רֵכָה
𐤓𐤊𐤄
Rekhah
H7397 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A toponym referring to a locality named Rekah. The term denotes a geographical settlement rather than functioning as a descriptive noun or adjective. Preserved in biblical onomastica, Rekah is associated with the territorial allotment of the tribe of Judah in some variants of the biblical text as a town or region, not with the abstract concept of 'softness' in usage.
Semantic Range
proper name of a location, toponym; possible allusion to softness in root meaning, but not lexicalized; Rekah as a town or district in biblical lists
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root רָכַךְ (r-k-k), meaning 'to be soft, tender, weak.' רֵכָה is formally a feminine noun formation, but in context, it serves as a proper noun (place name). The link to the root implies a possible descriptive origin (softness, tenderness), but the meaning for the place name remains uncertain.
Historical & Contextual Notes
רֵכָה (Rêkâh) appears in Joshua 18:27 in some Hebrew textual traditions, connected to a list of towns within tribal boundaries. Its precise historical location remains uncertain, though it is associated with the region allocated to the descendants of Israel, possibly in southern or central Canaan. The identification of Rekah cannot be definitively matched to modern sites. The KJV renders the term as a personal or place name ('Rechah'), which reproduces the form without interpretive translation. Later traditions and translations sometimes conflate names with similar roots but should not be assumed to reflect the same place. The underlying root רָכַךְ ('to be soft') is not relevant to the practical meaning or function of the place name in the biblical context. There is no evidence the town or region Rekah was known for literal 'softness,' nor should it be confused with abstract or adjectival uses of the root. The name has no later notoriety or specific significance outside of onomastic lists.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
probably feminine from רָכַךְ; softness; Rekah, a place in Palestine; Rechah.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
רכך (r-k-k) — to be soft, to be tender, to be weak
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H7390 | רַךְ | the tender one |
| H7391 | רֹךְ | and from softness |
| H7401 | רָכַךְ | he made soft |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7397-01 |
הָ/רֵכָבִים֒ | harekhavim | HTd/Ngmpa |
of the Rechabites | the Rekah-ites | 4 |
H7397-02 |
רֵכָֽה | rekhah | HNp |
Recah | Rekah | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
5 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7397-01 |
Jeremiah 35:2 | הָ/רֵכָבִים֒ | harekhavim | HTd/Ngmpa |
of the Rechabites | the Rekah-ites |
H7397-01 |
Jeremiah 35:3 | הָ/רֵכָבִֽים | harekhavim | HTd/Ngmpa |
the Rechabites | the Rekah-ites |
H7397-01 |
Jeremiah 35:5 | הָ/רֵכָבִ֗ים | harekhavim | HTd/Ngmpa |
the Rechabites | the Rekah-ites |
H7397-01 |
Jeremiah 35:18 | הָ/רֵכָבִ֜ים | harekhavim | HTd/Ngmsa |
of the Rechabites | the Rekah-ites |
H7397-02 |
1 Chronicles 4:12 | רֵכָֽה | rekhah | HNp |
Recah | Rekah |