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רָפָא

𐤓𐤐𐤀

Rafa

H7498 noun

SILEX Entry

Root רפא to heal, to restore, to make healthy

Definition

Proper noun: Rapha (or Raphah) — a personal name in the Hebrew Bible, borne by two individuals; may also serve as a possible eponym for the giant clan known as the Rephaim. In limited occurrences, could reference an ancestor or founder figure associated with a group of exceptional physical stature (giants), but primarily used as a personal name.

Semantic Range

(as a proper noun) personal name: Rapha, Raphah; eponymous ancestor of a giant clan; (by association) linked to the Rephaim; (not used as a common noun)

Root / Etymology

From the root רפא (r-p-ʼ), which as a verb commonly means 'to heal' or 'to restore'. The connection between the verbal root and the proper name is not transparent, and the etymology of רָפָא as a personal name remains uncertain. The name may be related to the broader term רְפָאִים (Rephaim), but the precise derivational relationship is unclear.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In biblical usage, רָפָא appears as a personal name (see 2 Samuel 21:16, 18, 20, 22; 1 Chronicles 8:2 as Raphah), and is sometimes considered the eponymous ancestor of the Rephaim, a group described as pre-Israelite inhabitants of Canaan, commonly depicted as giants. The English rendering "giant" derives from association with the Rephaim, not from the lexical value of the name itself. In later Jewish tradition and in some translations, associations with 'healing' or 'restoration' are sometimes speculatively connected to the name, but there is no textual basis for this in the context of the individuals named רָפָא. The English term 'giant' in translation is interpretative, reflecting tradition rather than precise meaning. Care should be taken not to confuse the proper name רָפָא with the common noun רְפָאִים (“Rephaim”), nor with the verb רָפָא ('to heal').

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or רָפָה; probably the same as רָפָא; giant; Rapha or Raphah, the name of two Israelites; Rapha.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

רפא (r-p-ʾ) — to heal, to restore, to make healthy

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3416 יִרְפְּאֵל El Heals
H4832 מַרְפֵּא healing remedy
H7495 רָפָא with the healers
H7496 רָפָא Rephaim giants
H7497 רָפָא the Rephaite

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H7498-02 וְ/רָפָ֖א verafa HC/Np and Rapha and Rapha 1
H7498-01 רָפָ֥ה rafah HNp Raphah Rapha 1

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H7498-02 1 Chronicles 8:2 וְ/רָפָ֖א verafa HC/Np and Rapha and Rapha
H7498-01 1 Chronicles 8:37 רָפָ֥ה rafah HNp Raphah Rapha
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