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רָחַק

𐤓𐤇𐤒

râchaq

H7368 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To be or become distant, move away, or cause to be distant; intransitively, to recede or withdraw; transitively, to remove something or someone to a distant place or state (spatially, relationally, or metaphorically). The word covers physical distance, relational or emotional separation, and even alienation from a group or from the divine.

Semantic Range

to be far, to become distant, to move away, to go far, to withdraw, to distance oneself, to remove (transitively), to keep away, to separate (relationally), to alienate, to be estranged

Root / Etymology

The verb רָחַק derives from the root ר-ח-ק, meaning 'to become far, to distance.' It is a primary root not transparently derived from a simpler or older cognate, and functions both in intransitive and transitive verbal forms.

Historical & Contextual Notes

רָחַק is employed in a wide variety of passages with both literal and figurative senses. In narrative contexts, it frequently describes physical movement away (e.g., Genesis 21:16, 'she went and sat down at a distance'). In wisdom literature and prophetic texts, it is often metaphorical, conveying concepts such as alienation, estrangement (e.g., Psalm 22:12, 'far from my deliverance'), or the deliberate distancing of the divine. The verb serves as the basic form for nouns such as מֶרְחָק (distance). This root is distinct from verbs of separation or exclusion that denote legal impurity or permanent exclusion (e.g., גָּרַשׁ), focusing instead on the state or act of being distant or making distant. English translations like 'withdraw,' 'be far,' and 'remove' are contextually appropriate but do not always capture the full emotional or metaphoric weight; 'alienate' may also be relevant in several non-literal uses. The term remains consistent in meaning across pre-exilic through post-exilic usage, though later texts more readily apply it to divine-human relations.

Translation Consistency

primary "remove" 21 occurrences

Remove is a simple, natural verb that covers the common senses of רָחַק: to cause or become distant, to take away, to withdraw, or to separate/alienate. It works transitively (remove someone/something), intransitively with reflexive phrasing (remove oneself/was removed), and fits physical, relational, and metaphorical uses without sounding overly formal.

Alternatives (29 occurrences):
"far" (11x) "distance" (3x) "became distant" (2x) "gone far" (1x) "becomes distant" (1x) "too far" (1x) "far away" (1x) "go far" (1x) "distanced" (1x) "become distant" (1x) "them put far away" (1x) "go far away" (1x) "far as" (1x) "keep far" (1x) "drive her away" (1x) "put it far away" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to widen (in any direction), i.e. (intransitively) recede or (transitively) remove (literally or figuratively, of place or relation); (a-, be, cast, drive, get, go, keep (self), put, remove, be too, (wander), withdraw) far (away, off), loose, [idiom] refrain, very, (be) a good way (off).

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

רחק (Rachav) — to be far, to be distant, to be removed

Root רחק to be far, to distance, to move away, to cause distance
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4801 מֶרְחָק the far-off place
H7343 רָחָב Broad-One
H7350 רָחוֹק in a distant place
H7352 רַחִיק distant ones
H7369 רָחֵק your distant ones

Word Forms

30 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H7368-03 הַרְחֵ֥ק harecheq HVha far to cause distance to cause to remove 7
H7368-22 תִּרְחָ֑ק tirechaq HVqi2ms be far you will move away be far 7
H7368-17 רַֽחֲקוּ֙ rachaqu HVqv2mp go far they became distant they removed 6
H7368-28 יִרְחַ֨ק yirechaq HVqi3ms is far he will become distant becomes distant 4
H7368-15 רָחֲקָ֥ה rachaqah HVqp3fs is far she became distant is far 3
H7368-01 אַרְחִ֣יק arechiq HVhi1cs I-will-remove-far I will cause to be distant I will cause to be removed 2
H7368-07 הִרְחַ֥קְתָּ hirechaqeta HVhp2ms you have removed you made distant you have removed 2
H7368-09 הִרְחִ֑יק hirechiq HVhp3ms he has put far he made distant he removed 2
H7368-10 הִרְחִיקוּ֒ hirechiqu HVhp3cp had gone far they distanced they had gone far 2
H7368-14 רָחַ֤ק rachaq HVqp3ms is far he became distant he removed 2

Occurrences in Scripture

58 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H7368-03 Genesis 21:16 הַרְחֵק֙ harecheq HVha a distance to cause distance at a distance
H7368-10 Genesis 44:4 הִרְחִיקוּ֒ hirechiqu HVhp3cp had gone far they distanced they had gone far
H7368-03 Exodus 8:24 הַרְחֵ֥ק harecheq HVha far to cause distance to cause to remove
H7368-21 Exodus 8:24 תַרְחִ֖יקוּ tarechiqu HVhi2mp go very far away you will distance you (masc. pl.) will remove
H7368-22 Exodus 23:7 תִּרְחָ֑ק tirechaq HVqi2ms keep far you will move away you will remove
H7368-03 Exodus 33:7 הַרְחֵק֙ harecheq HVha far to cause distance far
H7368-28 Deuteronomy 12:21 יִרְחַ֨ק yirechaq HVqi3ms is far he will become distant becomes distant
H7368-28 Deuteronomy 14:24 יִרְחַ֤ק yirechaq HVqi3ms is too far he will become distant is too far
H7368-03 Joshua 3:16 הַרְחֵ֨ק harecheq HVha far away to cause distance far away
H7368-21 Joshua 8:4 תַּרְחִ֥יקוּ tarechiqu HVhj2mp go far you will distance you shall go far
H7368-10 Judges 18:22 הִרְחִ֖יקוּ hirechiqu HVhp3cp had gone far they distanced they removed
H7368-25 Isaiah 6:12 וְ/רִחַ֥ק verichaq HC/Vpq3ms and has removed far and he distanced and he removed far
H7368-19 Isaiah 26:15 רִחַ֖קְתָּ richaqeta HVpp2ms you have extended you have distanced you have distanced
H7368-18 Isaiah 29:13 רִחַ֣ק richaq HVpp3ms is far he drove far away is far
H7368-22 Isaiah 46:13 תִרְחָ֔ק tirechaq HVqi3fs will be far you will move away will be far
H7368-24 Isaiah 49:19 וְ/רָחֲק֖וּ verachaqu HC/Vqq3cp and will be far away and they moved away and they became distant
H7368-16 Isaiah 54:14 רַחֲקִ֤י rachaqi HVqv2fs be far Move away! be far
H7368-14 Isaiah 59:9 רָחַ֤ק rachaq HVqp3ms is far he became distant it became distant
H7368-15 Isaiah 59:11 רָחֲקָ֥ה rachaqah HVqp3fs it is far she became distant it removed itself
H7368-17 Jeremiah 2:5 רָחֲק֖וּ rachaqu HVqp3cp they went far they became distant they removed
H7368-04 Jeremiah 27:10 הַרְחִ֤יק harechiq HVhc remove to distance to distance
H7368-12 Ezekiel 8:6 לְ/רָֽחֳקָה֙ lerachoqah HR/Vqc to go far off to become distant to become distant
H7368-17 Ezekiel 11:15 רַֽחֲקוּ֙ rachaqu HVqv2mp Go far away they became distant they removed
H7368-08 Ezekiel 11:16 הִרְחַקְתִּי/ם֙ hirechaqetim HVhp1cs/Sp3mp I-have-removed-them I have distanced them I have removed them far
H7368-27 Ezekiel 43:9 יְרַחֲק֧וּ yerachaqu HVpj3mp let them put far away let them drive far away let them put far away
H7368-17 Ezekiel 44:10 רָֽחֲקוּ֙ rachaqu HVqp3cp went far they became distant they removed
H7368-01 Joel 2:20 אַרְחִ֣יק arechiq HVhi1cs I-will-remove-far I will cause to be distant I will cause to be removed
H7368-05 Joel 4:6 הַרְחִיקָ֖/ם harechiqam HVhc/Sp3mp you might remove them to distance them to distance them
H7368-28 Micah 7:11 יִרְחַק yirechaq HVqi3ms will be far he will become distant it will remove itself
H7368-22 Psalms 22:12 תִּרְחַ֣ק tirechaq HVqj2ms be far you will move away be far
H7368-22 Psalms 22:20 תִּרְחָ֑ק tirechaq HVqj2ms be far you will move away be far
H7368-22 Psalms 35:22 תִּרְחַ֥ק tirechaq HVqj2ms be far you will move away be far
H7368-22 Psalms 38:22 תִּרְחַ֥ק tirechaq HVqj2ms be far you will move away be far
H7368-01 Psalms 55:8 אַרְחִ֣יק arechiq HVhi1cs I would hurry far away I will cause to be distant I will go far away
H7368-22 Psalms 71:12 תִּרְחַ֣ק tirechaq HVqj2ms be far you will move away be far
H7368-07 Psalms 88:9 הִרְחַ֥קְתָּ hirechaqeta HVhp2ms you have removed you made distant you have removed
H7368-07 Psalms 88:19 הִרְחַ֣קְתָּ hirechaqeta HVhp2ms You have removed you made distant you have removed
H7368-11 Psalms 103:12 כִּ/רְחֹ֣ק kirechoq HR/Vqc as far as to be distant as far as
H7368-09 Psalms 103:12 הִֽרְחִ֥יק hirechiq HVhp3ms He has removed he made distant he removed
H7368-23 Psalms 109:17 וַ/תִּרְחַ֥ק vatirechaq HC/Vqw3fs and it was far and she moved away and it was far
H7368-17 Psalms 119:150 רָחָֽקוּ rachaqu HVqp3cp they are far they became distant they removed
H7368-03 Proverbs 4:24 הַרְחֵ֥ק harecheq HVhv2ms Put far to cause distance to cause to remove
H7368-03 Proverbs 5:8 הַרְחֵ֣ק harecheq HVhv2ms Keep far to cause distance keep far
H7368-17 Proverbs 19:7 רָחֲק֣וּ rachaqu HVqp3cp go far they became distant they removed
H7368-28 Proverbs 22:5 יִרְחַ֥ק yirechaq HVqi3ms will-keep-far he will become distant he will remove himself
H7368-26 Proverbs 22:15 יַרְחִיקֶ֥/נָּה yarechiqenah HVhi3ms/Sp3fs will drive it far he will distance her will drive her away
H7368-03 Proverbs 30:8 הַרְחֵ֬ק harecheq HVhv2ms keep far to cause distance to cause to remove
H7368-29 Job 5:4 יִרְחֲק֣וּ yirechaqu HVqi3mp are far they will move away they are far
H7368-06 Job 11:14 הַרְחִיקֵ֑/הוּ harechiqehu HVhv2ms/Sp3ms put it far away cause him to be distant put it far away
H7368-02 Job 13:21 הַרְחַ֑ק harechaq HVhv2ms remove Make distant! remove
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