רָתַם
𐤓𐤕𐤌
râtham
H7573 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
A verb meaning to harness or yoke an animal to a vehicle, especially to attach by tying or binding to the pole of a cart, chariot, or similar conveyance. The meaning extends to the act of accoutring or binding an animal for transport or pulling purposes, and by extension (less commonly) to general acts of binding or fastening.
Semantic Range
to harness (an animal), to yoke up (to a vehicle), to bind (for transport), to accoutre (harness for pulling), to fasten
Root / Etymology
From the root רתם, which denotes the action of binding or fastening, especially in the context of attaching animals to vehicles. The root conveys the sense of purposeful binding or yoking for the function of drawing or pulling a load. The precise origin is not further traceable beyond Biblical Hebrew; no cognate is known in other Semitic languages.
Historical & Contextual Notes
רָתַם appears in a specific technical context related to transport and draft animals within narrative and legal passages of the Hebrew Bible. The verb is most often used of harnessing horses to chariots (e.g., Judges 4:3; 2 Kings 9:21), highlighting its association with militaristic and royal imagery in the monarchy period. The term does not have the broader meaning of general 'yoking' that other Hebrew roots cover (such as י-צ-ר for 'yoke' as a noun). In later Hebrew, the term virtually disappears, superseded by more general or Aramaic loanwords. Standard English translations often narrow the meaning to “harness” or “yoke,” but the underlying Hebrew specifically implies fastening for the purpose of vehicular use. "Bind" is used in some translations but misses the technical nuance present in the Hebrew.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to yoke up (to the pole of a vehicle); bind.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
רתם (r-t-m) — bind, fasten, yoke
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7573-01 |
רְתֹ֧ם | retom | HVqv2ms |
Harness! | Yoke up! | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7573-01 |
Micah 1:13 | רְתֹ֧ם | retom | HVqv2ms |
Harness! | Yoke up! |