Original Word: רֶכֶס
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: rekec
Pronunciation: reh'-kes
Phonetic Spelling: (reh'-kes)
KJV: rough place
NASB: rugged terrain
Word Origin: [from H7405 (רָכַס - bind)]

1. a mountain ridge (as of tied summits)

rough place

From rakac; a mountain ridge (as of tied summits) -- rough place.

see HEBREW rakac

Word Origin
from rakas
Definition
perhaps roughness
NASB Translation
rugged terrain (1).

[רֶ֫כֶס] noun [masculine] dubious; perhaps roughness (of ground; ? literally binding, knot); or bound up, impeded, i.e. the impassable; or mountain-chain (see Thes); — plural הָֽרְכָסִים Isaiah 40:4 ("" הֶעָקֹכ; opposed to בִּקְעָה).

Definition and Occurrence

רֶכֶס denotes a rugged mountain ridge or rough elevated terrain. It is found once in the Hebrew Bible, Isaiah 40:4, where it stands as one of four landscape obstacles scheduled for dramatic transformation at the advent of the Lord’s glory.

Cultural and Geographic Setting

In the Levant, long, rocky spines divide valleys and shape travel routes. Such ridges can be seen in the central highlands, the Carmel range, and the serrated Judean hill country. They were natural defenses for cities (for example, Jerusalem on its series of ridges in 2 Samuel 5:6-7) but also impediments to the straight roads required for royal processions.

Prophetic Background (Isaiah 40:1-5)

Isaiah’s comfort oracle addresses a disheartened Judah anticipating exile. The command, “Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness” (Isaiah 40:3), summons a royal road-building project. Valleys rise, mountains sink, crooked turns straighten, and the רֶכֶס (rugged ridges) become “a plain” (Isaiah 40:4). The imagery declares God’s sovereign resolve to remove every natural and political impediment to His redemptive arrival.

Theological Emphasis

1. Divine Sovereignty: Only the Creator can level topography at will (Psalm 97:5).
2. Covenant Faithfulness: The return from exile typifies God keeping His covenant with Abraham, reaffirmed in Leviticus 26:44-45.
3. Moral Application: The rough ridges symbolize pride and resistance (Proverbs 16:18). Preparing the Lord’s way calls for repentance that humbles lofty hearts and elevates downtrodden spirits (Isaiah 57:15).

Christological Fulfillment

The Synoptic Gospels cite Isaiah 40:3-5 regarding John the Baptist (Matthew 3:3; Mark 1:2-3; Luke 3:4-6; John 1:23). Rֶכֶס thus foreshadows the spiritual obstacles smoothed by the Messiah’s forerunner. Luke alone extends the quotation to, “and the rough places a plain,” highlighting the term’s significance in the Gospel narrative (Luke 3:5). The physical imagery of grading ridges finds final expression in the spiritual leveling accomplished by Christ, who dismantles the dividing wall of hostility (Ephesians 2:14).

Practical Ministry Significance

• Evangelism: Faithful heralds imitate Isaiah’s call, removing intellectual and moral ridges that obscure the gospel (2 Corinthians 10:4-5).
• Discipleship: Sanctification involves God’s ongoing engineering of the soul’s topography (Philippians 1:6).
• Corporate Worship: Congregations become “a highway for our God” when unity replaces rugged divisions (Romans 15:5-6).

Related Biblical Motifs

Highway imagery—Isaiah 11:16; 35:8; 62:10.

Mountains and valleys—Zechariah 4:7; Luke 1:52.

Preparation language—Malachi 3:1; 1 Peter 1:13.

Summary

רֶכֶס, though appearing only once, embodies a sweeping biblical theme: the Lord removes formidable barriers to bring His people home and to manifest His glory fully in Jesus Christ.

וְהָרְכָסִ֖ים והרכסים veharechaSim wə·hā·rə·ḵā·sîm wəhārəḵāsîmInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts