Word Study for H732 (אָרַח) | Strong's Concordance

ʼârach /aw-rakh'/ Ask about this word

Roota primitive root

Meaningto travel

KJV usagego, wayfaring (man).

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of ʼârach — 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 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.

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 6 occurrences, inflected in 4 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.

אֹרֵחַ
אָרַח
אָרְחִ
אֹרְחִים

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 5 verses across 4 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Jeremiah (2 verses); never once in the other 35.

Judges

2 Samuel

Job

Jeremiah

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.