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ῥακά

rhaká

G4469 Aramaic loanword

SILEX Entry

Definition

An Aramaic term of contempt, meaning 'empty-headed,' 'worthless,' or 'fool,' used as an insult to denote someone considered insignificant, foolish, or lacking in value. In context, the term functions as a pejorative expression of disdain toward another person.

Semantic Range

empty-headed, worthless, foolish, term of utter contempt, insult, expression of derision

Root / Etymology

Borrowed into Greek from Aramaic רֵיקָא (rēqā’), from a root meaning 'empty.' The underlying root is ר-י-ק in Semitic languages, carrying the sense of 'to be empty.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

ῥακά appears only in Matthew 5:22 as a transliterated Aramaic insult in the New Testament, preserved in Greek letters to represent the original Semitic speech. This term does not have a parallel usage in broader Koine Greek; it is a direct borrowing, likely to preserve the authenticity of the linguistic context in which Jesus is quoted. In Second Temple period Judea, such Semitic insults were common in everyday speech, where 'empty one' signified not merely intellectual deficiency but also lack of social worth or respect. Later English translations often transliterate the term as 'Raca' or paraphrase it as 'fool' or 'good-for-nothing,' but these do not fully capture the specifically Aramaic cultural tone. The term does not denote specific religious, ethnic, or legal status but serves as a general term of contempt. The use of ῥακά in Matthew 5:22 is rhetorically heightened to illustrate the severity of verbal insult within ethical teaching; its rarity in Greek literature underlines its Judean-Aramaic provenance.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of Chaldee origin (compare רֵיק); O empty one, i.e. thou worthless (as a term of utter vilification):--Raca.

Root Family

ῥακά (rhaka) — to be empty, to lack worth, to be insignificant

Root ῥακ- to be empty, to lack worth, to be insignificant

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G4469-01 ῥακά raka TF Raca empty-headed one Rhaka 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G4469-01 Matthew 5:22 ῥακά raka TF Raca empty-headed one Rhaka
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