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רָוַח

𐤓𐤅𐤇

râvach

H7304 verb

SILEX Entry

Root רוח to be spacious, broad, obtain relief, find freedom

Definition

To experience relief or respite from distress, constraint, or trouble; to find ample space or freedom from pressure (figurative or literal); to be delivered from oppression or hardship. The primary sense is to obtain relief, be given room or space, including relief from danger, suffering, or anxiety.

Semantic Range

to obtain relief, to be set at ease, to experience deliverance (from distress or danger), to find (figurative or literal) space or room, to be refreshed, to be given respite

Root / Etymology

From the Hebrew root רוָח, which is related to the concept of spaciousness or relief from constraint, possibly linked etymologically to the notion of 'breathing freely' as a metaphor for physical or psychological relief. Though spelled similarly to רוּחַ (ruach, 'spirit, breath, wind'), its usage and semantic profile are distinct.

Historical & Contextual Notes

רָוַח occurs infrequently in the Hebrew Bible, often in poetic or metaphorical contexts to describe deliverance from distress, such as in Esther 4:14 (relief and deliverance for the Judahites). The word is distinct from, but related to, רוּחַ (ruach, 'spirit, wind, breath'), sharing a general semantic field of space or freedom but differing in application. In ancient Israelite texts, רָוַח typically denotes social, existential, or physical relief, in contrast to terms for 'salvation' (e.g., יָשַׁע yasha‘) or 'comfort' (נחם nacham). Later translations, including some English Bibles, frequently render רָוַח as 'deliverance', 'relief', or 'respite', sometimes narrowing its range. In post-biblical Hebrew, the conceptual link to spaciousness developed further. Contexts in the Hebrew Bible emphasize relief or room given by divine or royal agency, with particular prominence in exilic and post-exilic literature highlighting restoration from foreign oppression.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root (identical with רוּחַ); properly, to breathe freely, i.e. revive; by implication, to have ample room; be refreshed, large.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

רוח (r-w-ḥ) — spaciousness, relief, freedom from constraint

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H7305 רֶוַח open relief-space
H7306 רוּחַ I cause to smell
H7307 רוּחַ wind-breath
H7308 רוּחַ breath-wind of
H7309 רְוָחָה breathing space

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H7304-01 מְרֻוָּחִ֑ים meruvachim HVPsmpa airy those given relief 1
H7304-02 וְ/רָוַ֤ח veravach HC/Vqp3ms and relief and he found relief 1
H7304-03 וְ/יִֽרְוַֽח veyirevach HC/Vqi3ms that I may be refreshed and he will find relief 1

Occurrences in Scripture

3 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H7304-02 1 Samuel 16:23 וְ/רָוַ֤ח veravach HC/Vqp3ms and relief and he found relief
H7304-01 Jeremiah 22:14 מְרֻוָּחִ֑ים meruvachim HVPsmpa airy those given relief
H7304-03 Job 32:20 וְ/יִֽרְוַֽח veyirevach HC/Vqi3ms that I may be refreshed and he will find relief
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