תְּרוּפָה
𐤕𐤓𐤅𐤐𐤄
tᵉrûwphâh
H8644 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A substance or agent used to restore, heal, or remedy physical ailments; medicine or healing remedy. The term primarily denotes something used for healing purposes, either a medicinal preparation, cure, or remedy for illness. In rare usage, it can refer to the act of healing or the outcome of a remedy.
Semantic Range
medicine, remedy, healing substance, agent of healing, cure, healing (rare, by metonymy)
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root רוּף, which is likely related to the better-attested רָפָא (to heal, make healthy). The noun תְּרוּפָה is a feminine formation indicating 'that which heals' or 'a means of healing.' The root רוּף itself is otherwise not well-attested, but the shared semantic field with רָפָא suggests a common origin related to 'healing.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
תְּרוּפָה appears only a few times in the Hebrew Bible (e.g., Proverbs 17:22; Jeremiah 30:13; Ezekiel 47:12). The term typically refers to a concrete remedy or healing agent, reflecting the Israelite understanding of medicine as a tangible substance or preparation, not simply as an abstract process. Unlike רְפוּאָה (refu'ah), which often refers to general healing or health, תְּרוּפָה has a more specific nuance of an actual remedy or medicinal component. In late biblical and post-biblical usage, the word expands to include figurative senses (remedy for societal or spiritual ills) but in the Biblical period its use is predominantly literal. Standard English translations usually render it as 'medicine' or 'remedy,' which is largely accurate, but the tangible, concrete sense in biblical usage should be stressed. There are no significant diachronic shifts in basic meaning between periods, given its limited attestation.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from רוּף in the sense of its congener רָפָא; a remedy; medicine.
Bantu Hebrew
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רוף (r-w-p̄) — to heal, to provide remedy
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8644-01 |
לִ/תְרוּפָֽה | literufah | HR/Ncfsa |
for healing | for a healing remedy | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H8644-01 |
Ezekiel 47:12 | לִ/תְרוּפָֽה | literufah | HR/Ncfsa |
for healing | for a healing remedy |