Bible Dictionary
Arioch
Arioch was the name of a king of Ellasar who joined Chedorlaomer’s campaign against the cities of the plain. Another Arioch was an officer of Nebuchadnezzar who carried out the king’s orders against the wise men.
Definition
Arioch was the name of a king of Ellasar who joined Chedorlaomer’s campaign against the cities of the plain. Another Arioch was captain of Nebuchadnezzar’s bodyguard and was ordered to execute the wise men who could not reveal the king’s dream.
Biblical Usage
The first Arioch appears in Genesis 14 among the allied kings who attacked Sodom, Gomorrah, and neighboring states. The second appears in Daniel 2 in connection with Nebuchadnezzar’s command and Daniel’s undertaking to interpret the dream.
Historical Background
The king of Ellasar is generally identified in the supplied material with Eri-Aku, king of Larsa in Babylonia. The Arioch of Daniel is known only through his service under Nebuchadnezzar.
Scripture References
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Easton's Bible Dictionary
Lion-like, venerable. (1.) A king of Ellasar who was confederate with Chedorlamer (Gen. 14:1, 9). The tablets recently discovered by Mr. Pinches (see CHALDEA) show the true reading is Eri-Aku of Larsa. This Elamite name meant “servant of the moon-god.” It was afterwards changed into Rimsin, “Have mercy, O moon-god.” (2.) Dan. 2:14.
Smith's Bible Dictionary
(venerable).
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
<p>ar'-i-ok: ('aryokh):</p><p>(1) The name of the vassal king of Ellasar, under Chedorlaomer, king of Elam, and Amraphel, king of Shinar (Babylonia), who took part in the expedition against Sodom, Gomorrah and other states (Ge 14:1,9). Assyriologists generally, and probably rightly, identify Arioch with Eri-Aku (which see), king of Larsa, Ellasar being for Al-Larsa (now Sinqara in central Babylonia).</p><p>Texts Referring to the Reign of Arioch:</p><p>For an account of the expedition see AMRAPHEL, and for the Babylonian texts bearing upon the reign, see ERI-AKU. In Ge 14:1,9, where the names of the allied kings who marched against the Cities of the Plain are given, that of Arioch follows his more immediate suzerain, Amraphel, and not Chedorlaomer, who, however, appears to have been the real overlord (verse 4), which agrees with the indications of the Bah records. No details of the expedition are available from Babylonian sources. Besides Larsa, Eri-Aku's inscriptions inform us that Ur (Muqayyar, Mugheir) was in the principality of which Larsa was the capital.</p><p>(2) The Arioch of Da 2:14,25 was captain of the bodyguard of King Nebuchadnezzar. Nothing else is known about him except that it was he who was commanded to slay the "wise men" who failed to repeat to the king his dream and its interpretation; and who communicated to his royal master that Daniel had undertaken the task.</p><p>T. G. Pinches</p>