Original Word: תְּרוּפָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: truwphah
Pronunciation: tuh-roo-fah
Phonetic Spelling: (ter-oo-faw')
KJV: medicine
NASB: healing
Word Origin: [from H7322 (רוּף - To heal) in the sense of its congener H7495 (רָפָא רָפָה - heal)]

1. a remedy

medicine

From ruwph in the sense of its congener rapha'; a remedy -- medicine.

see HEBREW ruwph

see HEBREW rapha'

Word Origin
of uncertain derivation
Definition
a healing
NASB Translation
healing (1).

תְּרוּפָה noun feminine healing; — Ezekiel 47:12.

Root meaning and imagery

תְּרוּפָה evokes the idea of therapeutic restoration. In the Ancient Near East, leaves and sap were commonly ground into poultices or tinctures, so Ezekiel’s picture of abundant foliage signals more than nutrition; it speaks of remedial power that reaches every dimension of human brokenness.

Canonical occurrence

Ezekiel 47:12 anchors the term in the prophet’s climactic temple-river vision: “Their fruit will serve as food and their leaves for healing”. Positioned after the exile’s darkest hours, the verse promises that Israel’s return to God will overflow in physical, societal, and spiritual wholeness.

Historical context

Ezekiel ministered to deportees in Babylon around 593-571 BC. Medical practice then relied heavily on botanicals catalogued in cuneiform texts. By portraying a divine river that makes medicinal leaves perennial, Ezekiel contrasts human pharmacies—limited by season, scarcity, and impurity—with Yahweh’s limitless pharmacy issuing from the sanctuary.

Theology of healing in Scripture

1. Yahweh as Healer: “I am the LORD who heals you” (Exodus 15:26).
2. Covenant renewal: Restoration language in Jeremiah 30:17 and Isaiah 53:5 finds an image-rich complement in Ezekiel’s river.
3. Holistic salvation: Psalm 103:3 links forgiveness and cure; Ezekiel shows both flowing from the same source.
4. Eschatological expansion: Revelation 22:2 universalizes the promise—“the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations”.

Prophetic and eschatological dimensions

The river issues from the rebuilt temple (Ezekiel 47:1) and deepens inexorably, illustrating the ever-increasing kingdom. Healing is therefore not an isolated gift but a by-product of God’s abiding presence. The vision previews millennial blessing (Ezekiel 47:13-23) and anticipates the new heaven and new earth where no curse remains (Revelation 22:3).

Related biblical motifs

• Rivers as life lines: Genesis 2:10-14; Psalm 46:4; John 7:38.
• Trees of life: Genesis 3:22; Proverbs 3:18.
• Leaves that do not wither: Psalm 1:3; Jeremiah 17:8.
• Medicine for nations: Zechariah 8:23; Isaiah 19:22.

Christological fulfillment

Jesus embodies the temple (John 2:21) and offers living water (John 4:14). His atoning wounds secure the ultimate תְּרוּפָה: “By His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). Pentecost’s outpouring begins the river’s flow, while the final consummation awaits His return.

Ministry application

1. Prayer for the sick (James 5:14-16) rests on a biblical pattern of divine remedy.
2. Holistic discipleship: Churches are called to address physical need alongside spiritual need, mirroring fruit and leaves.
3. Environmental stewardship: Ezekiel’s arboreal imagery reminds believers that creation itself participates in redemption (Romans 8:21).

Practical reflections

• Assurance: God’s healing provision is perennial, not sporadic.
• Anticipation: Present answers to prayer are down payments on total restoration.
• Mission: The gospel carries curative power for body, soul, and society, inviting the nations to the tree whose leaves never fail.

לִתְרוּפָֽה׃ לתרופה׃ liṯ·rū·p̄āh litruFah liṯrūp̄āhInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts