Original Word: רִפְאוּת
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: riph'uwth
Pronunciation: ree-FOOTH
Phonetic Spelling: (rif-ooth')
KJV: health
NASB: healing
Word Origin: [from H7495 (רָפָא רָפָה - heal)]

1. a cure

health

From rapha'; a cure -- health.

see HEBREW rapha'

Word Origin
from rapha
Definition
a healing
NASB Translation
healing (1).

רִפְאוּת noun feminine healing; — ׳ר absolute Proverbs 3:8 (figurative).

Occurrence and Literary Context

רִפְאוּת appears once in the Old Testament, within the admonition of Proverbs 3:8. Set in the opening collection of Solomon’s instructions to his son, the term is woven into a couplet that couples reverent obedience with tangible well-being: “This will bring healing to your body and refreshment to your bones” (Proverbs 3:8). The verse stands as the practical culmination of the call to “fear the LORD and turn away from evil” (Proverbs 3:7). The vocabulary choice underscores that wisdom is never merely intellectual; it touches life at the level of flesh and bone.

Healing as a Covenant Blessing

Throughout the Hebrew Scriptures the promise of bodily wholeness is frequently presented as a covenant benefit flowing from faithful devotion (Exodus 15:26; Deuteronomy 7:12-15). רִפְאוּת in Proverbs aligns with this pattern, assuring the faithful that the God who cares for the soul is equally concerned with the body. Far from a mechanistic guarantee, the verse roots health in a living, relational fear of the LORD—a harmony of ethics, worship, and physical vitality.

Integration of Body and Spirit

Proverbs 3:8 challenges any dichotomy between spiritual and physical realms. The sage assumes that rebellion and folly corrode one’s very bones, whereas humility before God promotes somatic strength. This holistic worldview anticipates New Testament teaching that the believer’s body is “a temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:19) and that divine salvation ultimately encompasses resurrection life (Romans 8:23).

Wisdom Literature’s Emphasis on Embodied Ethics

Within the broader corpus of wisdom texts, themes of health, marrow, and bones recur (Proverbs 14:30; Proverbs 16:24). רִפְאוּת is one concentrated expression of the thesis that righteousness conduces to flourishing. The metaphor of bones—representing the hidden framework of life—signals that God’s restorative work penetrates beneath the surface, touching structural, unseen dimensions of human existence.

Christological Fulfillment and Redemptive Trajectory

Old Testament assurances of healing find their ultimate anchor in the atoning work of Christ. Isaiah’s prophecies point forward to the Servant “pierced for our transgressions… and by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). The Gospels display this realized in Jesus’ ministry (Matthew 8:16-17). While רִפְאוּת is a rare term, its singular thread weaves into the larger tapestry of redemption that includes bodily restoration, culminating in the believer’s glorification.

Pastoral and Ministry Implications

1. Preaching: Proverbs 3:8 offers a concrete hook for sermons on the integration of doctrine and daily living—exhorting hearers that turning from evil imparts tangible benefit, even while guarding against prosperity-only distortions.
2. Counseling: The verse supports holistic discipleship, recognizing that spiritual maladies may manifest physically and that repentance can initiate psychosomatic relief.
3. Prayer Ministry: Leaders may confidently petition God for healing, appealing both to His covenant character and to Christ’s finished work (James 5:14-16).
4. Ethics of Care: Medical professionals in Christian service find here a theological rationale for treating bodies as part of God’s redemptive interest, not merely as biological machines.

Historical Reception

Jewish commentators traditionally link רִפְאוּת with obedience to Torah, while early Church Fathers applied the text christologically, seeing Christ as the Wisdom whose fear brings true healing. Reformation expositors reaffirmed the connection between faith-born obedience and temporal blessing, without neglecting the ultimate eschatological fulfillment.

Summary

Though occurring only once, רִפְאוּת encapsulates a biblical conviction: true wisdom, grounded in reverence for God, ushers in restorative wholeness that touches every layer of human life. It invites believers to seek the Lord who heals both soul and body, anchoring present well-being in the sure promise of eternal renewal.

רִ֭פְאוּת רפאות Rifut rip̄’ūṯ rip̄·’ūṯInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts