Original Word: אֲרִאֵיל
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: ari'eyl
Pronunciation: ah-ree-EL
Phonetic Spelling: (ar-ee-ale')
KJV: altar
NASB: altar hearth
Word Origin: [either by transposition for H739 (אֲרִיאֵל אֲרִאֵל - Ariel) or, more probably, an orthographical variation for H2025 (הַראֵל - Mountain of God)]

1. the altar of the temple

altar

Either by transposition for 'ariy'el or, more probably, an orthographical variation for har'el; the altar of the temple -- altar.

see HEBREW 'ariy'el

see HEBREW har'el

Word Origin
from an unused word
Definition
hearth, altar-hearth
NASB Translation
altar hearth (3).

אֲרִאֵיל noun [masculine] hearth, altar-hearth (ᵐ5 Ἀριηλ; from ארה with ל aff. according to Ew^{§ 163 g} Ol^{§ 220} Sm Ezekiel 43:15 Di Isaiah 29:1 and elsewhere; but this formation very rare & here dubious; ᵑ7 Hi De Brd Or Isaiah 29:1 derive from אל + ארי = hearth of El, see also RS^{Semitic i. 469}, who thinks of pillar-altars; compare אראלדודה MI¹² see Sm & So, and Dr^{Sm xci}) — אראיל Kt Ezekiel 43:15,16; (Qr אֲרִיאֵל); = הַרְאֵל Ezekiel 43:15 (Vrss Co אריאל), all with article, — of altar-hearth in Ezekiel's temple.

Term Overview

אֲרִאֵיל (Strong’s Hebrew 741) designates the upper platform or “hearth” of the altar in Ezekiel’s vision of the restored temple. While a related form can signify “lion of God,” Ezekiel employs the term exclusively for the squared, fiery center where sacrifices are consumed.

Occurrence in Ezekiel’s Vision

Ezekiel records the word three times within his description of the future altar (Ezekiel 43:15 [twice], 16). The Berean Standard Bible renders the key verse:

“So the altar hearth shall be four cubits high, and four horns shall project upward from the hearth” (Ezekiel 43:15).

Here “altar hearth” translates אֲרִאֵיל, situating it at the meeting point between heaven-ward devotion and earth-bound offering in the prophetic temple.

Architectural and Liturgical Significance

1. Centrality: The אֲרִאֵיל is the geometric and theological center of the altar—four-sided, elevated, crowned with horns, and directly aligned beneath the glory of the LORD (Ezekiel 43:4–7).
2. Purification: Blood is applied specifically to its corners during the consecration ritual (Ezekiel 43:20), underscoring its role in atonement.
3. Perpetuity: Unlike earlier altars that moved with the tabernacle or stood in Solomon’s Temple, this hearth belongs to an eschatologically fixed sanctuary, signaling enduring fellowship between God and His covenant people.

Theological Themes

• Holiness: By prescribing exact measurements and a seven-day purification cycle (Ezekiel 43:23–26), the vision stresses that access to God remains regulated by His holiness even in the anticipated age of restoration.
• Atonement: Fire on the אֲרִאֵיל consumes sin offerings (Ezekiel 43:27), prefiguring the ultimate, once-for-all sacrifice (Hebrews 10:10).
• Kingship: The root imagery of “lion” intimates royal authority; the hearth becomes the throne of divine judgment and mercy where sin is judged and covenant love declared.

Typological Reflections in Redemptive History

Old Testament sacrificial fire foreshadows the cross, where Christ bore the consuming judgment of God (Isaiah 53:5; 2 Corinthians 5:21). In Revelation 8:3-5 an altar of incense before God again appears, tying Ezekiel’s prophetic picture to the consummation when prayers and purified worship rise eternally.

Implications for Worship Today

• Reverent Approach: The detailed regulations remind believers that acceptable worship is defined by God, not human preference (John 4:24).
• Confidence in Atonement: The vision supplies assurance that God Himself provides the hearth, the fire, and ultimately the sacrifice, granting believers bold access through the blood of Jesus (Hebrews 10:19-22).
• Hope of Restoration: Ezekiel’s fixed altar directs hearts toward the promised renewal of all things, encouraging steadfastness in present service (1 Corinthians 15:58).

Intertextual Connections

Ezekiel’s אֲרִאֵיל interacts conceptually with:
• The bronze altar of Exodus 27:1-8 (prototype).
• Isaiah’s use of אֲרִיאֵל for Jerusalem (Isaiah 29:1-7), where the city itself becomes an altar-hearth of divine dealings.
• The “altar that is in heaven” (Revelation 6:9) where the faithfulness of the saints is remembered, showing continuity of sacrificial imagery across canon.

Summary

אֲרִאֵיל in Ezekiel marks the heart of restored worship, integrating themes of holiness, sacrifice, and divine kingship. It points beyond a physical structure to the ultimate meeting place of God and humanity accomplished in Christ and consummated in the new creation.

וְהַֽהַרְאֵ֖ל וְהָאֲרִיאֵ֗ל וּמֵהָאֲרִיאֵ֣ל והאריאל וההראל ומהאריאל ū·mê·hā·’ă·rî·’êl ūmêhā’ărî’êl umehaariEl vehaariEl vehaharEl wə·hā·’ă·rî·’êl wə·ha·har·’êl wəhā’ărî’êl wəhahar’êlInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts