Topical Encyclopedia
The term "Aramean" refers to a group of Semitic people originating from the region of Aram, which is located in present-day Syria. The Arameans are frequently mentioned in the Old Testament, and their interactions with the Israelites are significant in biblical history.
Origins and GeographyThe Arameans are believed to have emerged around the 12th century BC. They settled in the region known as Aram, which included areas such as Damascus, Hamath, and other city-states. The Bible often refers to this region as "Aram-Naharaim" or "Aram of the Two Rivers," indicating its location between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers.
Biblical ReferencesThe Arameans are first mentioned in Genesis, where they are linked to the patriarchs of Israel. In
Genesis 10:22, Aram is listed as a descendant of Shem, making the Arameans part of the Semitic lineage.
Genesis 25:20 notes that Rebekah, Isaac's wife, was "the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan-aram," highlighting the familial connections between the Israelites and the Arameans.
In
Deuteronomy 26:5, the Israelites are instructed to recite, "My father was a wandering Aramean," during the offering of the firstfruits, which is traditionally understood to refer to Jacob, emphasizing the ancestral ties to the Arameans.
Interactions with IsraelThe Arameans frequently interacted with the Israelites, both as allies and adversaries. During the time of the Judges and the United Monarchy, the Arameans were often in conflict with Israel. Notably, King David subdued the Arameans, as recorded in
2 Samuel 8:5-6: "When the Arameans of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David struck down twenty-two thousand men. Then he placed garrisons in Aram of Damascus, and the Arameans became subject to David and brought him tribute."
The relationship between Israel and Aram was complex, involving periods of both war and alliance. For instance, King Ahab of Israel formed an alliance with Ben-Hadad, the king of Aram, to fight against the Assyrians (1 Kings 20).
Prophetic LiteratureThe prophets frequently mention the Arameans, often in the context of judgment and divine retribution. In
Amos 1:3-5, the prophet Amos declares God's judgment against Damascus, the capital of Aram, for their transgressions: "For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they have threshed Gilead with threshing sledges of iron."
Cultural and Linguistic InfluenceThe Arameans significantly influenced the ancient Near East through their language and culture. Aramaic, the language of the Arameans, became the lingua franca of the region and was widely used during the time of Jesus. Portions of the Old Testament, such as parts of Daniel and Ezra, are written in Aramaic.
ConclusionThe Arameans played a crucial role in the history of the ancient Near East and the biblical narrative. Their interactions with Israel, both as kin and as adversaries, are woven throughout the Old Testament, reflecting the complex relationships between neighboring peoples in the biblical world.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
a.) Of or pertaining to the Syrians and Chaldeans, or to their language; Aramaic.
2. (n.) A native of Aram.
Strong's Hebrew
5283. Naaman -- a descendant of Benjamin, also anAramean (Syrian)...... Naaman. 5284 . a descendant of Benjamin, also an
Aramean (Syrian) general.
Transliteration: Naaman Phonetic Spelling: (nah-am-awn') Short Definition: Naaman.
...2870a. Tabeal -- "good for nothing," anAramean (Syrian)
... 2870, 2870a. Tabeal. 2870b . "good for nothing," anAramean (Syrian).
Transliteration: Tabeal Short Definition: Tabeel. Word Origin...
2383. Chezyon -- "vision," anAramean (Syrian)
... 2382, 2383. Chezyon. 2384 . "vision," anAramean (Syrian). Transliteration:
Chezyon Phonetic Spelling: (khez-yone') Short Definition: Hezion....
1130. Ben-hadad -- "son of Hadad," the name of severalAramean...
... "son of Hadad," the name of severalAramean (Syrian) kings. Transliteration:
Ben-hadad Phonetic Spelling: (ben-had-ad') Short Definition: Ben-hadad....
7331. Rezon -- anAramean (Syrian) of Solomon's time
... 7330, 7331. Rezon. 7332 . anAramean (Syrian) of Solomon's time. Transliteration:
Rezon Phonetic Spelling: (rez-one') Short Definition: Rezon....
6678. Tsoba -- anAramean (Syrian) kingdom
... 6677, 6678. Tsoba or Tsobah. 6679 . anAramean (Syrian) kingdom. Transliteration:
Tsoba or Tsobah Phonetic Spelling: (tso-baw') Short Definition: Zobah....
1909. Hadadezer -- "Hadad is help(er)," anAramean (Syrian) king
... Hadadezer. 1910 . "Hadad is help(er)," anAramean (Syrian) king. Transliteration:
Hadadezer Phonetic Spelling: (had-ad-eh'-zer) Short Definition: Hadadezer....
2880. Tibchath -- anAramean (Syrian) city
... 2879, 2880. Tibchath. 2881 . anAramean (Syrian) city. Transliteration: Tibchath
Phonetic Spelling: (tib-khath') Short Definition: Tibhath....
7780. Shophak -- anAramean (Syrian) general
... 7779, 7780. Shophak. 7781 . anAramean (Syrian) general. Transliteration: Shophak
Phonetic Spelling: (sho-fawk') Short Definition: Shophach....
7731. Shobak -- anAramean (Syrian) general
... 7730, 7731. Shobak. 7732 . anAramean (Syrian) general. Transliteration:
Shobak Phonetic Spelling: (sho-bawk') Short Definition: Shobach....
Library
The Poetical Books (Including Also Ecclesiastes and Canticles).
... writers. Many of these peculiar words areAramean; that is, they are words
current in theAramean branch of the Shemitic languages....
The Place of the Old Testament in Divine Revelation
... nations, and especially the highly civilized Babylonians, the Hebrews were fortunate
in their immediate inheritances through Arabian orAramean ancestors....
Education of Jesus.
... His biographers make him quote them according to the translations in theAramean
tongue;[3] his principles of exegesis, as far as we can judge of them by those...
Jesus at Capernaum.
... who confers on him the power to judge the world, and to govern it for eternity.[
2] Son of Man, in the Semitic languages, especially in theAramean dialects, is...
Appendix. The Apocryphal Books of the Old Testament.
... Though some of them were originally written in Hebrew orAramean, they
have been preserved to us only in Greek or other versions....
A Slave Girl who Helped Her Master
... he had gone from him a short distance, Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of
God, thought to himself, "My master has let this Naaman theAramean go without...
The Pioneer's Influence Upon a Nation's Ideals.
... south of Canaan. In the inscriptions of the Assyrian king Sennacherib,
Hargaranu is the name of anAramean tribe. A tribe bearing...
Genesis
... In Laban, hisAramean kinsman, he met his match, and almost his master, in craft;
and the initial fraud of his life was more than once punished in kind....
Solomon's Reign.
... off the Hebrew part of Edom independently: (2) that of Adad, the Midianite, who
defiled the authority of Solomon; (3) that of Rezon, theAramean, who revolted...
John the Baptist --visit of Jesus to John, and his Abode in the...
... iv.1; Journ. Asiat., February-March, 1856.]. [Footnote 6: TheAramean word seba,
origin of the name of Sabians, is synonymous with [Greek: baptizo].]....
Thesaurus
Aramean (17 Occurrences)... to their language; Aramaic. 2. (n.) A native of Aram. Multi-Version
Concordance
Aramean (17 Occurrences). Genesis 25:20 And Isaac
...Bethu'el (10 Occurrences)
... Genesis 25:20 And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of
Bethuel theAramean, of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban theAramean, to be...
Damascus (58 Occurrences)
... mas'-kus: 1. The Name 2. Situation and Natural Features 3. The City Itself 4. Its
History (1) The Early Period (to circa 950 BC) (2) TheAramean Kingdom (circa...
Uz (8 Occurrences)
... chiefly geographical and ethnographical, Uz seems to have been the name of a district
or nation colonized by or descended from Semites of theAramean tribe or...
Talmai (6 Occurrences)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. TALMAI. (1) A clan, possibly ofAramean origin,
generally reputed to be of gigantic height; resident in Hebron at the time of...
Chaldeans (82 Occurrences)
... home; but as they are closely related to the Arameans, it is possible that their
first settlements lay in the neighborhood of theAramean states bordering on...
Chaldea (8 Occurrences)
... home; but as they are closely related to the Arameans, it is possible that their
first settlements lay in the neighborhood of theAramean states bordering on...
Syria (73 Occurrences)
... Fauna (10) Minerals (11) Central Position 4. History (1) Canaanitic Semites (2)
Sargon of Agade (3) Babylonian Supremacy (4) Hittite andAramean (5) Hittites...
Abraham (2539 Occurrences)
... race geographically by his birthplace, which is given as 'ur-kasdim (see UR), and
by the place of his pre-Canaanitish residence, Haran in theAramean region....
Zobah (15 Occurrences)
... Lebanon. Zobah was anAramean kingdom of which we have the first notice
in Saul's wars (1 Samuel 14:47). (1) David's First War....
Resources
Who were the Arameans? | GotQuestions.orgWhat is the significance of Syria/Aram in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgWho was Ben-Hadad in the Bible? | GotQuestions.orgAramean: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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