Denotes a beaten path, a well-worn road, or metaphorically a course of life and conduct. While related to derek (H1870, way), ʾōrach tends to emphasize the track itself — the trail carved by repeated travel. It is especially prominent in wisdom literature, where the paths of the righteous and the wicked are contrasted.
In Proverbs and Psalms, ʾōrach maps the moral geography of human existence. There is the 'path of life' (Ps 16:11), the 'paths of righteousness' (Ps 23:3, magʿlê; Prov 2:13 uses ʾōrach), and the 'path of the wicked' (Prov 4:14). Wisdom literature insists that paths are not neutral: they lead somewhere. The path of the just is 'as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day' (Prov 4:18), while the path of the wicked leads to darkness and destruction. God Himself is portrayed as guiding His people in right paths (Ps 25:4), and the Messiah opens the 'path of life' (Ps 16:11) — a verse Peter applies to Christ's resurrection in Acts 2:28.