Lexical Definition

‎אֹרַח‎ ʼôrach (o'-rakh) way ^H:N-M
from ‎אָרַח‎

manner, path, race, rank, traveller, troop, (by-, high-) way.

• a well-trodden road (literally or figuratively)
• also a caravan

1) way, path
1a) path, road
1b) the path, way, passing of life (fig.)
1c) way of living (fig.)
1d) traveller, wayfarer (meton)

See Greek: γυναικεῖος · ἐνιαυτός · ἔργον · ἔρχομαι · κύκλῳ · ὁδός · τρίβος

Extended Information

• Aramaic equivalent: o.rach (‎א‎ֹ֫‎ר‎ַ‎ח‎ "way" אֹרַח)

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎אֹ֫רַח‎ noun masculine^{Job 6:18} (feminine^{Prov 15:19}) way, path (Assyrian ur—u COT^Gloss, Aramaic ‎אֹרַח‎, ) — ‎׳‎‎א‎ absolute Ps 19:6* +; construct Prov 4:18 +; suffix ‎אָרְחִי‎ Job 19:8; Ps 139:3 < Infinitive construct, and || ‎רִבְעִי‎ (Infinitive construct of II. ‎רבע‎), not ‎דרכי‎, compare Bae. etc.; plural absolute ‎אֳרָחוֺת‎ Judg 5:6 (twice in verse) construct ‎אָרְחוֺת‎ Job 8:13 +; suffix ‎אָרְחֹתָ֑י‎ Job 13:27; Job 33:11 ‎אָרְחוֺתָם‎ Joel 2:7; Prov 9:15 ‎אָרְחֹתֵיהֶם‎ Prov 2:15 also ‎אֹרְחֹתָיו‎ Isa 2:3 +; ‎אֹרְחֹתֶיךָ‎ Ps 119:15 + etc.; — way, path (in Hebrew mostly poetry)

1. literal Judg 5:6 (twice in verse) song of Deborah (alone = highways, opposed to ‎עֲקַלְקַלּוֺת‎ ‎׳‎‎א‎ crooked (by- paths;) compare also ‎הֹלְכֵי נְתִיבוֺת‎ ib.); Isa 33:8 ‎׳‎‎עֹבֵר א‎ = wayfarer (|| ‎מְסִלּוֺת‎), see also Gen 49:17 (blessing of Jocob) (|| ‎דֶּרֶךְ‎) & ‎הֵמְיַשְּׁרִים אָרְחוֺתָם‎ those who make straight their ways (|| ‎עֹבְרֵי דָרֶ֑ךְ‎) Prov 9:15, ‎׳‎‎בּוֺא א‎ go (tread) a path Isa 41:3 of course of locusts Joel 2:7 ‎׳‎‎לֹא יְעַבְּטוּן א‎ they confuse not their paths (|| ‎דְּרָכִים‎); ‎יַמִּים‎ ‎׳‎‎א‎ paths of the seas Ps 8:9* ‎רוּץ אֹרַח‎ run along a path, figurative of sun Ps 19:6*.

2. figurative path, way, of course & fortunes of life = Job 33:11; Job 19:8 (|| ‎נְתִיבוֺת‎) Ps 139:3 (|| ‎דֶּרֶךְ‎) Ps 142:4* (|| ‎נְתִיבָה‎) Prov 3:6 (|| ‎דֶּרֶךְ‎) Prov 4:18; Prov 15:19 (both || id.) Isa 26:7 (|| ‎מַעְגָּל‎) so ‎דֶּרֶךְ אֹרְחֹתֶיךָ‎ Isa 3:12 plain or even path ‎מִישׁוֺר‎ ‎׳‎‎א‎ Ps 27:11 in two cases with a special reference (1) ‎אֹרַח כַּנָּשִׁים‎ Gen 18:11 (J) of menstruation; (2) ‎אֹרַח לֹא אָשׁוּב אֶהֱלֹךְ‎ a path (which) I shall not return, I am going Job 16:22 i.e. to Sh®°ôl, compare Assyrian name of lower world irƒit lâ târat, land without return, see Jr¹⁰; Jr⁶⁵.

3. figurative way, of mode of living, or of character Job 34:11 (|| ‎פֹּעַל‎) Ps 119:9. Specifically:
a. ways of ‎׳‎‎י‎, his mode of action Ps 25:10
b. of man's righteousness, called ways of ‎׳‎‎י‎ Ps 25:4 (|| ‎דְּרָכִים‎) Ps 44:19*; Ps 119:15 (|| ‎פִּקּוּדִים‎) Isa 2:3 = Mic 4:2 (|| ‎דְּרָכִים‎) compare ‎מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ‎ ‎׳‎‎א‎ Isa 26:8 also way of justice, uprightness, etc. ‎מִשְׁפָּט‎ ‎׳‎‎א‎ Prov 2:8 (|| ‎דֶּרֶח‎) Prov 17:23; Isa 40:14 (|| ‎דֶּרֶח‎), ‎ישֶׁר‎ ‎׳‎‎א‎ Prov 2:13 (|| id.), ‎צְדָקָה‎ ‎׳‎‎א‎ Prov 8:20 (|| ‎נְתִיבוֺת‎), Prov 12:28 (|| ‎דֶּרֶךְ נְתִיבָה‎); so ‎אֹרַה‎ alone Isa 30:11 (|| ‎דֶּרֶךְ‎) Prov 15:10 note especially ‎אֹרַח חַיִּים‎, path of life, in righteousness & enjoyment of God Ps 16:11; Prov 2:19; Prov 5:5; Prov 15:24 (opposed to ‎שְׁאוֺל‎), also ‎לְחַיִּים‎ ‎׳‎‎א‎ Prov 10:17 (on these compare Str Prov 14:32);
c. of wickedness, ‎פָּרִיץ‎ ‎׳‎‎א‎ way, path of the violent Ps 17:4, compare also Prov 22:25 ‎רְשָׁעְים‎ ‎׳‎‎א‎ Prov 4:14 (|| ‎דֶּרֶךְ‎), ‎בֹּצֵעַ‎ ‎׳‎‎א‎ Prov 1:19 followed by abstract ‎שָׁ֑קֶר‎ ‎׳‎‎א‎ Ps 119:104, so vPs 119:128 (|| ‎פִּקּוּדִים‎), also with adjective ‎רָע‎ ‎׳‎‎א‎ Ps 119:101 compare Prov 2:15 (‎עִקְּשִׁים‎ crooked) called ‎עלָוֺם‎ ‎׳‎‎הָא‎ Job 22:15 note also ‎אֵידָם‎ ‎׳‎‎א‎ their destructive ways, i.e. ways that cause destruction Job 30:12 (compare Job 19:12).

4. by meton. traveler, wayfarer Job 31:32 (compare ‎חֵלֶךְ‎ 2Sam 12:4) & in plural caravans 2Sam 6:18; 2Sam 6:19 but read perhaps ‎לָאֹרֵחַ‎ 2Sam 31:32, ‎אֹרְחוֺת‎ 2Sam 6:18; 2Sam 6:19.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References