What does עָרֵל (ʿārēl) mean in the Bible?
עָרֵל (ʿārēl): Uncircumcised: technically exterior/exposed condition marking covenant outsider status in Israel's identity theology.
Hebrew · H6189
עָרֵל
Properly, exposed , i.e. projecting loose (as to the prepuce); used only technically, uncircumcised (i.e. still having the prepuce uncurtailed)
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עָרֵל H6189
Pronunciation ʿārēl
What does עָרֵל (ʿārēl) mean in the Bible?
עָרֵל (ʿārēl): Uncircumcised: technically exterior/exposed condition marking covenant outsider status in Israel's identity theology.
Full entry for עָרֵל (H6189) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H6189?
The BSB source-word alignment has 35 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include the uncircumcised (6), uncircumcised (6), of the uncircumcised (3), uncircumcised men (3), . . . (2).
Where does עָרֵל (ʿārēl) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 17:14. Its strongest book concentrations include Ezekiel (16), 1 Samuel (4), Exodus (3), Jeremiah (3).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It the uncircumcised 6× Isaiah 52:1, Ezekiel 31:18, Ezekiel 32:19, Ezekiel 32:28
uncircumcised 6× 1 Samuel 17:26, 1 Samuel 17:36, Ezekiel 32:24, Ezekiel 32:30
of the uncircumcised 3× Judges 15:18, 2 Samuel 1:20, Ezekiel 28:10
uncircumcised men 3× 1 Samuel 14:6, 1 Samuel 31:4, 1 Chronicles 10:4
. . . 2× Ezekiel 44:7, Ezekiel 44:9
am unskilled 2× Exodus 6:12, Exodus 6:30
of them are uncircumcised 2× Ezekiel 32:25, Ezekiel 32:26
- 1× Genesis 17:14
[are] uncircumcised 1× Jeremiah 9:26
are closed 1× Jeremiah 6:10
forbidden 1× Leviticus 19:23
if their uncircumcised 1× Leviticus 26:41
is uncircumcised 1× Jeremiah 9:26
of old 1× Ezekiel 32:27
still uncircumcised 1× Joshua 5:7
to the uncircumcised 1× Judges 14:3
uncircumcised man 1× Exodus 12:48
with the uncircumcised 1× Ezekiel 32:21
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 17:14 וְעָרֵ֣ל׀ to - Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singular Exodus 6:12 עֲרַ֥ל to am unskilled Adjective - masculine singular construct Exodus 6:30 עֲרַ֣ל to am unskilled Adjective - masculine singular construct Exodus 12:48 עָרֵ֖ל to uncircumcised man Adjective - masculine singular Leviticus 19:23 עֲרֵלִ֖ים to forbidden Adjective - masculine plural Leviticus 26:41 הֶֽעָרֵ֔ל to if their uncircumcised Article | Adjective - masculine singular Joshua 5:7 עֲרֵלִ֣ים to still uncircumcised Adjective - masculine plural Judges 14:3 הָעֲרֵלִ֑ים to to the uncircumcised Article | Adjective - masculine plural Judges 15:18 הָעֲרֵלִֽים׃ to of the uncircumcised Article | Adjective - masculine plural 1 Samuel 14:6 הָעֲרֵלִ֣ים to uncircumcised men Article | Adjective - masculine plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 17:14
Aligned rows 35
Books represented 11
Genesis 1 Exodus 3 Leviticus 2 Joshua 1 Judges 2 1 Samuel 4 2 Samuel 1 1 Chronicles 1 Isaiah 1 Jeremiah 3 Ezekiel 16
Source forms
הָעֲרֵלִֽים׃ 2x hā·‘ă·rê·lîm Judges 15:18, 2 Samuel 1:20
עַרְלֵי־ 2x ‘ar·lê- Jeremiah 9:26, Ezekiel 44:7
עֲרֵלִ֣ים 2x ‘ă·rê·lîm Joshua 5:7, Ezekiel 32:25
עֲרֵלִ֛ים 2x ‘ă·rê·lîm Ezekiel 28:10, Ezekiel 32:28
עֲרֵלִים֙ 2x ‘ă·rê·lîm Ezekiel 32:26, Ezekiel 32:30
הֶֽעָרֵ֔ל 1x he·‘ā·rêl Leviticus 26:41
הֶֽעָרֵל֙ 1x he·‘ā·rêl 1 Samuel 17:26
הֶעָרֵ֤ל 1x he·‘ā·rêl 1 Samuel 17:36
Parsing patterns
Adjective - masculine plural 13x Leviticus 19:23, Joshua 5:7, Jeremiah 9:26, Ezekiel 28:10
Article | Adjective - masculine plural 7x Judges 14:3, Judges 15:18, 1 Samuel 14:6, 1 Samuel 31:4
Adjective - masculine singular construct 3x Exodus 6:12, Exodus 6:30, Ezekiel 44:9
Article | Adjective - masculine singular 3x Leviticus 26:41, 1 Samuel 17:26, 1 Samuel 17:36
Adjective - masculine plural construct 2x Jeremiah 9:26, Ezekiel 44:7
Adjective - masculine singular 2x Exodus 12:48, Isaiah 52:1
Adjective - feminine singular 1x Jeremiah 6:10
Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine plural construct 1x Ezekiel 44:7
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Uncircumcised: technically exterior/exposed condition marking covenant outsider status in Israel's identity theology.
Source Gloss
properly, exposed , i.e. projecting loose (as to the prepuce); used only technically, uncircumcised (i.e. still having the prepuce uncurtailed)
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Uncircumcised: technically exterior/exposed condition marking covenant outsider status in Israel's identity theology.
properly, exposed, i.e. projecting loose (as to the prepuce); used only technically, uncircumcised (i.e. still having the prepuce uncurtailed) BDB: having foreskin Usage: uncircumcised (person).
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
Moses describes himself as uncircumcised of lips, lacking eloquence
Israelites have uncircumcised ears, unable to hear Moses' words
Nations and Israel uncircumcised in heart, spiritually unrepentant
Fruit of newly planted trees treated as uncircumcised, forbidden for use
Showing 4 selected witnesses from 35 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
עָרֵל is built from this root:
עָרֵל H6188
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain