Original Word: רָכַס
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: rakac
Pronunciation: rah-KAHS
Phonetic Spelling: (raw-kas')
KJV: bind
NASB: bind, bound
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to tie

bind

A primitive root; to tie -- bind.

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to bind
NASB Translation
bind (1), bound (1).

[רָכַס] verb bind (Assyrian rakâsu, id.; Late Hebrew found, lay foundation (rare); Arabic bind with [rope tying camel's head to forefoot] (Frey); but usually turn over, reverse (Lane)); —

Qal Imperfect3masculine plural יִרְכְּסוּ (P) Exodus 28:28, וַיִּרְכְּסוּ Exodus 39:21, bind חשֶׁן by (מִן) its rings to (אֶל) rings of ephod.

Definition and Scope

The Hebrew verb רָכַס expresses the act of securely fastening by means of a tie, clasp, or cord. In Scripture it appears exclusively in descriptions of the High Priest’s garments, emphasizing an intentional and permanent joining rather than a casual attachment.

Scriptural Occurrences

• Exodus 28:28 — “The breastpiece is to be attached to the waistband of the ephod with a blue cord, so that the breastpiece will not swing out from the ephod.”
• Exodus 39:21 — “Then they tied the breastpiece from its rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord, so that the breastpiece would be above the decorative waistband of the ephod and would not come loose from the ephod, as the Lord had commanded Moses.”

Hebrew Context and Symbolism

1. Garment Integrity: The breastpiece of judgment bore twelve precious stones engraved with the names of Israel’s tribes (Exodus 28:15-21). רָכַס ensured that this memorial never shifted from the High Priest’s chest, portraying unbroken covenant remembrance.
2. Blue Cord: The specified cord color recalls the heavenly tint used throughout the tabernacle (Exodus 26:31; Numbers 15:38). Thus the fastening links earthly ministry to heavenly authority.
3. Obedient Craftsmanship: Both occurrences note strict compliance “as the Lord had commanded Moses,” underlining that true worship secures every detail to divine instruction.

Theological Significance

• Covenant Security: Just as the breastpiece could not “come loose,” the people of God remain firmly borne before the Lord. The verb pictures steadfastness that rests not on Israel’s grip but on God’s ordained means.
• Intercessory Permanence: The bound breastpiece signals uninterrupted mediation. Hebrews 7:25 later affirms that the greater High Priest “always lives to intercede,” echoing the visual pledge encoded in רָכַס.
• Unity in Representation: Every tribe is clasped together over one heart, teaching that corporate identity before God depends on priestly attachment, not tribal distinction.

Christological Foreshadowing

The ephod-breastpiece union anticipates the inseparable bond between Christ and His people. He carries believers as precious stones upon His heart, guaranteeing they will “never perish; no one will snatch them out of My hand” (John 10:28). The once-for-all security signified by רָכַס finds its ultimate fulfillment in the finished work of the Messiah, whose priesthood is “unchangeable” (Hebrews 7:24).

Practical Ministry Applications

1. Hold Fast to Truth: Like the breastpiece fastened to the ephod, Christians are exhorted to “hold fast our confession” (Hebrews 4:14). Discipleship involves deliberate fastening—attaching doctrine to life so it cannot drift.
2. Covenant Remembrance in Worship: Corporate worship should display the same ordered fidelity seen in priestly garments, presenting God’s people as securely bound together in Christ.
3. Pastoral Care: Shepherds model רָכַס when they intentionally “knit” believers to Christ and to one another (Colossians 2:2). Sound teaching and loving discipline keep the flock from “coming loose.”

Related Themes and Passages

• Divine Design and Obedience: Exodus 25–40; Leviticus 8.
• Security in God’s Grasp: Psalm 73:23; Isaiah 49:16; Romans 8:38-39.
• Unity and Cohesion in the Body: Ephesians 4:16; Colossians 2:19.

In sum, רָכַס communicates durable attachment ordained by God, safeguarding both the symbol of Israel’s representation and the reality it anticipates: the unbreakable union of God’s people with their eternal High Priest.

וְיִרְכְּס֣וּ וַיִּרְכְּס֣וּ וירכסו vaiyirkeSu veyirkeSu way·yir·kə·sū wayyirkəsū wə·yir·kə·sū wəyirkəsūInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts