A Hebrew word meaning “Aram of the two rivers.” It refers to the area bounded by the upper Euphrates and the Habur Rivers. It is sometimes translated “Mesopotamia” (Deuteronomy 23:4, Revised Standard Version).
The major city of that area was Haran, where Terah and Abram stopped. It was also where Terah died (Genesis 11:31–32). A servant of Abram (later called Abraham) returned to the same region to seek a wife for Abraham’s son Isaac (Genesis 24:1–10). Isaac’s son Jacob also returned to Haran to seek a wife (Genesis 28:1–5) Paddan-aram is another name for Aram-naharaim. Aram-naharaim was the home of Balaam, who was a pagan prophet (Deuteronomy 23:4).
One oppressor of Israel during the period of the judges was Cushan-rishathaim, king of Aram-naharaim (Judges 3:8–11). Later, in King David’s wars with Ammon, he had to confront mercenary charioteers hired from the Aramean centers of Aram-naharaim, Aram-maacah, and Zobah (1 Chronicles 19:6; compare Psalm 60 title). See Syria, Syrians.