Original Word: רֶצֶף
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Retseph
Pronunciation: reh'-tsef
Phonetic Spelling: (reh'-tsef)
KJV: Rezeph
NASB: Rezeph
Word Origin: [the same as H7529 (רֶצֶף - Live coal)]

1. Retseph, a place in Assyrian

Rezeph

The same as retseph; Retseph, a place in Assyrian -- Rezeph.

see HEBREW retseph

Word Origin
from the same as ritspah
Definition
a place destroyed by Assyr.
NASB Translation
Rezeph (2).

רֶ֫צֶף proper name, of a location conquered by Assyr. (Assyrian Raƒappa, COT^{2Kings 19:12} Schr^{KGF 167} Dl^{Pa 297}; probably = Ρ̓ησάφα Ptol^{see 18}); — 2 Kings 19:12 = Isaiah 37:12, Ραφε(ι)ς, Ραφεθ; modern Ruƒâfa, between Palmyra and the Euphrates Dl^l.c. Peters^{Nippur i. 105}.

Name and Possible Sense

Rezeph (רֶצֶף) is a proper place-name whose root in Hebrew conveys the idea of glowing or burning, suggestive of heat, burning coals, or fiery stones. Although Scripture does not develop the etymology, the imagery harmonizes with the town’s fate under Assyrian assault and with the consuming judgment the Assyrians boasted of bringing upon it.

Geographical Setting

Most scholars identify biblical Rezeph with the Assyrian provincial center Rasappa, located at modern-day Rasafa in northern Syria, east of the Euphrates and south of Carchemish. This oasis-fortress lay along the caravan routes that linked Mesopotamia with the Levant, making it a strategic post for trade, taxation, and military staging. Assyrian inscriptions of Adad-nirari II, Shalmaneser III, and Tiglath-pileser III list Rasappa among the territories brought under imperial control, confirming its importance long before the reign of Sennacherib.

Historical Background

By the late eighth century BC, Rezeph was firmly in Assyrian hands, administered as a provincial capital. Its population was a mix of Arameans, deportees, and Assyrian colonists, typical of imperial policy aiming to secure loyalty through resettlement. When Sennacherib’s forces advanced on Judah in 701 BC, his spokesman cited Rezeph as evidence of Assyria’s irresistible track record:

“Did the gods of the nations that my fathers destroyed deliver them—Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar?” (2 Kings 19:12; cf. Isaiah 37:12).

The boast belonged to a larger diplomatic onslaught designed to break Judah’s resolve. The reference assumes that Rezeph’s defeat was well known and undisputed; its gods, culture, and defenses had proven powerless against Assyrian might.

Biblical Narrative Context

Rezeph appears only within the speeches that precede the miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem. The Rab-shakeh’s argument is logical: if celebrated cities with ancient deities—Gozan on the upper Tigris, Haran on the Balikh, Rezeph on the Euphrates, and Eden in Telassar—fell, what chance did Jerusalem stand? The chronicler of Kings and the prophet Isaiah preserve the list to contrast human presumption with the sovereignty of the LORD, who “struck down one hundred eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians” (2 Kings 19:35). Thus Rezeph functions in Scripture as a foil, highlighting both the impotence of idols and the unique covenant care God extends to His people.

Theological and Ministry Significance

1. The Folly of Idolatry

The rhetorical question of 2 Kings 19:12 underscores that national gods, no matter how venerable, cannot save when confronted by divine judgment. Rezeph’s gods shared the common fate of their worshipers. The lesson remains: any refuge outside the living God is ultimately combustible—“burning coals” destined for extinction.

2. Encouragement to Trust

For believers facing intimidating circumstances, the mention of Rezeph shows that earthly power, even when triumphant elsewhere, is no match for the LORD. Hezekiah prayed, the prophet Isaiah interceded, and God answered. Rezeph’s ashes underscore the wisdom of placing confidence not in military or political advantage but in the covenant-keeping God.

3. Historical Vindication of Prophecy

Isaiah’s record presented contemporary data that his audience could verify. The fall of Rezeph was a recent event, fresh proof that Isaiah’s warnings and promises rested on factual history rather than religious idealism. Modern archaeological confirmation of Rasappa’s status as an Assyrian provincial capital further vindicates the accuracy of the biblical report.

Archaeological Insights

Excavations at Rasafa reveal massive late-Roman fortifications atop earlier strata, but surface finds, cuneiform tablets, and neo-Assyrian records attest to an eighth-century occupation consistent with Sennacherib’s boasts. Clay sealings name provincial officials, and administrative tablets list grain and livestock quotas, illustrating the economic exploitation that often accompanied Assyrian conquest—contextualizing the biblical allusion to Rezeph’s subjugation.

Relevant Cross-References

• Psalm 115:4-8; Isaiah 37:18-19 – Warnings about powerless idols
• 2 Kings 18–19; Isaiah 36–37 – Parallel narratives of Assyria’s invasion
• Revelation 19:11-16 – Ultimate triumph of the One faithful and true, contrasting human empires

Summary

Rezeph stands in the biblical record as a historical example of Assyrian success and idolatrous failure, remembered solely to magnify the LORD’s unique ability to preserve His people. The city’s glowing name, its strategic placement in the Syrian desert, and its documented capitulation together serve as lasting testimony that “salvation is from the LORD” (Jonah 2:9).

וְרֶ֥צֶף ורצף veRetzef wə·re·ṣep̄ wəreṣep̄Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts