אֲרוֹן

From the study of 1 Chronicles 15:3

Range of meaning

A chest or box. It is used of Joseph's coffin (Gen 50:26) and of the temple collection chest (2 Kgs 12:9–10). Most often it is the 'ark of the covenant / of God / of YHWH': the acacia-wood, gold-overlaid chest topped by the cherubim-flanked cover (Exod 25:10–22). It held the covenant tablets and was understood as the footstool of YHWH, who was 'enthroned on the cherubim' (1 Chr 13:6; 28:2).

Against the English

English 'ark' comes from Latin arca, 'chest'. Today the word mainly calls up Noah's boat, but Hebrew uses a completely different word for that (tēvāh, Gen 6; also Moses' basket, Exod 2:3). Nothing about a ship is implied here.

How it drifted

Latin arca was used in the Vulgate for both Noah's vessel and the covenant chest, and English inherited 'ark' for both. Over time the boat sense came to dominate in ordinary speech.

Used elsewhere in the period

Common across the Hebrew Bible. The Septuagint translates it kibōtos, 'box, chest', which it also uses for Noah's ark, carrying the same merging of the two into Greek. Ancient Near Eastern parallels include portable chests and divine footstools in Egyptian processions, and the practice of depositing treaty documents at a god's feet.

From the study of Deuteronomy 10:8

Range of meaning

Chest or box. It is used of Joseph's coffin (Gen 50:26), the collection chest in the temple (2 Kgs 12:9–10) and the sacred chest of YHWH. It is an ordinary word for a container.

Against the English

English 'ark' comes from Latin arca, 'chest', which is accurate in origin. A modern reader, though, hears 'ark' mostly as Noah's boat, and Noah's ark is a different Hebrew word (tevah). A plain rendering would be 'the covenant chest'.

How it drifted

Older English used 'ark' for any chest. That sense died out and the word survived only in the two biblical phrases, so the boat sense took over.

Used elsewhere in the period

Deut 10:1–5 tells how Moses makes an acacia-wood 'aron and puts the second set of tablets inside: 'and they are there, as YHWH commanded me.' Exodus 25 describes a gold-covered chest with a cover and cherubim, called 'the ark of the testimony'. In the ancient Near East, treaty documents were kept in sanctuaries 'before' the gods. Copies of Hittite treaties were deposited before the deity, for example the Suppiluliuma–Shattiwaza treaty placed before the Sun-goddess of Arinna (ANET).

From the study of Deuteronomy 31:9

Range of meaning

A chest or box: Joseph's coffin (Gen 50:26), the priest Jehoiada's collection chest (2 Kgs 12:9–10), and the sacred chest of the sanctuary. The sacred chest is called 'ark of the testimony' in Exodus–Numbers, 'ark of the covenant (of YHWH)' especially in Deuteronomy and the books after it, and 'ark of God'.

Against the English

'Ark' comes from Latin arca, 'chest'. Modern readers tie it to Noah's ark, but Noah's vessel is a different Hebrew word, tēḇâ, also used for baby Moses' basket.

How it drifted

Latin arca was used both for Noah's vessel and for the sanctuary chest, so English got one word, 'ark', for two different Hebrew words. In modern English 'ark' mostly means a boat, or a film's magical relic.

Used elsewhere in the period

Deut 10:1–5 says Moses made a chest of acacia wood and put the tablets in it, 'and there they are'. 1 Kgs 8:9 says nothing was in the ark except the two tablets. Egyptian and Hittite practice of storing treaty copies 'at the feet of' a god offers a parallel for keeping covenant documents in sacred containers.