---
title: רָפָה — sink · The Tanakh dictionary
description: רָפָה (7503), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 46 times: sink. BDB 1906: vb. sink, relax Pi. Hiph. Qal Qal. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# רָפָה

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«רָפָה» in the Tanakh dictionary: **sink** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 46 times · **Key:** 7503 · **BDB:** רָפָה²

### Glosses

refrain (5); I (4); he (4)

### Meaning (OSHB)

sink [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1512/7503/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

vb. sink, relax Pi. Hiph. Qal Qal. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1512/7503/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** vb. sink, relax (NH id., so Aramaic רפא (der. spec.), Zinj. רפה Aph., ܪܦܳܐ; Arabic رَفَاهَة an easy life is perhaps akin);— Pf. 3 ms. Ju 19:9 (yet v. infr.); 3 fs. רָֽפְתָה Ju 8:3 Je 49:24, etc.; Impf. 3 ms. יִרְפֶּה Is 5:24, וַיִּ֫רֶף Ex 4:26 (v. infr.), etc.;— sink down, of hay in flame Is 5:24; sink, decline, of day Ju 19:9 (si vera l.; 𝔊L κέκλικεν, GFM נָטָה \[but how expl. the difficult רפה?\]). Usually sink, drop (of wings, v. Pi.), of hands, c. מִן Ne 6:9 their hands will drop from the work (in fear); elsewhere abs. fig. = lose heart, energy, 2 S 4:1; Is 13:7; Je 6:24; 50:43; Ez 7:17; 21:12; Zp 3:16; 2 Ch 15:7; יָדַיִם om. Je 49:24. relax, abate, of temper Ju 8:3 (+ מֵעַל pers.). relax, withdraw, subj. י׳, מִן pers. Ex 4:26 (J), i.e. let one alone (but read perhaps וַיֶּרֶף, v Hiph.). Pt. pl. נִרְפִּים idle Ex 5:18, 17 (J). Pf. 3 ms. רִפָּה Jb 12:21; Impf. 3 fpl.; תְּרַפֶּינָה Ez 1:24, 25; Pt. מְרַפֵּא (Ges§ 75 rr) Je 38:4; pl. מְרַפִּים Ezr 4:4;—causat.: let wings drop Ez 1:24, 25 (read Qal, כנפיהם subj., 𝔊 Co Toy Krae al., who del. in v 25); loosen and let drop, girdle of mighty, fig. for weaken them Jb 12:21; c. acc. hands, fig. for enfeeble, dishearten Je 38:4; Ezr 4:4. Impf., 3 ms. sf. יַרְפְּךָ Dt 4:31 +; juss. 2 ms. תֶּ֫רֶף Jos 10:6 +, etc.; Imv. ms. הַרְפֵּה Ju 11:37; 2 K 4:27; הֶ֫רֶף Dt 9:14 +; mpl. הַרְפּוּ ψ 46:11;—causat., let drop, the hand 2 S 24:16 = 1 Ch 21:15; fig., + מִן pers., = abandon, Jos 10:6 (JE); perhaps also (יָד om.) = relax, refrain Ex 4:26 (reading וַיֶּרֶף, v Qal.); acc. rei, = abandon, forsake, Ne 6:3, so (subj. י׳) ψ 138:8; subj. י׳, c. acc. pers., Dt 4:31; 31:6, 8; Jos 1:5 (D), 1 Ch 28:20. let go, sf. pers., Ct 3:4 (opp. אחז); fig., acc. (om.) מוּסָר, Pr 4:13 (opp. החזיק), צְדָקָה Jb 27:6 (opp. id.). refrain, c. מִן pers., = let one alone Ju 11:37; Dt 9:14, מִן of anger ψ 37:8; c. ל pers. 1 S 11:3; 2 K 4:27; acc. pers. Jb 7:19; abs. let alone, i.e. do nothing, be quiet, 1 S 15:16 ψ 46:11 (cf. Weir in Dr 18 15, 16).—Je 3:22; Jb 5:18 ψ 60:4 v. רָפָא. Pf. 2 ms. הִתְרַפִּית Pr 24:10 hast shewn thyself slack; Pt. מִתְרַפֶּה 18:9 one shewing himself slack, pl. מִתְרַפִּים Jos 18:3.—Vid. also רָפָא heal.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 44 of its verses cited, 0 words shared with the glosses, lists its Strong's number (7 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 0 with the glosses (5 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «רָפָה» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1512/7503/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Proverbs 24:10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/PRO.24.10/)

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הִ֭תְרַפִּיתָ בְּי֥וֹם צָרָ֗ה צַ֣ר כֹּחֶֽכָה׃

*Word for word:* you.have.shown.yourself.without.courage in a.day of.trouble \[is\].narrow strength your

*JPS 1917:* If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small indeed.

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[Job 12:21](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/JOB.12.21/)

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שׁוֹפֵ֣ךְ בּ֭וּז עַל־נְדִיבִ֑ים וּמְזִ֖יחַ אֲפִיקִ֣ים רִפָּֽה׃

*Word for word:* \[he.is\].pouring contempt on noble.\[people\] and.\[the\] belt of.strong.people he.loosens

*JPS 1917:* He poureth contempt upon princes, and looseth the belt of the strong.

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