אָרֵךְ
patient
‘patient’ is one of 2 main senses fuller range ↓
Full lexicon entry — Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
From Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
Where this word appears
Grammar key — what these labels mean
Part of speech
- Adjective
- A word that describes or qualifies a noun.
State
- Construct
- A noun bound to a following noun in a possessive / “of” relationship (the construct chain).
Gender
- Masculine
- Grammatically masculine.
Number
- Singular
- One.
Every verse where H750 appears — 15 distinct verses across 11 books. Click any verse to open its interlinear word-by-word view. Verse text shown in the World English Bible for context — . Each verse’s Hebrew form is shown with its reference; the English is not keyword-highlighted, since the data carries no word-level English alignment. Use “Compare translations” on any verse to read it across multiple English versions. This concordance covers the Hebrew Bible; Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) occurrences are not indexed here.
Exodus 1 verse
Numbers 1 verse
Nehemiah 1 verse
Psalms 3 verses
- Psalms 86:15 אֶ֥רֶךְ adj Adjective ms cs But you, Lord, are a merciful and gracious God, Slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness and truth.
- Psalms 103:8 אֶ֖רֶךְ adj Adjective ms cs Yahweh is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness.
- Psalms 145:8 אֶ֥רֶךְ adj Adjective ms cs Yahweh is gracious, merciful, Slow to anger, and of great loving kindness.
Proverbs 3 verses
- Proverbs 14:29 אֶ֣רֶךְ adj Adjective ms cs He who is slow to anger has great understanding, But he who has a quick temper displays folly.
- Proverbs 15:18 וְ/אֶ֥רֶך conj + Adjective Adjective ms cs A wrathful man stirs up contention, But one who is slow to anger appeases strife.
- Proverbs 16:32 אֶ֣רֶךְ adj Adjective ms cs One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty; One who rules his spirit, than he who takes a city.
Ecclesiastes 1 verse
Jeremiah 1 verse
Ezekiel 1 verse
Joel 1 verse
Jonah 1 verse
Nahum 1 verse
About this entry
At a glance — auto-summarized from this page’s data, not written by a person. Every figure links to its source below. This summary describes the numbers; it doesn’t interpret them.
At its core, ארך (ʼârêk) means “patient.” Its English rendering has broadened — “slow” classically, “long of” (unfoldingWord Literal Text) in modern versions; see the renderings breakdown. Spanning 15 verses in 11 books, it ranks among the uncommon words of the Hebrew Bible. It first appears in Exodus 34:6. Not a single-sense word: explore its full sense range. Dig into 15-verse concordance and the renderings breakdown below.
Gloss history
Strong's 1890 vs modern scholarship
About this word
Strong's H750 catalogs a Hebrew word from the Hebrew Old Testament.
These counts are not copied from any lexicon or concordance. They are computed here, from the morphology-tagged Hebrew Old Testament. What Lemma adds →
- 15
- distinct verses
- The word appears in 15 distinct verses.
- 11 / 39
- OT books
- The word appears in 11 of 39 Old Testament books.
- #1,836
- by frequency
- Top 2500 most frequent Hebrew words (rank 1,836 of 8,640 Hebrew words by occurrence).
View all 15 occurrences in the concordance →
By section of the Old Testament
By traditional corpus
Conventional, traditional groupings — biblical authorship is debated, so this is a traditional corpus grouping, not an authorship claim. Each share is this word’s portion of its verses in that division of the Hebrew canon. Each figure is a share of the word’s 15 distinct verses.
- Writings (Ketuvim) 8 verses · 53%
- Prophets (Nevi'im) 5 verses · 33%
- Torah (Pentateuch) 2 verses · 13%
How translations render this word
Counts come from each version’s own published word-to-Strong’s tagging or interlinear alignment — an approximate guide to how each version renders this word, not a word-level alignment the data otherwise carries. Because each total is that version’s own tagged count, the per-version totals vary from one another and need not match the appearance or distinct-verse counts above. These counts may also differ from a printed concordance because Lemma counts each distinctly tagged rendering and does not collapse phrase taggings into a single head-word total. This is a fixed set of word-tagged versions (KJV, ASV, BSB, ULT) and does not change with the reading translation you choose elsewhere. Each version’s license is shown beside its name below (and on Sources).
BDB lists this Strong’s number as 2 distinct words (homographs). Each count above pools all of them and is not split by sense — see the Senses section below. A low-frequency rendering may belong to a different one of those words, not the primary meaning.
- King James Version†: Slow 5×, He that is slow 3×, Longsuffering 2×
- American Standard Version†: Slow 6×, He that is slow 3×
- Berean Standard Bible†: Slow 8×, Is slow 2×, Patient 2×
- unfoldingWord Literal Text†: Long of 8×, One long of 2×
King James Version Public Domain
Renders H750 across 13† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 3 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings. Not rendered by a distinct English word in 2 further occurrences.
American Standard Version Public Domain
Renders H750 across 13† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 4 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
Berean Standard Bible Public Domain
Renders H750 across 15† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 3 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
unfoldingWord Literal Text CC BY-SA 4.0
Renders H750 across 15† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus 5 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
Senses in the full BDB
Hebrew verbs can shift meaning by stem (binyan): Qal is the basic action, Niphal is often passive or reflexive, Piel often intensifies or makes it factitive, and Hiphil is typically causative. The senses below are grouped under the stem BDB assigns to each.
What do BDB’s symbols mean?
BDB uses these scholarly abbreviations:
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 𝔊 | the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation, LXX) |
| 𝔙 | the Vulgate (the Latin translation) |
| 𝔖 | the Syriac version (the Peshitta) |
| 𝔗 | the Targum (the Aramaic translation) |
| ψ | the Psalms |
| √ | root (the underlying root or stem) |
| ‖ | parallel passage (a synonymous or contrasted parallel) |
| † | the dagger: every passage where the word occurs is cited |
The 4 senses and sub-senses the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon distinguishes for this word, in lexicon order (not ranked by frequency), with BDB’s own verbatim wording and sub-sense lettering. Shown in Hebrew script with BDB’s own scholarly abbreviations. The condensed entry is in the Lexicon Entry tab. See also the Forms in the corpus table below.
ארך I be long, almost always of time (Assyrian arâku COTGloss, Aramaic אֲרַךְ, ܐܶܪܰܟ )
Qal
- Pf. אָֽרְכוּ Gn 26:8; Impf. יַאַרְכוּ Ez 12:22; 3 fpl. וַתֶּאֱרַכְנָה Ez 31:5 (del. B Co)—be long, subj. הַיָּמִים (i.e. a long time passed Gn 26:8 (J); cf. Assyrian urriku ûmî, days grew long, Creation Tableta v. COT Gn 1:1); of delayed fulfilment of prophecy Ez 12:22; subj. פֹּארֹת Ez 31:5 (but cf. supr.) e.g. Genesis 26:8
Hiphil
- Pf. הֶאֱרִיךְ Pr 19:11; וְהַאֲרַכְתָּ֫ Dt 22:7, etc.; Impf. יַאֲרִיךְ Dt 17:20 +; יַאֲרִיכוּ Dt 25:15; יַאֲרִכוּן Ex 20:12 cf. Dt 5:16; 6:2; תַּאֲרִיכֻן Dt 4:26; 30:18, etc.; Imv. fs. הַאֲרִיכִי Is 54:2: Inf. cstr. הַאֲרִיךְ Nu 9:19, 22; Pt. מַאֲרִיךְ Ec 7:15; 8:12;— e.g. Proverbs 19:11
- 1. trans. prolong, (a) obj. יָמִים (i.e. live long) Dt 4:26, 40; 5:30; 11:9; 17:20; 22:7; 30:18; 32:47 Jos 24:31 = Ju 2:7 (c. אַחֲרֵי = survive), Pr 28:16; Is 53:10; Ec 8:13; also (late) without ימים Ec 7:15; 8:12; (b) id. 1 K 3:14 י׳ subj. וְהַאֲרַכְתִּי אֶת־יָמֶיךָ I will prolong thy days; (c) postpone anger Is 48:9 cf. Pr 19:11 (i.e. shew oneself slow to anger); v. also Jb 6:11 אַאֲרִיךְ נַפְשִׁי i.e. be patient; (d) lit. (but in fig.) make long furrows (c. ל) ψ 129:3; tentcords Is 54:2; tongue 57:4 (stretch out in mockery). e.g. Deuteronomy 4:26
- 2. intrans. grow long, continue long (i.e. display length or continuance), subj. יָמִים Ex 20:12 = Dt 5:16; 6:2; 25:15; tarry long Nu 9:19, 22 (subj. הֶעָנָן), last (continue) long, subj. כֵּן Pr 28:2; be long (lit.) of staves of ark 1 K 8:8; 2 Ch 5:9. e.g. Exodus 20:12
ארך II long
Senses from the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon (Brown, Driver, Briggs; Oxford 1906 — public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). Full attribution on Sources.
Word origin
I. vb. be long, almost always of time (Assyrian arâku COTGloss, Aramaic אֲרַךְ, ܐܶܪܰܟ )—
I. adj. long—only cstr. אֶ֫רֶךְ Ex 34:6 + 14 times—א׳ הָאֵבֶר long of pinion Ez 17:3 (‖ גְּדוֹל הַכְּנָפַיִם) of eagle, in metaph.; elsewhere always of feelings, as subst. Ec 7:8 א׳ רוּחַ the patient of spirit (opp. גְּבַהּ ר׳); א׳ אַפַּיִם one slow to anger Pr 14:29 (opp. קְצַר־רוּחַ), so 15:18 (opp. אִישׁ חֵמָה), 16:32 (‖ מֹשֵׁל בְּרוּחוֹ); more often of י׳, א׳ אַפַּיִם, Ex 34:6 רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן א׳ אַפַּיִם וְרַב־חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת cf. Nu 14:18 Ne 9:17 ψ 86:15; 103:8; 145:8; so + וְנִחָם עַל־הָרָעָה Jo 2:13 cf. Jon 4:2 (where אֵל), א׳ אַפַּיִם וּגְדוֹל כֹּחַ Na 1:3; לְאֶרֶךְ אַפְּךָ only Je 15:15, א׳ appar. noun; read אֹרֶךְ? cf. Pr 25:15.
— Brown-Driver-Briggs (Oxford 1906, public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). See Sources.
Derived from ארך (ʼârak) (H748) — to be long.
Jastrow Dictionary
A second Hebrew/Aramaic lexicon for comparison, covering Aramaic and post-biblical (Talmudic, Targumic, Midrashic) usage that the biblical-Hebrew BDB does not. Matched by lemma rather than by Strong’s number, so a lemma may carry more than one Jastrow headword (shown separately below), and the entries cover usage well beyond the Bible.
ארך
- (√אר, cmp. ארג) to join, weave; whence to arrange, plan; v. ערך.—V. אֲרִיךְ II, אֲרוּכָה &c.
אָרֵךְ
- , cmp. Schr. KAT p. 497 ארג; cmp. also גדל to plait,to be tall) to be [pointed, stretched,] long, tall.
- 1. to prolong, be long in doing. Ber. I, 4 אמרו להַאֲרִיךְ they commended a lengthy benediction. Ib. 34ᵃ; cmp. אַרְכָן. Yoma 35ᵇ הֶאֱ׳ בתפלתו staid long in prayer.—הא׳ ימים to live long. Meg. 27ᵇ; a. fr.—Ber. 8ᵇ, a. fr. מַאֲרִיכִין ימיו his life will be prolonged.—פנים, הא׳ רוח to be long-suffering, forbearing. Y. Shebu. IV, beg. 35ᵇ; a. fr.—Y. Taan. II, 65ᵇ bot. when collecting debts (punishing) מאריך וגובה he is slow in collecting (punishes in long intervals, gives extension).
- 2. to be long, last long. Num. R. s. 20, end הא׳ הברזל the point of the spear grew longer, v. infra; a. fr.
- 3. [to lengthen the carrying pole,] to make heavy. Nidd. 16ᵇ כמה הֶאֱרַכְתָּ עלינו how heavy thou hast made our burden (through restrictive laws)!
- to be prolonged, grow longer. Sifré Num. 131; Yalk. ib. 771; (Num. R. l. c. האריך).
אֲרַךְ
- , v. אֲרִיךְ I
אֶרֶךְ
- (b. h.) only with אַף, אֲפַּיִם long-suffering, forbearing. Y. Taan. II, 65ᵇ; a. fr.; v. אַף.
A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature (Marcus Jastrow; London, Luzac, 1903) — Public Domain. Digitized via Sefaria. Digitized via Sefaria. Full attribution on Sources.
Forms in the corpus
The 7 distinct written forms H750 takes in the Hebrew Bible, most frequent first — each parse links to that state’s occurrences in the concordance. Hebrew forms include their vowel points and cantillation, so a single lemma takes many written forms.
| Form | Parsing | Example | Uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| אֶ֤רֶךְ | Adjective, Adjective, Masculine, Singular, Construct | Joel 2:13 | 4 |
| אֶ֣רֶךְ | Adjective, Adjective, Masculine, Singular, Construct | Ezekiel 17:3 | 3 |
| אֶ֥רֶךְ | Adjective, Adjective, Masculine, Singular, Construct | Exodus 34:6 | 3 |
| אֶֽרֶךְ | Adjective, Adjective, Masculine, Singular, Construct | Ecclesiastes 7:8 | 2 |
| אֶ֖רֶךְ | Adjective, Adjective, Masculine, Singular, Construct | Psalms 103:8 | 1 |
| וְ/אֶ֥רֶך | Adjective, Adjective, Masculine, Singular, Construct | Proverbs 15:18 | 1 |
| לְ/אֶ֥רֶךְ | Adjective, Adjective, Masculine, Singular, Construct | Jeremiah 15:15 | 1 |
Same root — word family
Other BDB entries built from the same root as H750, grouped by Strong’s listed origin. These share a root / origin per the lexicon — not necessarily a shared meaning. Each links to that word’s own entry.
Derives from
Shares the same root
Proper names from this root
People and places named from this root — a name, not an additional meaning of the word.
Compare all same-root words → Showing 4 of 7 — not the complete family. 1 of the same-root words is a proper name (a person or place). They share a root, not necessarily a meaning.
Septuagint verse parallels
This word appears in 11 verses that also exist in the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint), out of the 15 Hebrew verses it occurs in. You can read those verses in Greek by switching the Old Testament edition to the Septuagint.
Read these verses in the Septuagint
- Exodus 34:6
- Numbers 14:18
- Psalms 103:8
- Proverbs 14:29
- Ecclesiastes 7:8
- Jeremiah 15:15
- Ezekiel 17:3
- Joel 2:13
- Nahum 1:3
This is a verse-level parallel only — the same verses exist in both the Hebrew and Greek Old Testaments. No word-level Hebrew↔Greek correspondence is claimed: the data carries no such alignment, so no Greek word is shown as this Hebrew word’s translation. Coverage is not total — the Septuagint omits the deuterocanon and renumbers the Psalms, so some Hebrew verses have no direct Greek parallel.
