Lexical Summary Ardi: Ardi Original Word: אַרְדִּי Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Ardites Patronymic from Ard; an Ardite (collectively) or descendant of Ard -- Ardites. see HEBREW Ard NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom Ard Definition a desc. of Ard NASB Translation Ardites (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs אַרְדִּי adjective, of a people with article as proper name collective, הָאַרְדִּי ׳מִשְׁפ Numbers 26:40 . Topical Lexicon Biblical Occurrence Numbers 26:40 records the single mention of Ardi during the second wilderness census: “From Ard, the Ardite clan; and from Naaman, the Naamite clan. These were the descendants of Benjamin by their clans”. Genealogical Context Ardi designates the family line that issued from Ard, a grandson of Benjamin through Bela (compare Genesis 46:21; 1 Chronicles 7:6–7). Thus, Ardi represents a distinct clan within the larger Benjamite tribe. In Israel’s tribal structure, this clan identity determined military enrollment, inheritance rights, and placement in the camp (Numbers 1:52; Joshua 18:11). Census and Covenant Significance The second census in Numbers 26 was taken as the nation prepared to enter Canaan. Listing Ardi affirms that the promise to Benjamin’s house (Genesis 35:24) endured the wilderness judgments that wiped out the first generation (Numbers 14:29–31). The preservation of the Ardite clan illustrates the constancy of God’s covenant faithfulness despite national failure. Role in Conquest and Settlement Although no exploits of the Ardite clan are singled out, their inclusion in the muster counted toward the tribal total of forty-five thousand six hundred warriors (Numbers 26:41). This fighting strength helped secure Benjamin’s allotted territory between Ephraim and Judah (Joshua 18:11–28). Cities such as Gibeah and Jerusalem later became strategically significant, and descendants of Ardi would have shared in that stewardship. Legacy within the Tribe of Benjamin Benjamin produced notable leaders—Ehud the judge (Judges 3:15), King Saul (1 Samuel 9:21), and the apostle Paul (Philippians 3:5). Scripture does not explicitly trace any of these figures to Ardi; nevertheless, every Benjamite lineage, including the Ardite, contributed to the tribe’s heritage of courage and resilience (Judges 20:16; 1 Chronicles 8:40). Ministry Reflections 1. God counts individuals and families (Psalm 147:4). Even a single-occurrence name underscores His personal knowledge of His people. Christological Perspective Benjamin, “the son of my right hand” (Genesis 35:18), foreshadows the exalted position of Jesus Messiah (Psalm 110:1; Hebrews 1:3). By preserving even the minor Ardite clan, the Lord sustained the full tribal tapestry through which the incarnation would be narrated and authenticated (Luke 3:23–38). The meticulous record of Ardi therefore quietly testifies to the reliability of the genealogies that culminate in the Savior. Forms and Transliterations הָֽאַרְדִּ֔י הארדי hā’ardî hā·’ar·dî haarDiLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Numbers 26:40 HEB: וְנַעֲמָ֑ן מִשְׁפַּ֙חַת֙ הָֽאַרְדִּ֔י לְנַֽעֲמָ֔ן מִשְׁפַּ֖חַת NAS: [of Ard], the family of the Ardites; of Naaman, KJV: [of Ard], the family of the Ardites: [and] of Naaman, INT: and Naaman the family of the Ardites of Naaman the family 1 Occurrence |