רְפָאִֽים
𐤓𐤐𐤀𐤉𐤌
refaim
of Rephaim
or רָפָה; from רָפָא in the sense of invigorating; a giant; giant, Rapha, Rephaim(-s). See also בֵּית רָפָא.
H7497
Deuteronomy 3:13 · Word #19
Lexicon H7497
| Lemma | רָפָא |
| Lemma (Paleo) | 𐤓𐤐𐤀 |
| Transliteration | râphâʼ |
| Strong's | H7497 |
| In-context | of Rephaim |
Morphology HNp
All morphology codes
| Part of Speech | N — Noun — A person, place, thing, or idea |
| Subtype | p — Proper Name — Proper name |
SIBI-P1 H7497-05
enfeebled giants
| Root | רפא/רפה (r-p-ʾ / r-p-h) |
| Core Meanings | to heal, to restore, to slacken, to become weak, to let drop |
| Semantic Range | A people of great stature in ancient Canaan; ancestral giants; inhabitants of the Valley of Rephaim; in poetic texts, the shades or departed spirits in Sheol. |
| Conceptual Significance | The Rephaim represent both formidable pre-Israelite inhabitants of the land and, in wisdom and poetic literature, the powerless dead. The ironic association of a name rooted in weakness/slackness with mighty giants underscores the biblical theme that even the strongest become enfeebled in death and before YHWH’s sovereignty. |
| Morphological Notes | Masculine plural noun (absolute), functioning as a proper ethnic or tribal name in many contexts; occasionally used as a common noun for the departed dead. Strong’s H7497. |
| Rendering Rationale | The form רְפָאִים is a masculine plural noun. Rendering it as "enfeebled giants" preserves the traditional identification of a race of giants while drawing attention to the root idea of slackness or weakness (רפא/רפה). The masculine plural is reflected in the plural noun "giants." |
AI-generated (openai/gpt-5.2-chat-latest)
Words from Root רפא/רפה (to heal, to restore, to slacken, to become weak, to let drop)
| SILEX Code | Transliteration | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
H7498-01 |
rafah | Rapha (the Giant) |
Word Usage (25 occurrences of H7497)
| Location | Form | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Genesis 14:5 | רְפָאִים֙ | refaim | the Rephaim |
| Genesis 15:20 | הָ/רְפָאִֽים | harefaim | Rephaim |
| Deuteronomy 2:11 | רְפָאִ֛ים | refaim | Rephaim |