רֶפֶשׁ
𐤓𐤐𐤔
rephesh
H7516 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Refers to mud, mire, or thick, wet sediment. The term denotes a sludgy or muddy substance, especially as the result of water mixing with earth and creating a boggy ground, typically impeding movement or causing uncleanness. Used in a descriptive and sometimes metaphorical sense for places or objects rendered dirty, foul, or impassable by mud.
Semantic Range
mud, mire, thick wet dirt, slush, foul or churned ground, filth resulting from trampling
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root רפ״ש (רָפַשׂ), which means 'to become dirty, trampled, or muddied.' רֶפֶשׁ is a nominal form indicating the result of trampling or disturbance—specifically, the mud or mire produced.
Historical & Contextual Notes
רֶפֶשׁ occurs only rarely in the Hebrew Bible and is classified as a concrete noun for a specific type of mud associated with disturbance and filth. In ancient Israelite contexts, such mire often implied impurity or undesirability, both physically and metaphorically (e.g., Psalms 18:43/18:42 [MT]). Unlike טִיט (ṭit), which generally covers clay or sticky mud, רֶפֶשׁ emphasizes the process and result of trampling or churning by feet, often of animals or armies. Later periods retained the basic meaning, though the distinction from other mud terms became blurred in Aramaic and Rabbinic Hebrew. English translations usually render it as 'mire' or 'mud,' but they may miss the term's implication of disturbance and pollution.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from רָפַשׂ; mud (as roiled); mire.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
רפשׂ (r-p-sh) — to become trampled, to be muddied, to be made dirty
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7516-01 |
רֶ֥פֶשׁ | refesh | HNcmsa |
mire | trampled mire | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7516-01 |
Isaiah 57:20 | רֶ֥פֶשׁ | refesh | HNcmsa |
mire | trampled mire |