### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **ʼârach**, represented by `{{H732}}`, is a primitive root meaning **to travel**. It appears **5 times** in **5 unique verses**, typically translated as **go** or **wayfaring (man)**. This term captures the essence of being on a journey, often implying a temporary and transient state for a person moving through a place.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In biblical narratives, `{{H732}}` is used both literally and metaphorically. A literal use appears in Judges, where an old man sees a **wayfaring** man `{{H732}}` in the city street and asks about his journey [[Judges 19:17]]. In Nathan's parable to David, a rich man is condemned for taking a poor man's lamb to feed a **wayfaring man** `{{H732}}` who had come to him [[2 Samuel 12:4]]. Metaphorically, Jeremiah invokes the image to describe God as a **wayfaring man** `{{H732}}` who only stays for a night, illustrating Israel's feeling of abandonment [[Jeremiah 14:8]]. The word also depicts a chosen moral path, as in Job's description of one who "goeth" `{{H732}}` in company with workers of iniquity [[Job 34:8]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help define the context of the traveler's experience:
* `{{H1616}}` **gêr** (a guest; by implication, a foreigner): This word is used alongside `{{H732}}` when Jeremiah questions why God should be like a **stranger** `{{H1616}}` and a **wayfaring man** in the land, linking the traveler to the status of an outsider [[Jeremiah 14:8]].
* `{{H1982}}` **hêlek** (properly, a journey, i.e. (by implication) a wayfarer): This term is used interchangeably with `{{H732}}` in the parable of the rich man who prepares a meal for the **wayfaring man** after a **traveller** `{{H1982}}` arrived [[2 Samuel 12:4]].
* `{{H3212}}` **yâlak** (to walk (literally or figuratively)): This common verb for movement is paired with `{{H732}}` to describe a person's associations, as one who "goeth" `{{H732}}` with evildoers and "walketh" `{{H3212}}` with the wicked [[Job 34:8]].
* `{{H4411}}` **mâlôwn** (a lodgment, i.e. caravanserai or encampment): This term for a lodging place is what Jeremiah desires in the wilderness, a place for **wayfaring men** `{{H732}}`, so he can escape his treacherous people [[Jeremiah 9:2]].
### Theological Significance
The theological significance of `{{H732}}` is demonstrated through its metaphorical applications:
* **Divine Presence and Absence:** The image of God as a **wayfaring man** who only tarries briefly powerfully conveys Israel's sense of divine distance and abandonment during times of national trouble [[Jeremiah 14:8]].
* **Moral Association:** The act of traveling symbolizes one's chosen path in life. To "go" `{{H732}}` in company with workers of iniquity signifies a deliberate choice to align with wickedness [[Job 34:8]].
* **Vulnerability and Justice:** The traveler is often a figure of vulnerability. Nathan’s parable uses a **wayfaring man** `{{H732}}` to expose the injustice of a powerful man who took from the poor to show hospitality [[2 Samuel 12:4]].
* **Separation from Sin:** The desire to be a **wayfaring man** expresses a longing for purity and escape from a corrupt society, as when Jeremiah wishes he could leave his people, who are an assembly of treacherous men [[Jeremiah 9:2]].
### Summary
In summary, `{{H732}}` **ʼârach** is more than a simple word for travel. While it describes the literal act of a person on a journey, it also serves as a potent metaphor for understanding moral choices, social justice, and the nature of God's relationship with His people. The word illustrates how the common human experience of a journey can represent profound spiritual realities, from the path of wickedness to the feeling of divine abandonment.
TRV