Co in bothAmos 1:5; of particular divisions of Aram,2 Samuel 10:6,2 Samuel 10:6,8;Psalm 60:2 (title),2 Samuel 8:5 compare1 Chronicles 18:5, evenPsalm 60:2 (title); (note that Assyrian never gives nameAramu to people west of Euphrates, butChatti instead, with other particular names, COTGenesis 10:22, also Dll.c.); on2 Samuel 8:12,13;1 Chronicles 18:11 see .
, AramNumbers 23:7;2 Samuel 15:8 2Chronicles 20:2 (read however here Thes Add and others),Hosea 12:13; also of particular divisions of the territory'Mesopotamia,' i.e. probably land between Euphrates & Chaboras, so Di after Kiep,Genesis 24:10;Deuteronomy 23:5;Judges 3:8 (comparePsalm 60:2 above); comparePaddan-AramGenesis 25:20;Genesis 31:18;Genesis 33:18;Genesis 35:9,26;Genesis 46:15,Genesis 28:2,5,6,7 see ;2 Samuel 8:6 compare1 Chronicles 18:6.
often indeterminate, especially in etc., perhaps primarily land but often including people: soJudges 2:11;Judges 10:6 ()1 Kings 10:29 2Chronicles 1:17 + (41 t. Kings & Chronicles)Isaiah 7:1. — (compare especially NöSehenkel BL, ZMG 1871, 113; Hermes see 3, 443 f. DlPa 257.)
Topical Lexicon
Genealogical OriginAram first appears in Genesis as a personal name, “the sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, Arphaxad, Lud, and Aram” (Genesis 10:22). From this patriarch come the “Arameans,” the ethnic designation for the peoples who occupied the high plateau north and northeast of Canaan.Deuteronomy 26:5 preserves Israel’s self-identification with these ancestors: “My father was a wandering Aramean.” Thus Aram stands both for a forefather of Semitic peoples and for the nations that sprang from him.
Geographical Scope
The term covers a broad swath of the Fertile Crescent extending from Lebanon and Damascus eastward toward the Euphrates. Scripture distinguishes several Aramean sub-kingdoms:
• Aram-Damascus (2 Samuel 8:5;Isaiah 7:8)
• Aram-Naharaim, literally “Aram of the two rivers,” that is, Mesopotamia (Genesis 24:10)
• Aram-Zobah (2 Samuel 10:6)
• Aram-Beth-Rehob and Aram-Maacah (2 Samuel 10:6)
These designations help readers trace shifting alliances and hostilities in the historical narrative.
Early Patriarchal Connections
The Aramean homeland became the backdrop for formative covenant events:
• Isaac’s bride was sought “from my country and my kindred” in Aram-Naharaim (Genesis 24).
• Jacob served Laban the Aramean twenty years, and the Lord said, “Return to the land of your fathers” (Genesis 31:3), demonstrating God’s sovereign guidance across national borders.
• With Joseph in Egypt, the link to Aram framed Israel’s identity as sojourners dependent on Yahweh’s promise rather than geopolitical security.
Kingdoms of Aram in the Monarchical Period
During Saul’s and David’s reigns, Aram supplied both foes and mercenaries. David “took shields of gold from the servants of Hadadezer” of Zobah (2 Samuel 8:7) and established garrisons in Aram-Damascus, bringing the region under tribute. Solomon’s adversary Rezon “reigned in Damascus and abhorred Israel” (1 Kings 11:25), foreshadowing recurring conflict.
Military and Political Relations with Israel
1 Kings through 2 Kings details seesaw struggles:
• Ben-Hadad I besieged Samaria; a miraculous deliverance underscored divine protection (1 Kings 20).
• Naaman, “commander of the army of the king of Aram,” was healed of leprosy by Elisha (2 Kings 5), revealing God’s grace reaching beyond Israel.
• Hazael usurped the throne after Elisha wept over the devastation he would inflict (2 Kings 8:12-15).
• Under Jehoash, Israel “recovered the cities of Israel from Ben-hadad son of Hazael” according to Elisha’s dying prophecy (2 Kings 13:25).
• The Syro-Ephraimite War (Isaiah 7) saw Rezin of Aram ally with Pekah of Israel against Judah, yet Isaiah comforted Ahaz: “Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be shattered” (Isaiah 7:8).
Prophetic Oracles and Eschatological Notes
Prophets denounced Aram’s cruelty while affirming God’s universal justice:
•Amos 1:3-5 pronounces judgment “for three transgressions of Damascus, even four.”
•Isaiah 17 merges Damascus’s fall with a call to look to the Holy One of Israel.
•Jeremiah 49:23-27 andEzekiel 27:18; 28:24-26 include Damascus in a list of nations humbled so that Israel may know the LORD.
These oracles warn against oppression yet anticipate a future in which Gentile nations, including historic foes, join the worship of Yahweh.
Aram in Post-Exilic Memory
After Assyria destroyed Aram-Damascus in 732 B.C., the Aramean language became the lingua franca of the Near East. Thus exiles like Daniel operated in “Aramaic,” and parts of Ezra and Daniel are written in that tongue. The dispersion of Aramaic prepared the way for the New Testament era in which Jesus and His disciples spoke a Galilean form of the language, highlighting God’s providence in using former enemies to advance redemptive history.
Theological and Ministerial Reflections
1. God governs international affairs: He raises and removes kings of Aram to chasten or deliver His people (Isaiah 10:5-7).
2. Mercy extends beyond covenant borders: Naaman’s cleansing (2 Kings 5) prefigures the Gospel’s outreach to the Gentiles (Luke 4:27).
3. Believers are pilgrims: Israel’s remembrance of an “Aramean” ancestor (Deuteronomy 26:5) calls the Church to live as strangers on earth, seeking the city to come (Hebrews 11:13-16).
4. Scripture’s unity: From Genesis to the prophets, Aram’s narrative threads the storyline of promise, exile, and restoration, confirming the coherence of God’s revelation.
Key References
Genesis 10:22;Genesis 24:10;Genesis 31:20-24
Deuteronomy 26:5
2 Samuel 8:3-13;2 Samuel 10:6-19
1 Kings 11:23-25;1 Kings 20:1-34
2 Kings 5;2 Kings 6:8-23;2 Kings 8:7-15;2 Kings 13:14-25
Isaiah 7:1-9;Isaiah 17:1-14
Jeremiah 49:23-27
Amos 1:3-5
Zechariah 9:1
These passages together portray Aram’s multifaceted role in Scripture—as kinsman, opponent, instrument of discipline, and unexpected recipient of grace—encouraging readers to trust God’s sovereign purposes in the rise and fall of nations.
Forms and Transliterations
אֲ֠רָם אֲרַ֣ם אֲרַ֤ם אֲרַ֨ם אֲרָ֑ם אֲרָ֔ם אֲרָ֖ם אֲרָ֗ם אֲרָ֛ם אֲרָ֜ם אֲרָ֡ם אֲרָ֣ם אֲרָ֤ם אֲרָ֥ם אֲרָֽם׃ אֲרָם֒ אֲרָם֙ אֲרָם֩ אֲרָם֮ ארם ארם׃ בַּֽאֲרָ֑ם בַּֽאֲרָ֔ם בַּאֲרַ֣ם בַּאֲרָ֔ם בַּאֲרָ֖ם בַֽאֲרָ֔ם בַאֲרָ֖ם בארם וַ֠אֲרָם וַֽאֲרָֽם׃ וַאֲרַ֨ם וַאֲרָ֑ם וַאֲרָ֖ם וַאֲרָ֥ם וַאֲרָֽם׃ וַאֲרָם֙ וארם וארם׃ לַֽאֲרָ֔ם לַאֲרָ֑ם לארם מֵאֲרָ֑ם מֵאֲרָ֗ם מֵאֲרָ֤ם מארם ’ă·ram ’ă·rām ’ăram ’ărām aRam Arom ba’ăram ba’ărām ḇa’ărām ba·’ă·ram ba·’ă·rām ḇa·’ă·rām baaRam la’ărām la·’ă·rām laaRam mê’ărām mê·’ă·rām meaRam VaaRam Vaarom wa’ăram wa’ărām wa·’ă·ram wa·’ă·rām
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