692. Areli
Lexical Summary
Areli: Areli

Original Word: אַרְאֵלִי
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Ar'eliy
Pronunciation: ah-reh-lee
Phonetic Spelling: (ar-ay-lee')
KJV: Areli, Arelites
NASB: Areli, Arelites
Word Origin: [from H691 (אֶראֵל - brave men)]

1. heroic
2. Areli (or an Arelite, collectively), an Israelite and his descendants

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Areli, Arelites

From 'er'el; heroic; Areli (or an Arelite, collectively), an Israelite and his descendants -- Areli, Arelites.

see HEBREW 'er'el

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
of uncertain derivation
Definition
a son of Gad, also his desc.
NASB Translation
Areli (2), Arelites (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
אַרְאֵלִי proper name, masculine (apparently noun, of a people from foregoing, but ᵐ5 Numbers 26:17 Ἀριηλ (Genesis 46:16 Ἀροηλεις, Ἀροηδις, Ἀπηδεις) = foregoing) a son of Gad Genesis 46:16; Numbers 26:17; also

adjective, of a people with article as proper name collective Numbers 26:17 מִשְׁמַּחַת הָאַרְאֵלִי ᵐ5 Ἀριηλει.

Topical Lexicon
Name and Family Context

Areli is listed among the seven sons of Gad, Jacob’s seventh son by Zilpah. “The sons of Gad: Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.” (Genesis 46:16). This verse places Areli among the seventy individuals who migrated with Jacob to Egypt, securing his place within the early patriarchal record and underscoring the care with which Scripture preserves family lines. Areli later appears as the eponymous ancestor of the Arelite clan (Numbers 26:17), indicating that his descendants flourished into a distinct sub-tribe within Gad.

Tribal Allocation and Settlement

The tribe of Gad received territory east of the Jordan, stretching from the middle reaches of the Jordan Valley to the edge of the Arabian wilderness (Joshua 13:24-28). Although Areli himself is not mentioned during the land-grant narratives, the Arelites, together with the other Gadite clans, would have shared in these allotments. Their holdings included fertile pasturelands ideal for flocks (Numbers 32:1-5), a detail consistent with Gad’s pastoral character first noted in Genesis 30:11.

Participation in the Exodus and Wilderness Census

Areli’s name surfaces again in the second wilderness census taken on the plains of Moab: “from Areli, the Arelite clan.” (Numbers 26:17). The listing confirms that the Arelites survived the forty-year judgment in the desert and entered the Promised Land as a recognized fighting force. Their presence in both Egypt-entry and Canaan-entry records testifies to the Lord’s covenant faithfulness across generations.

Historical Footprints Beyond the Pentateuch

Scripture offers no narrative episodes involving individual Arelites after the conquest. Nevertheless, Gadite valor is highlighted in later history—David’s men “strong, prepared for war” (1 Chronicles 12:8-15) and the prophetic promise of territory restoration in Ezekiel 48:27. Though unnamed, Arelites would have shared in these exploits, embodying the martial spirit and steadfast loyalty assigned to their tribe.

Theological Significance

1. Preservation of the Remnant: By naming Areli and recording his clan’s continuity, the Bible models divine remembrance of seemingly minor families.
2. Fulfillment of Promise: Areli’s descendants attest that every spoken blessing—such as Jacob’s declaration that Gad would “raid at their heels” (Genesis 49:19)—finds concrete, historical expression.
3. Corporate Identity in Covenant: The Arelites illustrate how every clan, however small, contributed to the worship, warfare, and witness of Israel. Their survival into the conquest era signifies that obedience and judgment applied communally, emphasizing solidarity in covenant blessings and responsibilities.

Ministry Applications

• Genealogical passages encourage believers to view their family histories as part of God’s redemptive tapestry, just as Areli’s simple listing connects him to national destiny.
• Leaders can draw from the Arelites’ inclusion in military censuses to teach about spiritual readiness and inter-generational faithfulness.
• The unbroken line from Egypt to Canaan reminds congregations that God finishes what He begins (Philippians 1:6), even when individual accounts remain untold.

Key References

Genesis 46:16

Numbers 26:17

Forms and Transliterations
הָאַרְאֵלִֽי׃ האראלי׃ וְאַרְאֵלִֽי׃ ואראלי׃ לְאַ֨רְאֵלִ֔י לאראלי hā’ar’êlî hā·’ar·’ê·lî haareLi lə’ar’êlî lə·’ar·’ê·lî leAreLi veareLi wə’ar’êlî wə·’ar·’ê·lî
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Genesis 46:16
HEB: עֵרִ֥י וַֽאֲרוֹדִ֖י וְאַרְאֵלִֽי׃
NAS: Eri and Arodi and Areli.
KJV: Eri, and Arodi, and Areli.
INT: Eri and Arodi and Areli

Numbers 26:17
HEB: מִשְׁפַּ֖חַת הָאֲרוֹדִ֑י לְאַ֨רְאֵלִ֔י מִשְׁפַּ֖חַת הָאַרְאֵלִֽי׃
NAS: of the Arodites; of Areli, the family
KJV: of the Arodites: of Areli, the family
INT: the family of the Arodites of Areli the family of the Arelites

Numbers 26:17
HEB: לְאַ֨רְאֵלִ֔י מִשְׁפַּ֖חַת הָאַרְאֵלִֽי׃
NAS: of Areli, the family of the Arelites.
KJV: of Areli, the family of the Arelites.
INT: of Areli the family of the Arelites

3 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 692
3 Occurrences


hā·’ar·’ê·lî — 1 Occ.
lə·’ar·’ê·lî — 1 Occ.
wə·’ar·’ê·lî — 1 Occ.

691
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