Original Word: אֶרֶג
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: ereg
Pronunciation: eh'-reg
Phonetic Spelling: (eh'-reg)
KJV: beam, weaver's shuttle
NASB: loom, weaver's shuttle
Word Origin: [from H707 (אָרַג - weaver's)]

1. a weaving
2. a braid
3. (also) a shuttle

beam, weaver's shuttle

From 'arag; a weaving; a braid; also a shuttle -- beam, weaver's shuttle.

see HEBREW 'arag

Word Origin
from arag
Definition
a loom
NASB Translation
loom (1), weaver's shuttle (1).

אֶ֫רֶג noun [masculine] loom (see GFM^{POS Oct.1889}) — אֶרֶג Judges 16:4 hand-loom to which Samson's hair was fastened, plucked up by him (׳א object of וַיִּסַּע; strike out הַיְתַד as gloss, compare GFM above); Job 7:6 יָמַי קַלּוּ מִנִּי אָ֑רֶג my days are swifter than a loom.

אַרְגֹּב see רגב.

אַרְגָּז see רגז.

Overview

אֶרֶג denotes the apparatus or act of weaving on a loom. Though it appears only twice in the canon, the term opens a window onto the larger biblical motif of weaving—an everyday task in the ancient household that becomes a vehicle for moral warning, covenant memory, and eschatological hope.

Historical and Cultural Setting

In Israel and the broader Ancient Near East, weaving was integral to domestic life. Women commonly spun thread and operated upright looms set into the ground or portable looms fastened to beams. Cloth production was labor-intensive; garments, tents, priestly vestments, and royal tapestries all originated at the loom. Weaving thus signified both industriousness (Proverbs 31:13) and prosperity (Ezekiel 27:16). A loom in a private home was as familiar as a plow in the field, making imagery drawn from the craft sharply intelligible to original audiences.

Scriptural Occurrences

Judges 16:14 sets אֶרֶג in a narrative of deception. Delilah “fastened the braids of his head into the loom and tightened them with the pin. Then she called to him, ‘Samson, the Philistines are upon you!’”. The loom becomes an instrument of entanglement, depicting how subtle sin can bind a believer even in the seemingly harmless intimacy of everyday life.

Job 7:6 employs the metaphor of the weaver’s shuttle: “My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle; they come to an end without hope.”. Here the loom illustrates life’s relentless speed and inescapable finitude. As the shuttle darts back and forth, so days pass, leaving Job pleading for divine intervention.

Theological Insights

1. Fragility and Brevity of Life

Job’s lament mirrors later wisdom: “You are a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:14). The loom’s shuttle measures each moment with finality. This perspective fosters humility and urgent dependence on God’s mercy.

2. Entanglement of Sin

Samson’s hair, consecrated by his Nazirite vow, becomes woven into the loom, symbolizing consecration compromised by sensual capitulation. Spiritual gifts misused can be snares when believers yield to persistent temptation.

3. Divine Sovereignty in the Fabric of History

Scripture repeatedly portrays God as the ultimate Weaver: “You knit me together in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13). The sparse appearances of אֶרֶג serve as reminders that every thread—whether of triumph or trial—lies under His sovereign hand.

Christological Echoes

The sanctuary curtains, woven of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn (Exodus 26:31), foreshadow the incarnate Word who “tabernacled among us” (John 1:14). The tearing of the temple veil at the crucifixion (Matthew 27:51) signals the finished work of Christ, granting direct access to God. Thus, the loom subtly prefigures the Gospel: what human hands once wove to partition, God’s Son rends to reconcile.

Practical Ministry Applications

• Pastoral counseling: Job’s imagery provides language for sufferers who feel their days are racing toward despair; counselors may use the shuttle metaphor to point to the hope of resurrection life.
• Discipleship: Samson’s loom episode warns against incremental compromise; small entwinements can lead to catastrophic bondage.
• Worship and arts ministries: Textile crafts can visually reinforce biblical narratives—quilts depicting covenant promises or banners illustrating the seamless robe of Christ.

Related Biblical Imagery

Spinning and weaving recur in texts such as Proverbs 31:19, Isaiah 38:12, and Acts 9:39. Each instance enlarges the metaphor: industry, mortality, and communal service respectively. Together they weave a coherent biblical theology of daily labor under God’s providence.

Conclusion

Though אֶרֶג surfaces only twice, it threads vital themes through Scripture—human frailty, the peril of sin, and God’s redemptive artistry. In every generation, the loom still whispers its testimony: the Designer is faithful, the pattern sure, and the finished fabric will display His glory.

אָ֑רֶג ארג הָאֶ֖רֶג הארג ’ā·reḡ ’āreḡ Areg hā’ereḡ hā·’e·reḡ haEregInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts