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רַחַת

𐤓𐤇𐤕

rachath

H7371 noun

SILEX Entry

Root רוח to blow, breathe, move air

Definition

A winnowing-shovel or fork used for separating grain from chaff by tossing it into the wind. The term entails an agricultural implement specifically designed for the task of winnowing, primarily by utilising moving air to drive off lighter chaff from heavier grain. The sense can extend to a broad 'shovel' or 'scoop,' but in biblical usage, the word is tied closely to agricultural processing.

Semantic Range

winnowing-shovel, winnowing-fork, shovel used in grain processing, agricultural tool for separating chaff from grain

Root / Etymology

From the root רוח (ruaḥ), meaning 'wind' or 'breath,' with the noun formation suggesting an implement associated with wind activity. The object is so called because it is the tool by which grain is tossed or stirred, allowing the wind to separate the desired portion from the refuse.

Historical & Contextual Notes

רַחַת appears in texts such as Isaiah 30:24 to indicate a tool involved in winnowing, a central part of ancient grain processing. The word’s construction ties it specifically to wind-driven action (cf. רוח), highlighting the agricultural technology and methods used in ancient Israelite society. While some later Hebrew and Aramaic usage expands the meaning to general implements for scooping or shoveling, the biblical term remains tied to grain processing. The common English translation 'winnowing-fork' or 'shovel' can obscure the agricultural specificity. Notably, the term is not synonymous with מִזְרֶה (mizreh, 'winnowing-fan') or חָרָב (ḥarab, 'sickle'), which refer to other harvesting or processing implements. English translations sometimes render רַחַת simply as 'shovel,' which may miss the connotation of wind-driven separation essential in the historical agrarian context. There is no evidence of the term being used metaphorically in the Hebrew Bible. In later rabbinic Hebrew, רַחַת can denote a different class of utensils, but this is an extension beyond biblical usage.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from רוּחַ; a winnowing-fork (as blowing the chaff away); shovel.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

רוח (r-w-ḥ) — to blow, breathe, move air, wind

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H7304 רָוַח those given relief
H7305 רֶוַח open relief-space
H7306 רוּחַ I cause to smell
H7307 רוּחַ wind-breath
H7308 רוּחַ breath-wind of

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H7371-01 בָ/רַ֖חַת varachat HRd/Ncfsa with-shovel winnowing-shovel 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H7371-01 Isaiah 30:24 בָ/רַ֖חַת varachat HRd/Ncfsa with-shovel winnowing-shovel
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