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רַקַּת

𐤓𐤒𐤕

Raqat

H7557 noun

SILEX Entry

Root רקק to be thin, to spread out, to become shallow or extended

Definition

Raqqath is a proper noun referring to a locality on the shore of the Sea of Kinneret (Galilee). The term designates a specific place, likely characterized by an expansive or open area, perhaps a beach or broad terrain. The lexical meaning is primarily to name the geographical site 'Raqqath'; its precise nature as a topographical term is secondary and inferred from context.

Semantic Range

Raqqath (place name), locality on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, possibly an area with a spreading or open terrain, possible connotation of a beach or expansiveness

Root / Etymology

The name derives from the root רָקַק (raqaq), meaning 'to be thin, empty, or spread out.' The form רַקַּת is likely a toponymic derivative, emphasizing the idea of spaciousness or expansion. The root conveys the idea of something extended or thinned out, possibly referring to a stretch of land or shore. Actual usage as a place name does not retain the verbal sense but is based on association with the physical characteristic of the area.

Historical & Contextual Notes

Raqqath is mentioned only in Joshua 19:35 among fortified towns assigned to the tribe of Naphtali. It is listed with other sites along the Sea of Kinneret, suggesting a lakeshore location, possibly on or near a sloping beach or extended shoreline. The identification of Raqqath is uncertain in later periods, and the site is not referenced in later biblical or historical sources by that name. The meaning is directly related to its geographic context and does not carry further religious or ethnographic implications. Raqqath is often left untranslated or rendered as a place name in English translations, with older translations sometimes attempting further description ('a beach'), but with no consensus. The etymological link to 'beach' or 'shore' is possible but not explicit in biblical usage. No term equivalent to 'Jew' or later Judean geographic or ethnic designations applies; the name simply designates a locality within the Naphtalite territory in the monarchic period.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from רָקַק in its original sense of diffusing; a beach (as expanded shingle); Rakkath, a place in Palestine; Rakkath.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

רקק (r-q-q) — to be thin, to spread out, to become shallow or extended

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H7534 רַק thin (feminine plural)
H7536 רֹק spittle
H7541 רַקָּה in his temple
H7542 רַקּוֹן and the Lean-Place
H7550 רָקִיק and thin wafer of

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H7557-01 רַקַּ֥ת raqat HNp Rakkath Raqqath (Spreading-Place) 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 total occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H7557-01 Joshua 19:35 רַקַּ֥ת raqat HNp Rakkath Raqqath (Spreading-Place)
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