Aran

ארן


Genesis 36:28 has a Chorite named Aran ben Dishan (not to be confused with Dishon, his brother). Dishan was one of the sons of Se'ir; 1 Chronicles 1:42 gives the same information, except that it does confuse him with his brother Dishon.

Some scholars suggest the name may mean "wild goat" from the root ARNON (ארנון) = "to be agile", "nimble"; there is a logic to this, in that Se'ir (שעיר) means "hairy" and is used for "a goat"; unfortunately there is also an extra Nun (נ) in Arnon, which has nothing to do with the root Aran, and no other usage anywhere to provide evidence for this as a legitimate variation.

However Oren (ארן), who appears in 1 Chronicles 2:25 as a son of Yerachme-El ("god's moon"), means "a tall tree" - though which tree is much disputed by the scholars; probably the ash (ornus in Latin) or the elder (alnus in Latin) - from which Asherim, or wooden idols (much resembling totem poles when they were not carved images of the gods) were made.

Should Aran then be pronounced Oren?

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