Original Word: רָפָה
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: raphah
Pronunciation: rah-FAH
Phonetic Spelling: (raw-faw')
Definition: To relax, to let go, to cease, to be weak, to be idle
Meaning: to slacken

abate, cease, consume, draw toward evening, fail, be faint, be wax feeble, forsake,

A primitive root; to slacken (in many applications, literal or figurative) -- abate, cease, consume, draw (toward evening), fail, (be) faint, be (wax) feeble, forsake, idle, leave, let alone (go, down), (be) slack, stay, be still, be slothful, (be) weak(-en). See rapha'.

see HEBREW rapha'

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
sink, relax
NASB Translation
abandon* (1), alone* (2), become helpless (1), become* (1), cease (2), collapses (1), courage* (1), discouraged* (2), discouraging* (1), drawn (1), dropped (2), fail (5), fall limp (2), feeble (1), forsake (1), hang limp (2), lazy (3), leave (1), let (2), let her alone (1), let him alone (1), let him go (1), let it go (1), let me alone (1), let us alone (1), let go (1), limp (1), loosens (1), lose courage* (1), lost (1), put off (1), relax (2), slack (2), subsided (1), wait (1).

רָפה verb sink, relax (Late Hebrew id., so Aramaic רפא (derived species), Zinjirli רפה Aph`el, ; Arabic an easy life is perhaps akin); —

Qal Perfect3masculine singular Judges 19:9 (yet see below); 3 feminine singular רָֽפִ֑תָה Judges 8:3; Jeremiah 49:24, etc.; Imperfect3masculine singular יִרְמֶּה Isaiah 5:24, וַיִּרֶף Exodus 4:26 (see below), etc.; —

1 sink down, of hay in flame Isaiah 5:24; sink, decline, of day Judges 19:9 (si vera lectio; ᵐ5^L κέκλικεν, GFM נָטָה [but how explain the difficult רפה?]). Usu.

2 sink, drop (of wings, see

Pi`el), of hands, with מִן Nehemiah 6:9 their hands will drop from the work (in fear); elsewhere absolute figurative = lose heart, energy, 2 Samuel 4:1; Isaiah 13:7; Jeremiah 6:24; Jeremiah 50:43; Ezekiel 7:17; Ezekiel 21:12; Zephaniah 3:16; יָרַיִם omitted Jeremiah 49:24.

3 sink, relax, abate, of temper Judges 8:3 (+ מֵעַל person).

4 relax, withdraw, subject ׳י, מִן person Exodus 4:26 (J), i.e. let one alone (but read perhaps וַיֶרֶף, see Hiph`il).

Niph`al Participle plural נִרְמִּים idle Exodus 5:8,17 (J).

Pi`el Perfect3masculine singular רִמָּה Job 12:21; Imperfect3feminine plural תְּרַמֶּינָה Ezekiel 1:24,25; Participle מְרַמֵּא (Ges^{§ 75rr}) Jeremiah 38:4; plural מְמִַּים Ezra 4:4; — causative: let wings drop Ezekiel 1:24,25 (read

Qal, כנפיהם subject, ᵐ5 Co Toy Krae and others, who strike out in Ezekiel 1:25); loosen and let drop, girdle of mighty, figurative for weaken them Job 12:21; with accusative hands, figurative for enfeeble, dishearten Jeremiah 38:4; Ezra 4:4.

Hiph`il Imperfect, 3 masculine singular suffix יַרְמְּךָ Deuteronomy 4:31 +; jussive 2 masculine singular תֶּ֫רֶף Joshua 10:6 +, etc.; Imperative masculine singular הַרְמֵּה Judges 11:37; 2 Kings 4:27; הֶֶ֫רֶךָ Deuteronomy 9:14 +; masculine plural הַרְמּוּ Psalm 46:11; — causative,

1 let drop, the hand 2 Samuel 24:16 = 1 Chronicles 21:15; figurative, + מִן person, = abandon, Joshua 10:6 (JE); perhaps also (יָד omitted) = relax, refrain Exodus 4:26 (reading וַיֶרֶף, see

Qal); accusative of thing, = abandon, forsake, Nehemiah 6:3, so (subject ׳י) Psalm 138:8; subject ׳י, with accusative of person, Deuteronomy 4:31; Deuteronomy 31:6,8; Joshua 1:5 (D), 1 Chronicles 28:20.

2 let go, suffix person, Songs 3:4 (opposed to אחז); figurative, accusative (omitted) מוּסָר, Proverbs 4:13 (opposed to החזיק), צְדָקָה Job 27:6 (opposed to id.).

3 refrain, with מִן person, = let one alone Judges 11:37; Deuteronomy 9:14, מִן of anger Psalm 37:8; with ל person 1 Samuel 11:3; 2 Kings 4:27; accusative of person Job 7:19; absolute let alone, i.e. do nothing, be quiet, 1 Samuel 15:16; Psalm 46:11 (compare Weir in Dr^{1Samuel 15:16}). — Jeremiah 3:22; Job 5:18; Psalm 60:4 see רָפָא.

Hithpa`el Perfect2masculine singular הִתְרַמִּיתָ Proverbs 24:10 hast shewn thyself slack; Participle מִתְרַמֶּה Proverbs 18:9 one shewing himself slack, plural מִתְרַמִּים Joshua 18:3. — See also רָפָא heal.

Word Origin: A primitive root

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: • G447: ἀνίημι (aniēmi) • to send back, relax, loosen
• G565: ἀφίημι (aphiēmi) • to send away, leave alone, permit
• G770: ἀσθενέω (astheneō) • to be weak, sick
• G863: ἀφίημι (aphiēmi) • to send away, forgive, permit
• G1439: ἐάω (eao) • to allow, permit
• G1459: ἐκλείπω (ekleipō) • to fail, cease
• G1590: ἐκλύω (eklyō) • to loose, release, faint
• G2664: καταπαύω (katapauō) • to cause to cease, rest
• G2827: κωλύω (kōlyō) • to hinder, prevent
• G3886: παραλύω (paralyō) • to loosen beside, weaken
• G3935: παύω (pauō) • to stop, cease
• G3973: παύω (pauō) • to stop, cease
• G4980: σπαράσσω (sparassō) • to convulse, tear

This entry provides a comprehensive understanding of the Hebrew verb רָפָה (raphah), illustrating its various uses and meanings within the biblical text, as well as its Greek counterparts in the Septuagint and New Testament.

Usage: The verb רָפָה (raphah) is used in various contexts in the Hebrew Bible to convey the idea of becoming weak or slack, letting go, or ceasing from activity. It can refer to physical weakness, a cessation of effort, or a metaphorical letting go of something.

Context: רָפָה (raphah) is a versatile Hebrew verb that appears in several contexts throughout the Old Testament. It is often used to describe a physical or metaphorical weakening or relaxing. For example, in Exodus 4:26, it is used to describe the cessation of God's anger: "So He let him alone." In Deuteronomy 4:31, it conveys the idea of not forsaking: "For the LORD your God is a merciful God; He will not abandon you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers, which He swore to them by oath."

The term can also imply a lack of effort or diligence, as seen in Proverbs 18:9: "Whoever is slack in his work is brother to him who destroys." In the context of warfare or conflict, רָפָה can describe the act of letting down one's guard or becoming vulnerable, as in Joshua 1:5: "No man shall be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you."

רָפָה is also used in a more positive sense, indicating rest or relief from labor, as in Psalm 46:10: "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

אַרְפְּךָ֖ אַרְפֶּ֑הָ אַרְפֶּ֔הָ אַרְפֶּ֔נּוּ ארפה ארפך ארפנו הִ֭תְרַפִּיתָ הֶ֚רֶף הֶ֣רֶף הֶ֤רֶף הַרְפֵּ֨ה הַרְפֵּֽה־ הַרְפּ֣וּ הרף הרפה הרפה־ הרפו התרפית וְרָפ֣וּ וְרָפ֨וּ וַיִּ֖רֶף וַיִּרְפּ֖וּ וירף וירפו ורפו יִרְפֶּ֔ה יִרְפּ֖וּ יִרְפּ֥וּ יִרְפּ֧וּ יַרְפְּךָ֖ יַרְפְּךָ֙ ירפה ירפו ירפך מְרַפִּ֖ים מְרַפֵּ֡א מִתְרַפִּ֔ים מִתְרַפֶּ֣ה מרפא מרפים מתרפה מתרפים נִרְפִּ֑ים נִרְפִּ֣ים נִרְפִּ֥ים נרפים רִפָּֽה׃ רָפ֣וּ רָפְתָ֤ה רָפְתָ֥ה רָפָ֨ה רפה רפה׃ רפו רפתה תְּרַפֶּ֥ינָה תִּרְפֶּ֑ינָה תֶּ֑רֶף תֶּ֥רֶף תֶּֽרֶף׃ תַ֝רְפֵּ֗נִי תרף תרף׃ תרפינה תרפני ’ar·pe·hā ’ar·pə·ḵā ’ar·pen·nū ’arpehā ’arpəḵā ’arpennū arpeCha arPeha arPennu har·pêh har·pêh- har·pū harPeh harpêh harpêh- harPu harpū he·rep̄ Heref herep̄ hiṯ·rap·pî·ṯā Hitrappita hiṯrappîṯā mə·rap·pê mə·rap·pîm merapPe mərappê merapPim mərappîm miṯ·rap·peh miṯ·rap·pîm mitrapPeh miṯrappeh mitrapPim miṯrappîm nir·pîm nirPim nirpîm rā·p̄āh rā·p̄ə·ṯāh rā·p̄ū raFah rafeTah raFu rāp̄āh rāp̄əṯāh rāp̄ū rip·pāh ripPah rippāh ṯar·pê·nî tarPeni ṯarpênî tə·rap·pe·nāh te·rep̄ terapPeinah tərappenāh Teref terep̄ tir·pe·nāh tirPeinah tirpenāh vaiYiref vaiyirPu veraFu way·yi·rep̄ way·yir·pū wayyirep̄ wayyirpū wə·rā·p̄ū wərāp̄ū yar·pə·ḵā yarpeCha yarpəḵā yir·peh yir·pū yirpeh yirPu yirpūInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts