Word Study for H6145 (עָר) | Strong's Concordance

ʻâr /awr/ Ask about this word

Meaninga foe (as watchful for mischief)

KJV usageenemy.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of ʻâr — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word ʻâr, represented by H6145, defines a foe or enemy. Its base definition, derived from a root meaning to be watchful, suggests an adversary who is vigilant for mischief. This specific term appears 6 times across 6 unique verses in the Bible, carrying a sense of deliberate opposition.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical usage, H6145 describes both a personal and a collective antagonist. It is used to signify the ultimate consequence of disobedience, as when Samuel tells Saul that the LORD has become his enemy 1 Samuel 28:16. The term also identifies those who actively oppose God, described as enemies who speak against Him wickedly Psalms 139:20. Frequently, it is translated as "cities" in the context of divine judgment, representing enemy strongholds that God vows to destroy (Psalms 9:6, Micah 5:14).

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the nature and fate of this foe:

H341 ʼôyêb (an adversary; enemy, foe): This word is often used for an adversary who hates or rises up against someone. It appears alongside H6145 to describe the enemy whose destructions are brought to an end Psalms 9:6.
H5428 nâthash (to tear away; ... pluck ... up, root out): This verb denotes a forceful and complete removal. It is the action God takes against the enemy "cities" H6145, promising to pluck up and destroy them (Micah 5:14, Psalms 9:6).
H4209 mᵉzimmâh (a plan, usually evil (machination), ... mischievous (device)): This word describes the malicious intent of God's enemies H6145, who "speak against thee wickedly" Psalms 139:20.

Theological Significance

The theological significance of H6145 is centered on the concepts of divine judgment and the consequences of rebellion.

Divine Judgment: The word is repeatedly linked to God's action of destroying "cities" H6145, which are symbolic of organized opposition to Him. God declares He will "cut off the cities of thy land" Micah 5:11 and "destroy thy cities" Micah 5:14 as a definitive judgment.
Personal Enmity with God: The term starkly illustrates that an individual can become God's foe. This is powerfully demonstrated when the LORD departs from Saul and becomes his enemy H6145 due to his disobedience 1 Samuel 28:16.
The Rise of Opposition: Enmity against God is tied to human pride and iniquity. The warning in Isaiah is that the children of the wicked should not rise H6965 to possess the land and fill it with cities H6145 Isaiah 14:21.

Summary

In summary, H6145 is not merely a label for a generic opponent. It specifically depicts a watchful and malicious foe. Scripturally, it is used to illustrate the severe reality of becoming God's personal enemy and to represent the collective centers of wickedness—cities—that are subject to His ultimate and destructive judgment.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun across 6 occurrences, inflected in 3 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

עָרֶי
עָרִים
עָרֶ

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 6 verses across 4 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Psalms and Micah (2 verses each); never once in the other 35.

1 Samuel

Psalms

Isaiah

Micah

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.