Lexical Summary raqqachah: Perfume, ointment, or spice mixture Original Word: רַקָּחָה Strong's Exhaustive Concordance confectioner Feminine of raqquach; a female perfumer -- confectioner. see HEBREW raqquach NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom raqach Definition (female) ointment maker, perfumer NASB Translation perfumers (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [רקָּחָה] noun feminine (female) ointment-maker, perfumer; — plural רַקָּחוֺת 1 Samuel 8:13 (+ טַבָּחוֺת, אֹפוֺת). Topical Lexicon Biblical ContextThe feminine noun רַקָּחָה appears once in the Old Testament, in 1 Samuel 8:13, within Samuel’s warning about the demands of an earthly monarchy: “He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers”. The verse foreshadows how Israel’s future kings would requisition skilled labor for palace and temple service. The term identifies women drafted to compound fragrant substances—an occupation both practical and ceremonial. Perfumery in the Ancient Near East Perfume making required specialized knowledge of spices, gums, resins, and oils imported from Arabia, India, and Africa. Workers ground aromatics with mortars, infused them in olive or sesame oil, and stored the mixtures in alabaster or stone jars. These products served three main purposes: 1. Personal adornment and hygiene (Proverbs 27:9). Because Israel lay on major trade routes, perfumers thrived in urban centers such as Jerusalem. Their craft, regulated under royal authority, contributed to both palace prestige and temple ritual. The Role of Perfumers in Israel Although רַקָּחָה designates female craftworkers in 1 Samuel 8:13, parallel passages use the masculine form רֹקֵחַ. Together they reveal a recognized guild: • Exodus 30:25-35 – Bezalel and the perfumer prepare sacred anointing oil and incense. The skill’s inclusion among Levitical duties shows its theological importance: precise aromas symbolized holiness and divine pleasure (Exodus 30:37-38). Spiritual Lessons and Canonical Connections 1. Kingship’s Cost: Samuel’s warning highlights that human authority extracts service that God never demanded. The contrast underscores Yahweh’s benevolence and Israel’s later longing for the true King (Psalm 45:7). Application for Ministry Today • Worship Planning: Understanding biblical fragrance underscores the sensory richness God endorsed for worship. Churches may draw on this principle by thoughtfully integrating beauty, order, and symbolism. Key Passages for Further Study Exodus 30:25-38; Exodus 37:29; 1 Samuel 8:13; 1 Chronicles 9:30; Nehemiah 3:8; Ecclesiastes 10:1; 2 Corinthians 2:14-17 Forms and Transliterations לְרַקָּח֥וֹת לרקחות lə·raq·qā·ḥō·wṯ lerakkaChot ləraqqāḥōwṯLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 1 Samuel 8:13 HEB: בְּנוֹתֵיכֶ֖ם יִקָּ֑ח לְרַקָּח֥וֹת וּלְטַבָּח֖וֹת וּלְאֹפֽוֹת׃ NAS: your daughters for perfumers and cooks KJV: your daughters [to be] confectionaries, and [to be] cooks, INT: your daughters take perfumers and cooks and bakers 1 Occurrence |