Original Word: עֲרוֹעֵר
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: `arow`er
Pronunciation: ah-ro-ER
Phonetic Spelling: (ar-o-ayr')
KJV: health
NASB: bush, juniper
Word Origin: [from H6209 (עָרַר - completely razed) reduplicated]

1. a juniper (from its nudity of situation)

health

Or sarear {ar-awr'}; from arar reduplicated; a juniper (from its nudity of situation) -- health.

see HEBREW arar

Word Origin
from arar
Definition
(probably a tree or bush) perhaps juniper
NASB Translation
bush (1), juniper (1).

I. עֲרוֺעֵר noun [masculine] probably a tree or bush; juniper ? (Arabic juniper (or cypress ? see Lane), so Tristr^{NHB 358} Rob^{BR ii. 124}; on formative see Lag^{BN 162} Ba^{NB 160}); — עֲרוֺעֵר בַּמִּדְבָּר Jeremiah 48:6, + Jeremiah 17:6, where read probably עֲרֹעֵר בָּעֲרָבָה (for ᵑ0 עַרְעָר; > Gf and others conversely, read עַרְעָר Jeremiah 48:6).

Meaning and Imagery

עֲרוֹעֵר (’arōʿēr) evokes the picture of a low, stunted desert shrub that ekes out its existence in barren, salt-laden soil. It conjures lifelessness, exposure, and the absence of nourishment—an ideal metaphor for spiritual sterility and judgment.

Occurrences in Scripture

1. Jeremiah 17:6 sets the plant in stark contrast to the flourishing “tree planted by the waters” (17:8). The shrub typifies the man who trusts in flesh; he “will not see when prosperity comes” and remains rooted in “parched places.”
2. Jeremiah 48:6 uses the same image in an oracle against Moab: “Flee! Save your lives, and you will be like a juniper in the desert.” The once-secure nation will be reduced to a lonely bush struggling to survive.

Historical and Cultural Background

Jeremiah ministered in the seventh and sixth centuries B.C. to a people who knew the Judean wilderness firsthand. Travelers along the Jordan Rift or across Moab’s plateau could see scattered broom junipers and other desert shrubs that offered scant shelter from the relentless sun. By invoking עמְדַרְך—the barren shrub—Jeremiah delivered an illustration every listener could picture instantly.

Theological Significance

1. Trust versus self-reliance: In Jeremiah 17 the shrub illustrates the curse pronounced on anyone who makes humanity his strength (17:5). The plant lives, but barely; likewise, self-reliant people exist without the life-giving presence of God.
2. Judgment leading to exile: In Jeremiah 48 the imagery foreshadows Moab’s displacement. Forced flight turns a settled people into a wandering, rootless shrub—proof that the LORD brings national pride low.
3. Covenant warnings fulfilled: Both texts echo Deuteronomy 29:23, where disobedience turns a land into “a burning waste, unsown and unproductive.” The shrub therefore reinforces the covenant link between sin and barrenness.

Practical Ministry Applications

• Discipleship: The contrast between shrub and tree supplies a vivid teaching tool for illustrating the results of misplaced trust versus abiding faith (cf. Psalm 1; John 15:1-8).
• Pastoral counseling: Individuals crushed by self-sufficiency can be invited to exchange the salt land of isolation for the living waters offered in Jesus Christ (John 4:14).
• Preaching on judgment and mercy: Jeremiah’s dual usage—warning Judah, then Moab—demonstrates God’s impartial justice while leaving room for escape (“Save your lives,” Jeremiah 48:6).

Intertextual Themes and Connections

• Wilderness motifs: The barren shrub aligns with Israel’s wilderness wanderings (Numbers 14-21) and Elijah’s broom tree experience (1 Kings 19:4-5), highlighting both human frailty and divine provision.
• Eschatological reversal: Prophets foresee deserts blossoming (Isaiah 35:1) when Messiah reigns. The future transformation of the shrub-strewn wasteland underscores the hope held out to repentant hearts.

Summary

עֲרוֹעֵר stands as a living parable: a meager desert shrub depicting the emptiness of self-trust and the inevitable barrenness of sin. Set against the lush picture of the righteous tree, it calls every generation to root life, nations, and ministry in the LORD alone, lest they too become a lonely bush in a salt land where no one lives.

כְּעַרְעָ֣ר כַּעֲרוֹעֵ֖ר כערוער כערער ka‘ărōw‘êr ka·‘ă·rō·w·‘êr kaaroEr kə‘ar‘ār kə·‘ar·‘ār kearArInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts