What does אָרַךְ (ʾārakĕ) mean in the Bible?
אָרַךְ (ʾārakĕ): Extends duration through time; often applied to life-span or delaying action; God lengthens days as blessing.
Hebrew · H748
אָרַךְ
To be (causative, make ) long (literally or figuratively)
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אָרַךְ H748
Pronunciation ʾārakĕ
What does אָרַךְ (ʾārakĕ) mean in the Bible?
אָרַךְ (ʾārakĕ): Extends duration through time; often applied to life-span or delaying action; God lengthens days as blessing.
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).
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 you may live long 3× Deuteronomy 4:40, Deuteronomy 11:9, Deuteronomy 25:15
extended far enough 2× 1 Kings 8:8, 2 Chronicles 5:9
lengthen 2× Ecclesiastes 8:13, Isaiah 54:2
may be long 2× Exodus 20:12, Deuteronomy 5:16
outlived 2× Joshua 24:31, Judges 2:7
. . . 1× Genesis 26:8
[the cloud] lingered 1× Numbers 9:22
and prolong 1× Deuteronomy 5:33
and stick out 1× Isaiah 57:4
and still lives long 1× Ecclesiastes 8:12
and that you may prolong 1× Deuteronomy 22:7
gives him patience 1× Proverbs 19:11
go by 1× Ezekiel 12:22
grew long 1× Ezekiel 31:5
He will prolong 1× Isaiah 53:10
I will delay 1× Isaiah 48:9
I will prolong 1× 1 Kings 3:14
lingered 1× Numbers 9:19
live long 1× Deuteronomy 4:26
living long 1× Ecclesiastes 7:15
long 1× Psalms 129:3
maintains order 1× Proverbs 28:2
may be prolonged 1× Deuteronomy 6:2
may reign 1× Deuteronomy 17:20
should be patient 1× Job 6:11
will prolong 1× Proverbs 28:16
you shall not prolong 1× Deuteronomy 30:18
you will live long 1× Deuteronomy 32:47
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 26:8 אָֽרְכוּ־ to . . . Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural Exodus 20:12 יַאֲרִכ֣וּן to may be long Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | Paragogic nun Numbers 9:19 וּבְהַאֲרִ֧יךְ to lingered Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct Numbers 9:22 בְּהַאֲרִ֨יךְ to [the cloud] lingered Preposition-b | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct Deuteronomy 4:26 תַאֲרִיכֻ֤ן to live long Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine plural | Paragogic nun Deuteronomy 4:40 תַּאֲרִ֤יךְ to you may live long Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular Deuteronomy 5:16 יַאֲרִיכֻ֣ן to may be long Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | Paragogic nun Deuteronomy 5:33 וְהַאֲרַכְתֶּ֣ם to and prolong Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine plural Deuteronomy 6:2 יַאֲרִכֻ֥ן to may be prolonged Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | Paragogic nun Deuteronomy 11:9 תַּאֲרִ֤יכוּ to you may live long Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 26:8
Aligned rows 34
Books represented 14
Genesis 1 Exodus 1 Numbers 2 Deuteronomy 11 Joshua 1 Judges 1 1 Kings 2 2 Chronicles 1 Job 1 Psalms 1 Proverbs 3 Ecclesiastes 3 Isaiah 4 Ezekiel 2
Source forms
הֶאֱרִ֤יכוּ 2x he·’ĕ·rî·ḵū Joshua 24:31, Judges 2:7
יַאֲרִ֥יךְ 2x ya·’ă·rîḵ Proverbs 28:16, Ecclesiastes 8:13
תַּאֲרִ֤יכוּ 2x ta·’ă·rî·ḵū Deuteronomy 11:9, Deuteronomy 32:47
תַאֲרִיכֻ֤ן 2x ṯa·’ă·rî·ḵun Deuteronomy 4:26, Deuteronomy 30:18
אַאֲרִ֥יךְ 1x ’a·’ă·rîḵ Job 6:11
אַאֲרִ֣יךְ 1x ’a·’ă·rîḵ Isaiah 48:9
אָֽרְכוּ־ 1x ’ā·rə·ḵū- Genesis 26:8
בְּהַאֲרִ֨יךְ 1x bə·ha·’ă·rîḵ Numbers 9:22
Parsing patterns
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 5x Deuteronomy 17:20, Proverbs 28:2, Proverbs 28:16, Ecclesiastes 8:13
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine plural 3x Deuteronomy 11:9, Deuteronomy 32:47, Isaiah 57:4
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | Paragogic nun 3x Exodus 20:12, Deuteronomy 5:16, Deuteronomy 6:2
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural 3x Joshua 24:31, Judges 2:7, Psalms 129:3
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural 2x 1 Kings 8:8, 2 Chronicles 5:9
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular 2x Job 6:11, Isaiah 48:9
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine plural | Paragogic nun 2x Deuteronomy 4:26, Deuteronomy 30:18
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular 1x 1 Kings 3:14
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Extends duration through time; often applied to life-span or delaying action; God lengthens days as blessing.
Strong's H748
Lexical occurrences 34 verses Word forms 2 forms 20 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Proverbs 19:11 Source Gloss
to be (causative, make ) long (literally or figuratively)
Extended definition Source: 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 groups 2 Aligned forms 20
Hiphil causative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action 18×
Imperfect Deut 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 25:15 12×
Perfect Josh 24:31 · Judg 2:7 · Ps 129:3 · Prov 19:11 4×
Participle active Eccl 7:15 1×
Sequential imperfect Isa 54:2 1×
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 2×
Imperfect Ezek 12:22 1×
Perfect Gen 26:8 1×
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.
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