רָפַשׂ
𐤓𐤐𐤔
râphas
H7515 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To stir up, disturb, or foul, especially by treading or trampling; to make (water, dust, or territory) murky or unsettled through the action of feet or movement. The verb is most often used in the context of trampling underfoot, specifically of water being muddied or otherwise made impure or unclean by movement.
Semantic Range
to trample underfoot, stir up (water or dust), make murky by treading, foul water, disturb (especially water), cause disorder through trampling
Root / Etymology
Root: רפש. The core meaning of the root is 'to trample, stir up, foul (water, dust).' The verb רָפַשׂ is derived directly from this root, signifying physical agitation by treading, with particular application to the disturbance of water or earth.
Historical & Contextual Notes
רָפַשׂ appears rarely in the Hebrew Bible, notably in Ezekiel 32:2 and 34:18-19, where it describes the chaos created when water is disturbed by feet, rendering it unfit for drink or use. The term is not limited to water, though biblical usage focuses on the fouling of water sources as a metaphor for social or moral disorder. It evokes images of herds trampling watering places or the muddying of environments metaphorically associated with unrest or abuse of privilege. English translations typically render the term 'foul,' 'muddy,' 'trouble,' or 'disturb,' but may miss the imagery of trampling by animals or people. Related terms include טמא (to make unclean, ritually defile) and עכר (to trouble, disturb), but רָפַשׂ focuses specifically on the physical act of stirring and its resulting impurity. The verb is confined to Ezekiel, suggesting that its usage was either dialectal or specialized in later biblical Hebrew, reflecting the prophet's preference for striking, concrete imagery.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to trample, i.e. roil water; foul, trouble.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
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רפש (r-p-ś) — trample, stir up, foul
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4833 | מִרְפָּשׂ | and trampled mire of |
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7515-01 |
נִ֭רְפָּשׂ | nirepas | HVNrmsa |
troubled | being muddied | 1 |
H7515-03 |
וַ/תִּרְפֹּ֖ס | vatirepos | HC/Vqw2ms |
and fouledst | and you trampled up | 1 |
H7515-02 |
תִּרְפֹּשֽׂוּ/ן | tireposun | HVqi2mp/Sn |
you foul | you trample-foul | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7515-03 |
Ezekiel 32:2 | וַ/תִּרְפֹּ֖ס | vatirepos | HC/Vqw2ms |
and fouledst | and you trampled up |
H7515-02 |
Ezekiel 34:18 | תִּרְפֹּשֽׂוּ/ן | tireposun | HVqi2mp/Sn |
you foul | you trample-foul |
H7515-01 |
Proverbs 25:26 | נִ֭רְפָּשׂ | nirepas | HVNrmsa |
troubled | being muddied |