---
title: רָפֶה — slack · The Tanakh dictionary
description: רָפֶה (7504), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 4 times: slack. BDB 1906: adj. slack Qal. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# רָפֶה

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«רָפֶה» in the Tanakh dictionary: **slack** — 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:** 4 times · **Key:** 7504 · **BDB:** רָפֶה

### Glosses

slack (3); feeble (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

slack [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1512/7504/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

adj. slack Qal. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1512/7504/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** adj. slack;—abs. ר׳, of people, Nu 13:18 (J); cstr. רְפֵה יָדַיִם 2 S 17:2, i.e. weak (‖ יָגֵעַ); fpl. יָדַיִם רָפוֹת fig. of discouragement and fear Is 35:3; Jb 4:3. cf. √ Qal. 2.

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 4 of its verses cited, 1 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, 1 with the glosses (5 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «רָפֶה» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1512/7504/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Job 4:3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/JOB.4.3/)

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הִ֭נֵּה יִסַּ֣רְתָּ רַבִּ֑ים וְיָדַ֖יִם רָפ֣וֹת תְּחַזֵּֽק׃

*Word for word:* there! you.have.instructed many.\[people\] and hands slack you.strengthened

*JPS 1917:* Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands.

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[Isaiah 35:3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/ISA.35.3/)

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חַזְּק֖וּ יָדַ֣יִם רָפ֑וֹת וּבִרְכַּ֥יִם כֹּשְׁל֖וֹת אַמֵּֽצוּ׃

*Word for word:* strengthen hands slack and knees \[which\].stumble make.firm

*JPS 1917:* Strengthen ye the weak hands, and make firm the tottering knees.

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