רִיפָה
𐤓𐤉𐤐𐤄
rîyphâh
H7383 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Coarsely ground grain, such as crushed or pounded kernels of wheat or barley, typically coarser than flour and used for making simple foods like porridge or gruel. The term emphasizes a form of grain that has been broken down but not finely milled, usually through pounding or grinding.
Semantic Range
coarsely ground grain, grits, crushed wheat or barley, pounded kernels, meal prepared by pounding, staple foodstuff for porridge or simple bread
Root / Etymology
Derived from the Hebrew root רוּף (ruf), meaning 'to pound' or 'to crush.' The word רִיפָה (rîyphâh) is a feminine noun denoting a product of pounding grain, distinct from flour (קֶמַח) in both process and texture, and always used in the plural form in the Hebrew Bible.
Historical & Contextual Notes
רִיפָה appears primarily in late biblical texts, notably in the context of food provisions (e.g., 2 Samuel 17:28), signifying a staple prepared through manual labor—pounding grain, as opposed to sifting fine flour. Its usage aligns with agricultural and domestic practices of the Iron Age, reflecting typical Israelite diet where pounded grain would be cooked into porridge or used as a quick-source food for travelers or soldiers. In comparison to קֶמַח (fine flour) or שְׂעוֹרָה (barley), רִיפָה denotes a less processed, more rustic form of prepared grain. Modern translations as 'grits' or 'coarse meal' capture the texture but not always the historical context. Later Aramaic and Rabbinic sources use related terms for similar preparations, but by the Hellenistic and Roman periods, refined milling techniques became more prominent and the term recedes.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
or רִפָה; from רוּף; (only plural), grits (as pounded); ground corn, wheat.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
רוף (r-w-p̄) — to pound, to crush, to break up
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H7322 | רוּף | they will be violently shaken |
| H8644 | תְּרוּפָה | for a healing remedy |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7383-01 |
הָֽ/רִפ֑וֹת | harifot | HTd/Ncfpa |
the crushed grain | the pounded grains | 2 |
Occurrences in Scripture
2 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7383-01 |
2 Samuel 17:19 | הָֽ/רִפ֑וֹת | harifot | HTd/Ncfpa |
the ground grain | the pounded grains |
H7383-01 |
Proverbs 27:22 | הָ֭/רִיפוֹת | harifot | HTd/Ncfpa |
the crushed grain | the pounded grains |