אֲרָרַט
Ararat (or rather Armenia)
Definition
Ararat is a proper noun referring to a mountainous region, traditionally identified with the ancient kingdom of Urartu in the Armenian Highlands. In the Bible, it first appears as the landing place of Noah's ark after the flood (Genesis 8:4). In later prophetic and historical books, it is referenced as a distant, powerful kingdom, often in contexts of judgment or military alliance, such as the place where Sennacherib's assassins fled (2 Kings 19:37, Isaiah 37:38) and as a kingdom called to war against Babylon (Jeremiah 51:27). While the KJV sometimes translates it as 'Armenia,' the biblical term corresponds more specifically to the Iron Age kingdom of Urartu.
Biblical Usage
The word is used four times in the Old Testament, always as a proper noun for a geographical region. Its usage spans narrative, historical, and prophetic literature. In Genesis 8:4, it provides the specific, divinely appointed location for the ark's resting place. In the historical accounts of 2 Kings 19:37 and Isaiah 37:38, it is the distant refuge for assassins. Finally, in the prophecy of Jeremiah 51:27, it is summoned, along with other kingdoms, as part of God's judgment against Babylon, indicating its status as a known military power.
Etymology
The word 'אֲרָרַט' (ʼĂrâraṭ) is of foreign origin, borrowed into Hebrew from Akkadian 'Urarṭu.' This was the name of an Iron Age kingdom centered around Lake Van in the Armenian Highlands. The Hebrew form reflects this external source, and its meaning is tied directly to this historical geopolitical entity rather than deriving from a Hebrew root.
Semantic Range
Ararat holds theological significance primarily as the mountain range where God preserved Noah and his family, marking the end of divine judgment and the beginning of a new covenant with creation (Genesis 8:1-9:17). Its mention in Jeremiah 51:27 also places it within the framework of God's sovereign use of nations to execute judgment, demonstrating His authority over all kingdoms, near and far. Understanding it as a real, historical location grounds the biblical narrative in history.
To the ancient Israelites, Ararat (Urartu) represented a distant, powerful, and somewhat mysterious northern kingdom, a contemporary empire during the early first millennium BC. Its identification as the ark's landing place likely connected the Genesis flood story to a known, formidable mountain range, lending a sense of geographical realism to the narrative. The modern association with Mount Ararat in Turkey is a later tradition; the biblical reference is to a broader region.
None directly synonymous. Geographically related terms might include: הַר (har, H2022) — the common Hebrew word for 'mountain' or 'hill,' whereas Ararat is a specific mountain region.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
Full methodology & sources →