What does אָרַךְ (ʾārakĕ) mean in the Bible?
Being long or lengthening describes an extent or duration whose subject the passage identifies. The poles of the covenant ark extend far enough for their ends to be seen from a named place.
Hebrew · H748
אָרַךְ
Being long or lengthening describes an extent or duration whose subject the passage identifies. The poles of the covenant ark extend far enough for their ends to be seen from a named place.
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אָרַךְH748
Pronunciationʾārakĕ
What does אָרַךְ (ʾārakĕ) mean in the Bible?
Reader summary
Full entry for אָרַךְ (H748) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H748?
The BSB source-word alignment has 34 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include you may live long (3), extended far enough (2), lengthen (2), may be long (2), outlived (2).
Where does אָרַךְ (ʾārakĕ) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 26:8. Its strongest book concentrations include Deuteronomy (11), Isaiah (4), Ecclesiastes (3), Proverbs (3).
What This Word Actually Means
Being long or lengthening describes an extent or duration whose subject the passage identifies. The poles of the covenant ark extend far enough for their ends to be seen from a named place. Isaiah calls for tent ropes to be lengthened within a promise of restoration. The command to honor father and mother speaks of long days in the land the Lord gives, while Ecclesiastes observes a wicked person living long and a righteous person perishing.
These uses prevent duration from becoming a simple measurement of moral worth. Name what is extended, by whom and under what stated conditions. A physical length differs from continued life or a promise tied to a particular covenant setting. Do not infer that an early death proves dishonor or that prolonged life certifies righteousness. Honoring family must not become permission for abusive demands, and restoration imagery does not guarantee every organization's expansion.
How the Bible Uses It
Ark poles, tent ropes, covenant long-day promises and wisdom's difficult observations provide different subjects of length. Extent, duration and moral evaluation must remain distinct rather than being inferred from one another.
- 1Kgs.8.8
The poles extended far enough that their ends were visible from the Holy Place in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place; and they are there to this day.
The poles extend far enough to be visible from the Holy Place but not outside it, supplying a physical measurement relative to named viewing locations.
- Isa.54.2
“Enlarge the site of your tent, stretch out the curtains of your dwellings, do not hold back. Lengthen your ropes and drive your stakes in deep.
Lengthened ropes accompany enlarged tent space and deepened stakes within the Lord's restoration address, not a general command to expand every present-day project.
- Exod.20.12
Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
Honoring father and mother is joined to long days in the land the Lord gives, retaining the command's stated covenant setting without diagnosing an individual's lifespan.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Ityou may live long3×Deuteronomy 4:40, Deuteronomy 11:9, Deuteronomy 25:15
extended far enough2×1 Kings 8:8, 2 Chronicles 5:9
lengthen2×Ecclesiastes 8:13, Isaiah 54:2
may be long2×Exodus 20:12, Deuteronomy 5:16
outlived2×Joshua 24:31, Judges 2:7
. . .1×Genesis 26:8
[the cloud] lingered1×Numbers 9:22
and prolong1×Deuteronomy 5:33
and stick out1×Isaiah 57:4
and still lives long1×Ecclesiastes 8:12
and that you may prolong1×Deuteronomy 22:7
gives him patience1×Proverbs 19:11
go by1×Ezekiel 12:22
grew long1×Ezekiel 31:5
He will prolong1×Isaiah 53:10
I will delay1×Isaiah 48:9
I will prolong1×1 Kings 3:14
lingered1×Numbers 9:19
live long1×Deuteronomy 4:26
living long1×Ecclesiastes 7:15
long1×Psalms 129:3
maintains order1×Proverbs 28:2
may be prolonged1×Deuteronomy 6:2
may reign1×Deuteronomy 17:20
should be patient1×Job 6:11
will prolong1×Proverbs 28:16
you shall not prolong1×Deuteronomy 30:18
you will live long1×Deuteronomy 32:47
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 26:8אָֽרְכוּ־to. . .Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralExodus 20:12יַאֲרִכ֣וּןtomay be longVerb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | Paragogic nunNumbers 9:19וּבְהַאֲרִ֧יךְtolingeredConjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive constructNumbers 9:22בְּהַאֲרִ֨יךְto[the cloud] lingeredPreposition-b | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive constructDeuteronomy 4:26תַאֲרִיכֻ֤ןtolive longVerb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine plural | Paragogic nunDeuteronomy 4:40תַּאֲרִ֤יךְtoyou may live longVerb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singularDeuteronomy 5:16יַאֲרִיכֻ֣ןtomay be longVerb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | Paragogic nunDeuteronomy 5:33וְהַאֲרַכְתֶּ֣םtoand prolongConjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine pluralDeuteronomy 6:2יַאֲרִכֻ֥ןtomay be prolongedVerb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | Paragogic nunDeuteronomy 11:9תַּאֲרִ֤יכוּtoyou may live longVerb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowGenesis 26:8
Aligned rows34
Books represented14
Genesis1Exodus1Numbers2Deuteronomy11Joshua1Judges11 Kings22 Chronicles1Job1Psalms1Proverbs3Ecclesiastes3Isaiah4Ezekiel2
Source forms
הֶאֱרִ֤יכוּ2xhe·’ĕ·rî·ḵūJoshua 24:31, Judges 2:7
יַאֲרִ֥יךְ2xya·’ă·rîḵProverbs 28:16, Ecclesiastes 8:13
תַּאֲרִ֤יכוּ2xta·’ă·rî·ḵūDeuteronomy 11:9, Deuteronomy 32:47
תַאֲרִיכֻ֤ן2xṯa·’ă·rî·ḵunDeuteronomy 4:26, Deuteronomy 30:18
אַאֲרִ֥יךְ1x’a·’ă·rîḵJob 6:11
אַאֲרִ֣יךְ1x’a·’ă·rîḵIsaiah 48:9
אָֽרְכוּ־1x’ā·rə·ḵū-Genesis 26:8
בְּהַאֲרִ֨יךְ1xbə·ha·’ă·rîḵNumbers 9:22
Parsing patterns
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular5xDeuteronomy 17:20, Proverbs 28:2, Proverbs 28:16, Ecclesiastes 8:13
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine plural3xDeuteronomy 11:9, Deuteronomy 32:47, Isaiah 57:4
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | Paragogic nun3xExodus 20:12, Deuteronomy 5:16, Deuteronomy 6:2
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural3xJoshua 24:31, Judges 2:7, Psalms 129:3
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural2x1 Kings 8:8, 2 Chronicles 5:9
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular2xJob 6:11, Isaiah 48:9
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine plural | Paragogic nun2xDeuteronomy 4:26, Deuteronomy 30:18
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular1x1 Kings 3:14
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Teach family honor with protection from abuse and attention to the responsibilities of parents.
- Do not issue individualized life-expectancy, health or organizational-success predictions from the verb.
Avoid claiming...
- Long life always proves righteousness and short life always proves disobedience.
- The verb guarantees that every faithful person or institution will keep growing.
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Extends duration through time; often applied to life-span or delaying action; God lengthens days as blessing.
Strong'sH748
Lexical occurrences34 versesWord forms2 forms20 referencesVerse guides0 guides
Study linkProverbs 19:11Source Gloss
to be (causative, make ) long (literally or figuratively)
Extended definitionSource: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Extends duration through time; often applied to life-span or delaying action; God lengthens days as blessing.
to be (causative, make) long (literally or figuratively) BDB: be long Usage: defer, draw out, lengthen, (be, become, make, pro-) long, (out-, over-) live, tarry (long).
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups2Aligned forms20
Hiphilcausative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action18×
ImperfectDeut 17:20 · Eccl 8:13 · Isa 53:10 · Prov 28:2 · Prov 28:16 · Deut 11:9 · Deut 32:47 · Isa 57:4 · Isa 48:9 · Job 6:11 · Deut 4:40 · Deut 25:1512×
PerfectJosh 24:31 · Judg 2:7 · Ps 129:3 · Prov 19:114×
Participle activeEccl 7:151×
Sequential imperfectIsa 54:21×
Qalbasic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense2×
ImperfectEzek 12:221×
PerfectGen 26:81×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
To defer or postpone anger, showing patience and forbearance
To extend or prolong days lived, relating to longevity or extended life
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 34 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
אָרַךְ is a primitive root - no further derivation.
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.
For the Preacher and Teacher
Length is a description before it is a lesson. First Kings locates the ark poles through their visible extent. Isaiah names ropes and stakes within an address about restoration. Exodus joins long days to honoring parents in the given land, and Deuteronomy addresses a king's continued reign alongside reading instruction and refusing self-exaltation. Yet Ecclesiastes' observed righteous death and wicked longevity prevent those promises from becoming a simple way to grade any life by its duration.
Job's question about strength and patient endurance also remains a lament rather than a command to deny exhaustion. A teacher should state the actual subject, command and setting. Honor the promises without inventing a guaranteed number of years, protect people from blame after bereavement, and refuse to make family honor or institutional expansion a justification for harmful control.
Anchor passage
Exod.20.12
Doctrinal connections
- First Kings 8:6-10 places the extended poles within the ark's positioning and named visibility, keeping a concrete sanctuary description.
- Isaiah 54:1-4 joins lengthened tent ropes and secure stakes to the Lord's restoration address, without assigning every detail to a modern project.
- Exodus 20:12 joins honoring father and mother to long days in the land the Lord gives, retaining the promise's stated wording and setting.
- Deuteronomy 17:18-20 links the king's continued reign to reading instruction, learned fear, obedience and refusing exaltation above his countrymen.
- Ecclesiastes 7:13-17 observes a righteous person perishing and a wicked person living long, resisting lifespan as a transparent measure of moral status.
- Job 6:10-13 asks what strength and future support continued patience, preserving distressed speech without encouraging harm or pretending the speaker is inexhaustible.
The licensed Hebrew verb supports being long or causing something to be long, in space or time. Its subject and construction show the type of extension; the lexical range cannot alone attach righteousness, immortality or modern success to a duration.
From Old to New Testament
Ephesians 6:1-4 explicitly quotes the honor command and long-life promise, while speaking of obedience in the Lord and warning fathers not to provoke children. The Greek exhortation must keep both responsibilities visible. It does not supply a personal lifespan prediction, authorize abuse or make an early death proof that a child failed to honor parents.