Word Study for H781 (אָרַשׂ) | Strong's Concordance

ʼâras /aw-ras'/ Ask about this word

Roota primitive root

Meaningto engage for matrimony

KJV usagebetroth, espouse.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of ʼâras — 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 ʼâras, represented by H781, is a primitive root meaning to betroth or espouse. It appears 11 times across 10 unique verses in the Bible. This term signifies the formal, legally binding act of engaging for matrimony, a commitment that establishes a new social and legal status for the individuals involved.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical law, H781 is used to define a specific and protected status. A man who had betrothed a wife but not yet completed the marriage was granted exemption from battle Deuteronomy 20:7. The laws in Deuteronomy make a clear distinction between a virgin who is betrothed and one who is not, prescribing severe consequences for violating a betrothal Deuteronomy 22:23-28. The curse described in Deuteronomy 28:30 involves a man who will betroth a wife, only for another man to lie with her. The personal and legal claim of betrothal is also seen when David sent messengers to demand the return of his wife Michal, whom he had espoused 2 Samuel 3:14.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help define the context of betrothal:

H802 ʼishshâh (wife): This is the intended result of the betrothal. The term is used when describing a man who has "betrothed a wife" Deuteronomy 20:7 and in the legal proceedings that follow an engagement.
H1330 bᵉthûwlâh (virgin): This word frequently describes the state of the woman being betrothed. The law makes specific provisions for "a damsel that is a virgin" who is either betrothed or not (Exodus 22:16, Deuteronomy 22:23).
H4117 mâhar (to endow): This verb describes a related action in forming a marriage. When a man entices a virgin who is not betrothed, the law requires that he "shall surely endow her to be his wife" Exodus 22:16, establishing a marital bond where a formal betrothal was absent.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H781 is most powerfully expressed in the book of Hosea, where it becomes a metaphor for God's covenant with Israel.

Divine Covenant: God uses the language of marriage to describe His relationship with His people, declaring, "And I will betroth thee unto me for ever" Hosea 2:19. This elevates the term from a human legal agreement to a symbol of divine commitment.
Qualities of the Covenant: The nature of this divine betrothal is defined by God's unchanging character. He promises to betroth Israel to Himself "in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies" Hosea 2:19 and "in faithfulness" Hosea 2:20.
Sanctity of Relationship: The strict laws protecting the betrothal bond in Deuteronomy underscore the sacredness of covenant. The gravity of violating a human betrothal reflects the seriousness with which God regards His covenant promises.

Summary

In summary, H781 signifies far more than a simple engagement. It is a legally recognized commitment that provides structure and protection within Israelite society. More profoundly, it is adopted in Scripture as a powerful metaphor for the covenant between God and His people. The use of ʼâras illustrates how a legal term for a human relationship can be used to express the depth, faithfulness, and righteousness of God's everlasting promise to Israel.

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 verb across 11 occurrences, inflected in 6 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Piel Consecutive Perfect 1st Singular common gender 3×
Pual Participle Passive Singular Feminine Absolute 3×
Pual Perfect 3rd Singular Feminine 2×
Piel Imperfect 2nd Singular Masculine 1×
Piel Perfect 1st Singular common gender 1×
Piel Perfect 3rd Singular Masculine 1×

Singular: One.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
Feminine: Feminine grammatical gender.
common gender: Either gender — the form does not distinguish.
1st: First person — the speaker ("I"/"we").
2nd: Second person — the one addressed ("you").
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Imperfect: Ongoing or repeated action in the past — "was doing".
Perfect: A completed act whose results continue.
Passive: The subject is acted upon.
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.
Piel: The intensive stem — strengthened or emphatic action.
Pual: The passive of the intensive (Piel) stem.
Consecutive Perfect: Perfect with vav — continues a sequence into the future.
Absolute: The independent form of a noun (not bound to another).

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 10 verses across 4 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Deuteronomy (6 verses); never once in the other 35.

Exodus

Deuteronomy

2 Samuel

Hosea

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, 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.