Original Word: עָרָה
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: `arah
Pronunciation: ah-RAH
Phonetic Spelling: (aw-raw')
KJV: leave destitute, discover, empty, make naked, pour (out), rase, spread self, uncover
NASB: laid bare, poured, raze, emptied, empty, lay him open, leave
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to be (causatively, make) bare
2. (hence) to empty, pour out, demolish

leave destitute, discover, empty, make naked, pour out, rase, spread self, uncover

A primitive root; to be (causatively, make) bare; hence, to empty, pour out, demolish -- leave destitute, discover, empty, make naked, pour (out), rase, spread self, uncover.

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to be naked or bare
NASB Translation
defenseless* (1), emptied (1), empty (1), laid bare (2), lay him open (1), leave (1), made naked (1), make their bare (1), make yourself naked (1), poured (2), raze (2), spreading (1), uncovered (1).

[עָרָה] verb be naked, bare (Arabic be naked; Phoenician ערה [Pi`el] lay bare (compare Bloch Lzb); Assyrian ûru, nakedness, also desert waste (compare [עָרָה] below) Jäger^{BAS ii. 282 and references}; Late Hebrew עֶרְוָה = Biblical Hebrew, ᵑ7 עִירְיְתָא; Syriac in Lexicons); —

Pi`el Perfect3masculine singular עֵרָה Isaiah 22:6; Zephaniah 2:14; Imperfect3masculine singular יְעָרֶהIsaiah 3:17; 3 feminine singular וַהְּעַר Genesis 24:20; 2masculine singular jussive תְּעַר Psalm 141:8; 3masculine plural וִיעָרוּ2Chronicles 24:11; Imperative masculine plural עָ֫רוּ Psalm 137:7 (twice in verse); Infinitive absolute עָרוֺת Habakkuk 3:13 (Ges^{§ 75n}); —

1 lay bare Isaiah 3:17; Isaiah 22:6; Zephaniah 2:14 (indefinite subject); of laying foundations bare, i.e. tearing down walls, etc. Habakkuk 3:13 (yet on text see Now), absolute עָ֫רוּ עָ֑רוּ Psalm 137:7 (twice in verse).

2 lay bare by removing contents, empty, water-jar Genesis 24:20 (J; + אֶל location), chest 2 Chronicles 24:11.

3 pour out, אַלתְּֿעַר נַמְּשִׁי Psalm 141:8 (i.e. slay).

Hiph`il Perfect3masculine singular ׃ הֶעֱרָה

1 make naked, of sexual offences Leviticus 20:18,19 (both "" גִּלָּה).

2 pour out, לַמָּוֶת ׳הע, נַפְשׁוֺ Isaiah 53:12 (figurative for slay, compare Qal 3).

Niph`al passive of Hiph`il 2 :3masculine singular יֵעָרֶה עָלֵינוּ רוּחַ Isaiah 32:15 (figurative) until there be poured upon us a spirit from on high.

Hithpa`el 1. Imperfect2feminine singular תִּתְעָרִ֑י Lamentations 4:21 thou shalt make thyself naked (of Edom under figure of drunken woman).

2 Participle מִתְעָרֶה Psalm 37:35 usually pouring himself, i.e. spreading himself out like a tree (Bae doubts; Du מִתְעַלֶּה lifting himself up, compare ᵐ5).

[עַרְוָה] noun feminine dishonour (√ערה, Biblical Hebrew be naked (q. v.), עֶתְוָה nakedness); — construct עַרְוַת Ezra 4:14.

Sphere of Meaning and Major Motifs

The verb denotes the deliberate removal of what fills, hides, or protects—emptying a vessel, uncovering the body, stripping a structure, or pouring out life itself. In Scripture these acts trace two dominant lines: (1) gracious self-giving that blesses others, and (2) judicial exposure that disgraces the proud.

Narrative and Cultic Settings

• Genesis 24:20 depicts Rebekah quickly “emptying her jar into the trough” to refresh Abraham’s servant’s camels. The emptied vessel becomes the channel of hospitality and covenant progress, leading toward the birth of the promised nation.
• In the holiness code (Leviticus 20:18-19) the verb addresses illicit sexual exposure. What the marriage covenant alone may reveal is protected by divine law; unlawful uncovering brings corporate guilt.
• 2 Chronicles 24:11 records that the priests “emptied the chest” of contributions collected for temple repair. The stress lies on faithful stewardship: funds poured out for worship are not lost but transformed into sacred service.

Poetic and Prophetic Imagery

• The Psalter applies the term to ruthless ambition (Psalm 37:35) and to Edom’s violent cry, “Tear it down to its foundations!” (Psalm 137:7). Wrongful stripping seeks to erase Zion, yet only exposes the malice of the aggressor.
• Isaiah multiplies the images. The proud daughters of Zion will have their secret parts laid bare (Isaiah 3:17); Kir uncovers the shield in frantic defense (22:6); the wasteland waits “until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high” (32:15). Blessing and judgment hinge on who does the uncovering—human rebels or the Lord of Hosts.
• Habakkuk 3:13 pictures God striking “the head of the house of the wicked, laying him bare from thigh to neck,” a graphic unmasking of tyrannical power. In Zephaniah 2:14 even cedar beams are laid bare, symbolizing complete desolation of pagan strongholds.

Climactic Messianic Fulfillment

Isaiah 53:12: “He poured out His life unto death.” The Servant voluntarily empties Himself, bearing sin and opening the way for many to be counted righteous. Every prior usage—whether a jar, a treasury chest, or a defeated oppressor—points forward to this supreme outpouring. The emptying does not end in loss; it issues in resurrection abundance and universal blessing (John 10:10).

Theological Themes

1. Divine Ownership: All that we “empty” was first entrusted to us; stewarding it for God’s purposes leads to increase, not lack (Proverbs 11:24-25; 2 Corinthians 9:8-11).
2. Holy Exposure: Sin that uncovers another for selfish gain meets God’s retributive exposure (Obadiah 15). Judgment often mirrors the crime.
3. Spirit-Poured Renewal: The barren wilderness of Isaiah 32 blossoms when the Spirit is “poured” out, prefiguring Pentecost (Acts 2:17-18).
4. Christ’s Kenosis: The Servant’s self-emptying supplies the pattern for Christian humility (Philippians 2:5-8) and sacrificial ministry (1 John 3:16-18).

Ministry Applications

• Hospitality: Rebekah’s swift emptying challenges believers to expend resources promptly for kingdom kindness.
• Sexual Integrity: Leviticus warns that physical uncovering apart from covenant profanes God’s design; pastoral care must defend purity and dignity.
• Generous Giving: Like the chest in 2 Chronicles, regularly “emptying” material storehouses toward gospel work constructs living temples.
• Prophetic Confrontation: Habakkuk and Zephaniah encourage leaders to expose systemic evil while trusting the Lord to lay bare what human power conceals.
• Gospel Proclamation: Every act of self-sacrifice is grounded in and points back to the Servant who poured out His soul, inviting sinners to the fountain of life (Revelation 22:17).

Summary

Across law, history, poetry, and prophecy, the verb charts a divine rhythm: vessels emptied to bless, bodies uncovered in sin, nations stripped in judgment, and ultimately the Messiah pouring out His very life. The church is called to embrace the blessing side of that rhythm—willingly emptying itself for God and neighbor—while warning a weary world that unrepentant self-exposure will one day be answered by the holy exposure of God.

הֶֽעֱרָ֔ה הֶעֱרָ֖ה הֶעֱרָ֤ה הערה וְתִתְעָרִֽי׃ וִיעָ֙רוּ֙ וַתְּעַ֤ר וּ֝מִתְעָרֶ֗ה ויערו ומתערה ותער ותתערי׃ יְעָרֶֽה׃ יֵ֨עָרֶ֥ה יערה יערה׃ עֵרָ֖ה עֵרָֽה׃ עָ֑רוּ עָ֤רוּ ׀ עָר֛וֹת ערה ערה׃ ערו ערות תְּעַ֥ר תער ‘ā·rō·wṯ ‘ā·rū ‘ārōwṯ ‘ārū ‘ê·rāh ‘êrāh aRot Aru eRah he‘ĕrāh he·‘ĕ·rāh heeRah tə‘ar tə·‘ar teAr ū·miṯ·‘ā·reh ūmiṯ‘āreh umitaReh vatteAr vetitaRi viAru wat·tə·‘ar wattə‘ar wə·ṯiṯ·‘ā·rî wəṯiṯ‘ārî wî‘ārū wî·‘ā·rū yê‘āreh yə‘āreh yê·‘ā·reh yə·‘ā·reh yeaRehInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts