אֶדְרֶעִי
Edrei, the name of two places in Palestine
Definition
Edrei is the name of two distinct fortified cities in the Old Testament. The primary and most significant Edrei was the capital city of Og, king of Bashan, located east of the Jordan River. It was the site of a major Israelite victory where they defeated Og and captured his territory (Numbers 21:33, Deuteronomy 3:1-10). A second, lesser-known Edrei was a city in the territory of Naphtali in northern Israel, listed among the fortified cities of the tribe (Joshua 19:37).
Biblical Usage
The word is used exclusively as a proper noun for place names in historical and geographical contexts. It appears eight times, primarily in the books of Deuteronomy and Joshua, recounting the conquest of Transjordan. Its usage consistently marks key locations in the narrative of Israel's defeat of King Og and the subsequent allocation of the conquered lands to the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh (Deuteronomy 3:10, Joshua 13:12, 31).
Etymology
Derived from a root related to the Aramaic/Hebrew word 'edra' (אֶדְרָע, H153), meaning 'arm' or 'strength.' The name likely signifies 'mighty' or 'fortified,' which is fitting as both cities named Edrei were known as strong, fortified settlements. This connection to strength reflects their military and strategic importance in the biblical narrative.
Semantic Range
Edrei is theologically significant as the location of a decisive victory that demonstrated God's faithfulness in fulfilling his promise to give the land to Israel. The defeat of the giant King Og at Edrei (Deuteronomy 3:1-11) became a powerful reminder of God's power over seemingly insurmountable enemies and his provision for his people. Understanding its name ('mighty') contrasts the perceived might of the city with the superior might of Israel's God.
In the ancient Near East, a fortified capital city like Edrei represented the political and military power of a kingdom. Its capture was not just a military achievement but a symbolic transfer of dominion and authority. The biblical record of its conquest served to validate Israel's claim to the territory and to memorialize a key event in their national history.
Bashan (בָּשָׁן, H1316) — the broader region/kingdom which had Edrei as its capital; Ashtaroth (עַשְׁתָּרוֹת, H6252) — another major city of Og, often mentioned alongside Edrei (Joshua 12:4, 13:12).
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 →