Arioch אֲרְיוֹךְ
Captain of Nebuchadnezzar's guard
Who is Arioch in the Bible?
Arioch was the captain of King Nebuchadnezzar's guard during the Babylonian exile, as recorded in Daniel 2:14-25. When Nebuchadnezzar demanded that his wise men interpret a mysterious dream they could not recall, the king ordered Arioch to execute all the wise men of Babylon. Daniel, a young Jewish exile, asked Arioch for time to solve the riddle, and Arioch brought him before the king. Daniel successfully revealed both the dream's content and its meaning, concerning the rise and fall of future kingdoms and God's eternal kingdom, which saved the wise men from execution. Arioch's role illustrates how God's providence worked through ordinary circumstances to protect Daniel and demonstrate divine wisdom to a pagan ruler.
Biography
Arioch is mentioned in the book of Daniel as the captain of King Nebuchadnezzar's guard during the time of the Babylonian exile. In Daniel 2, Nebuchadnezzar had a troubling dream and demanded that his wise men not only interpret the dream but also tell him what he had dreamed. When they were unable to do so, the king ordered Arioch to execute all the wise men of Babylon.
Daniel, a young Jewish exile, requested time from Arioch to interpret the king's dream. Arioch brought Daniel before Nebuchadnezzar, and Daniel was able to reveal both the content of the dream and its interpretation, which concerned the rise and fall of future kingdoms and the ultimate establishment of God's eternal kingdom.
Arioch's role in this narrative highlights the danger faced by Daniel and his friends, as well as the power and authority of the Babylonian king. Arioch's willingness to grant Daniel's request and bring him before Nebuchadnezzar also demonstrates the respect and trust that Daniel had earned in the Babylonian court, even as a young exile.
In Scripture
1 biblical book ; 1 with study contentDaniel 4 verses
- Daniel 2:14
"When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, went out to execute the wise men of Babylon, Daniel responded with discretion and tact."
Study Daniel → - Daniel 2:15
"“Why is the decree from the king so harsh?” he asked. Then Arioch explained the situation to Daniel."
Study Daniel → - Daniel 2:24
"Therefore Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon, and said to him, “Do not execute the wise men of Babylon! Bring me before the king, and I will give him the interpretation.”"
Study Daniel → - Daniel 2:25
"Arioch hastily brought Daniel before the king and said to him, “I have found a man among the exiles from Judah who will tell the king the interpretation.”"
Study Daniel →
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Aramaic | Hebrew | אֲרְיוֹךְ |
Encyclopedia Article
ISBE 1915 (Public Domain) Arioch
s (Ge 14:1,9). Assyriologists generally, and probably rightly, identify Arioch with Eri-Aku (which see), king of Larsa, Ellasar being for Al-Larsa (now Sinqara in central Babylonia).
Texts Referring to the Reign of Arioch
For an account of the expedition see AMRAPHEL, and for the Babylonian texts bearing upon the reign, see ERI-AKU. In Ge 14:1,9, where the names of the allied kings who marched against the Cities of the Plain are given, that of Arioch follows his more immediate suzerain, Amraphel, and not Chedorlaomer, who, however, appears to have been the real overlord (verse 4), which agrees with the indications of the Bah records. No details of the expedition are available from Babylonian sources. Besides Larsa, Eri-Aku's inscriptions inform us that Ur (Muqayyar, Mugheir) was in the principality of which Larsa was the capital.
(2) The Arioch of Da 2:14,25 was captain of the bodyguard of King Nebuchadnezzar. Nothing else is known about him except that it was he who was commanded to slay the "wise men" who failed to repeat to the king his dream and its interpretation; and who communicated to his royal master that Daniel had undertaken the task.
T. G. Pinches
ar'-i-sai, a-ris'-a-i ('aricai): Probably a Persian word of unknown meaning. One of Haman's sons, slain by the Jews (Es 9:9).
ar-is-ta