Lexical Summary Yirpeel: Yirpeel Original Word: יִרְפְּאֵל Strong's Exhaustive Concordance Irpeel From rapha' and 'el; God will heal; Jirpeel, a place in Palestine -- Irpeel. see HEBREW rapha' see HEBREW 'el NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom rapha and el Definition "God will heal," a place in Benjamin NASB Translation Irpeel (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs יִרְמְּאֵל proper name, of a location in Benjamin, Joshua 18:27, A ᵐ5L Ιερφ(α)ηλ; unknown. Topical Lexicon Etymology and Theological Implications The toponym יִרְפְּאֵל (Yirpeel, transliterated “Irpeel”) is built on the verbal root רפא, “to heal,” with the divine element אֵל, “God.” The name thus proclaims, “God heals” or “May God bring healing.” This confession, embedded in the very map of ancient Israel, silently testifies that the covenant land itself stands as a witness to the Lord’s restorative power. In Scripture the attribute of God as Healer is explicit (Exodus 15:26; Psalm 103:3; Malachi 4:2), and every locale bearing such a declaration reinforces the theme that physical territory, covenant promise, and divine character are inseparably linked. Biblical Occurrence and Geographic Setting Irpeel appears once, in the catalog of Benjaminite towns: “Rekem, Irpeel, Taralah,” (Joshua 18:27). The verse situates Irpeel among fourteen settlements allotted to the tribe of Benjamin. Although its exact archaeological site remains unconfirmed, the context places it in the central hill country, north or northwest of Jerusalem, likely in the network of small highland villages that secured access routes between the coastal plain and the Jordan Valley. Historical Context The lists in Joshua 15–19 are not mere administrative records; they document the fulfillment of the Abrahamic promise (Genesis 15:18–21) and the Mosaic charge to divide the land by lot. For Benjamin—sandwiched between Judah to the south and Ephraim to the north—these towns formed a defensive buffer around Jerusalem long before it became Israel’s capital. Irpeel, therefore, contributed to the strategic lattice that protected the tribal inheritance and upheld national unity during the eras of the Judges and the early monarchy. Covenantal Continuity Though Irpeel recedes from later narrative, its inclusion confirms the meticulous reliability of Israel’s tribal boundaries. The chronicler of Joshua enumerates every village—large or small—to show that no promise of God is overlooked. That integrity undergirds later prophetic appeals to covenant faithfulness (for instance, Jeremiah’s preaching in Benjaminite Anathoth, Jeremiah 1:1). Spiritual Lessons and Ministry Application 1. Healing in the Land: The very name “God heals” anticipates the Messianic ministry of Jesus Christ, who came “preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease” (Matthew 4:23). As believers trace the geography of redemption, Irpeel becomes a quiet reminder that divine healing is woven into the salvation narrative. Intertextual Connections • The healing motif threads from Irpeel’s name to the National “healing of the land” promise in 2 Chronicles 7:14 and culminates in Revelation 22:2, where the tree of life bears leaves “for the healing of the nations.” Christological Foreshadowing The land account of Joshua anticipates Christ, the true Joshua, who secures an eternal inheritance (Hebrews 4:8–9). Each Benjaminite town points forward to the coming King who heals body and soul. Irpeel’s single mention is therefore not incidental but a deliberate whisper of the Great Physician dwelling among His people. Summary Irpeel, though appearing only once, enriches the biblical landscape with a proclamation of divine healing, affirms the trustworthiness of God’s territorial promises, and offers enduring encouragement for unnoticed yet indispensable service within the body of Christ. Forms and Transliterations וְיִרְפְּאֵ֖ל וירפאל veyirpeEl wə·yir·pə·’êl wəyirpə’êlLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Joshua 18:27 HEB: וְרֶ֥קֶם וְיִרְפְּאֵ֖ל וְתַרְאֲלָֽה׃ NAS: and Rekem and Irpeel and Taralah, KJV: And Rekem, and Irpeel, and Taralah, INT: and Rekem and Irpeel and Taralah 1 Occurrence |
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