The word ariel carries two distinct meanings: (1) a compound of ari (lion) + El (God) = 'Lion of God' — used as a poetic name for Jerusalem; and (2) an altar hearth — the burning center of the sacrificial altar in Ezekiel's temple vision.
Ariel is one of the most theologically rich compound names in Hebrew. As 'Lion of God,' it portrays Jerusalem as the city where the Lion-God dwells — powerful, royal, and fearsome. As 'altar hearth,' it depicts the fiery center where sacrifices meet the divine. Isaiah's oracle against 'Ariel' (Isaiah 29) is a judgment against Jerusalem that paradoxically promises ultimate restoration. The name thus holds together both the holiness and the mercy of God: He judges the city He loves, and restores it to glory.