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רָתַח

𐤓𐤕𐤇

râthach

H7570 verb

SILEX Entry

Root רתח to boil, seethe, bubble

Definition

To boil or seethe, describing the action of liquid heated to bubbling or turbulence, particularly as water or substances over fire in a vessel. Used of both literal physical boiling, as well as figurative agitation or intense emotion in some contexts.

Semantic Range

to boil (liquid); to seethe or bubble over heat; (rare) to be agitated or tumultuous (figurative); to cause to boil

Root / Etymology

Root רתח (ר-ת-ח); core meaning: to boil, seethe. The verb רָתַח is the basic qal root form, referring to the act of boiling. Cognate forms appear in later Hebrew and Aramaic, but its etymology beyond the Semitic root is uncertain.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, רָתַח is rare and used almost exclusively for the literal act of boiling liquids, typically water or broth for cooking. Occurrences cluster in later biblical books (e.g., Ezekiel 24:5) where boiling in a pot serves both practical and, at times, symbolic or illustrative functions. The verb does not carry the spectrum of meaning attached to other roots such as בשׁל (bashal, 'to cook' more broadly, including roasting or baking), but refers specifically to bubbling over heat. There are rare figurative uses in post-biblical Hebrew, where it denotes agitation, excitement, or emotional boiling, though such usage does not appear significantly in the Hebrew Bible itself. English translations mostly convey the basic sense accurately, though the vividness and physicality of the Hebrew are sometimes flattened. In prophetic or metaphorical usage (e.g., Ezekiel's allegory), the 'boiling' is often part of vivid imagery to portray turmoil or judgment, yet the root itself remains focused on the physical process in biblical Hebrew.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to boil; boil.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

רתח (r-t-ḥ) — to boil, seethe, bubble

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H7571 רֶתַח her boilings

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H7570-02 רֻתְּח֥וּ rutechu HVPp3cp boiled were boiled 1
H7570-01 רַתַּ֣ח ratach HVpv2ms boil Boil vigorously 1
H7570-03 יַרְתִּ֣יחַ yareticha HVhi3ms are joined together he will cause to boil 1

Occurrences in Scripture

3 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H7570-01 Ezekiel 24:5 רַתַּ֣ח ratach HVpv2ms boil Boil vigorously
H7570-02 Job 30:27 רֻתְּח֥וּ rutechu HVPp3cp boiled were boiled
H7570-03 Job 41:23 יַרְתִּ֣יחַ yareticha HVhi3ms are joined together he will cause to boil
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