4801. merchaq

Lexicon

merchaq: Distance, far place, remote place

Original Word: מֶרְחָק
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: merchaq
Pronunciation: mer-khawk'
Phonetic Spelling: (mer-khawk')
Definition: Distance, far place, remote place
Meaning: remoteness, a distant place, from afar

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

very far country, afar

From rachaq; remoteness, i.e. (concretely) a distant place; often (adverbially) from afar -- (a-, dwell in, very) far (country, off). See also Beyth ham-Merchaq.

see HEBREW rachaq

see HEBREW Beyth ham-Merchaq

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from rachaq
Definition
distant place, distance
NASB Translation
afar (5), afar off (1), distant (3), far (3), far away (1), far countries (1), far-distant (1), last (1), remote place (1), remote places (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

מֶרְחָק noun masculine distant place, distance; — absolute ׳מ Isaiah 10:3 +, מֶרְחַק Psalm 138:6; plural מֶרְחַקִּים Zechariah 10:9, ׳מַר Isaiah 33:17; Jeremiah 8:19, construct מֶרְחַקֵּיֿ Isaiah 8:9; — distant place, far country Isaiah 8:9; Zechariah 10:9; often with אֶרֶץ: (ה) מֶרְחָק ׳א land of distance, distant land Isaiah 13:5; Isaiah 46:11; Jeremiah 4:16; Jeremiah 6:20; Proverbs 25:25, so with plural מרחקים ׳א Jeremiah 8:19, land of distances, i.e. of wide extent, Isaiah 33:17; ׳מִמּ from far Isaiah 10:3; Isaiah 30:27; Jeremiah 5:15; Ezekiel 23:40; Proverbs 31:14; figurative Psalm 138:6; ׳מִמּ at a distance Jeremiah 31:10, to a distance Isaiah 17:13. — ׳בֵּית הַמּ.

Topical Lexicon

Word Origin: Derived from the root verb רָחַק (rachaq), meaning "to be far" or "to be distant."

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: • G2078 (ἔσχατος, eschatos): While not a direct translation, this Greek term often conveys the idea of "last" or "uttermost," which can imply distance in terms of time or sequence, similar to the concept of remoteness.
• G5550 (χρόνος, chronos): This Greek word means "time" and, while primarily temporal, can be associated with the idea of distance in terms of duration or the passage of time, reflecting a different aspect of separation or remoteness.

In summary, מֶרְחָק (merchaq) is a multifaceted term in the Hebrew Bible, rich with implications of physical, emotional, and spiritual distance, and is used to convey the vastness and separation inherent in various biblical narratives and teachings.

Usage: The term מֶרְחָק is used in the Hebrew Bible to describe physical distances, as well as metaphorical distances, such as emotional or spiritual separation. It appears in various contexts, often highlighting the vastness or inaccessibility of a location or situation.

Context: • מֶרְחָק (merchaq) is used in the Hebrew Scriptures to denote both literal and figurative distances. It can describe geographical remoteness, as seen in passages where the vastness of the earth or the heavens is emphasized. For example, in Psalm 65:5, the psalmist speaks of God's wonders being seen "from the ends of the earth," illustrating the concept of divine reach extending to distant places.
• The term also appears in contexts that emphasize separation or alienation, whether between individuals, nations, or between humanity and God. In Isaiah 59:2, the prophet speaks of iniquities creating a separation between people and God, a concept that can be understood as a spiritual "distance."
• מֶרְחָק is used in poetic and prophetic literature to evoke imagery of vastness and the challenge of overcoming great distances, whether literal or metaphorical. This can be seen in Job 36:3, where Elihu speaks of bringing knowledge "from afar," suggesting both the depth and breadth of divine wisdom.
• The term is also used in military contexts, where the distance of an approaching army or the remoteness of a battlefield is described, as in Ezekiel 23:40, where the prophet speaks of messengers sent to a distant land.

Forms and Transliterations

הַמֶּרְחָ֑ק המרחק וּבַמֶּרְחַקִּ֖ים ובמרחקים מִ֝מֶּרְחָ֗ק מִמֶּרְחָ֑ק מִמֶּרְחָ֔ק מִמֶּרְחָ֛ק מִמֶּרְחָ֣ק מִמֶּרְחָ֥ק מֶרְחַקֵּי־ מֶרְחָ֑ק מֶרְחָ֖ק מֶרְחָֽק׃ מַרְחַקִּ֔ים מַרְחַקִּֽים׃ ממרחק מרחק מרחק׃ מרחקי־ מרחקים מרחקים׃ ham·mer·ḥāq hammerChak hammerḥāq mar·ḥaq·qîm marchakKim marḥaqqîm mer·ḥāq mer·ḥaq·qê- merChak merchakkei merḥāq merḥaqqê- mim·mer·ḥāq mimerChak mimmerḥāq ū·ḇam·mer·ḥaq·qîm ūḇammerḥaqqîm uvammerchakKim

Englishman's Concordance

Psalm 138:6
HEB: יִרְאֶ֑ה וְ֝גָבֹ֗הַּ מִמֶּרְחָ֥ק יְיֵדָֽע׃
NAS: But the haughty He knows from afar.
KJV: but the proud he knoweth afar off.
INT: regards the haughty afar knows

Proverbs 25:25
HEB: ט֝וֹבָ֗ה מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מֶרְחָֽק׃
NAS: So is good news from a distant land.
KJV: so [is] good news from a far country.
INT: is good land A distant

Proverbs 31:14
HEB: כָּאֳנִיּ֣וֹת סוֹחֵ֑ר מִ֝מֶּרְחָ֗ק תָּבִ֥יא לַחְמָֽהּ׃
NAS: She brings her food from afar.
KJV: she bringeth her food from afar.
INT: ships merchant afar brings her food

Isaiah 8:9
HEB: וְהַֽאֲזִ֔ינוּ כֹּ֖ל מֶרְחַקֵּי־ אָ֑רֶץ הִתְאַזְּר֣וּ
NAS: all remote places of the earth.
KJV: all ye of far countries:
INT: and give all remote of the earth Gird

Isaiah 10:3
HEB: פְּקֻדָּ֔ה וּלְשׁוֹאָ֖ה מִמֶּרְחָ֣ק תָּב֑וֹא עַל־
NAS: which will come from afar? To whom
KJV: [which] shall come from far? to whom will ye flee
INT: of punishment the desolation afar will come and

Isaiah 13:5
HEB: בָּאִ֛ים מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מֶרְחָ֖ק מִקְצֵ֣ה הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם
NAS: They are coming from a far country,
KJV: They come from a far country,
INT: are coming country A far the end horizons

Isaiah 17:13
HEB: בּ֖וֹ וְנָ֣ס מִמֶּרְחָ֑ק וְרֻדַּ֗ף כְּמֹ֤ץ
NAS: them and they will flee far away, And be chased
KJV: them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased
INT: will rebuke will flee far and be chased chaff

Isaiah 30:27
HEB: יְהוָה֙ בָּ֣א מִמֶּרְחָ֔ק בֹּעֵ֣ר אַפּ֔וֹ
NAS: comes from a remote place; Burning
KJV: cometh from far, burning
INT: of the LORD comes A remote Burning is his anger

Isaiah 33:17
HEB: תִּרְאֶ֖ינָה אֶ֥רֶץ מַרְחַקִּֽים׃
NAS: They will behold a far-distant land.
KJV: the land that is very far off.
INT: will behold land A far-distant

Isaiah 46:11
HEB: עַ֔יִט מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מֶרְחָ֖ק אִ֣ישׁ [עֲצָתֹו
NAS: of My purpose from a far country.
KJV: that executeth my counsel from a far country:
INT: A bird country A far the man advice

Jeremiah 4:16
HEB: בָּאִ֖ים מֵאֶ֣רֶץ הַמֶּרְחָ֑ק וַֽיִּתְּנ֛וּ עַל־
NAS: come from a far country,
KJV: come from a far country,
INT: come country A far and lift against

Jeremiah 5:15
HEB: עֲלֵיכֶ֨ם גּ֧וֹי מִמֶּרְחָ֛ק בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל
NAS: against you from afar, O house
KJV: a nation upon you from far, O house
INT: against A nation afar house of Israel

Jeremiah 6:20
HEB: הַטּ֖וֹב מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מֶרְחָ֑ק עֹלֽוֹתֵיכֶם֙ לֹ֣א
NAS: cane from a distant land?
KJV: cane from a far country?
INT: and the sweet from A distant offerings are not

Jeremiah 8:19
HEB: עַמִּ֗י מֵאֶ֙רֶץ֙ מַרְחַקִּ֔ים הַֽיהוָה֙ אֵ֣ין
NAS: of my people from a distant land:
KJV: of my people because of them that dwell in a far country:
INT: of my people land A distant is the LORD else

Jeremiah 31:10
HEB: וְהַגִּ֥ידוּ בָאִיִּ֖ים מִמֶּרְחָ֑ק וְאִמְר֗וּ מְזָרֵ֤ה
NAS: in the coastlands afar off, And say,
KJV: [it] in the isles afar off, and say,
INT: and declare the coastlands afar and say scattered

Ezekiel 23:40
HEB: לַֽאֲנָשִׁ֔ים בָּאִ֖ים מִמֶּרְחָ֑ק אֲשֶׁ֨ר מַלְאָ֜ךְ
NAS: who come from afar, to whom
KJV: to come from far, unto whom a messenger
INT: men come afar to whom A messenger

Zechariah 10:9
HEB: וְאֶזְרָעֵם֙ בָּֽעַמִּ֔ים וּבַמֶּרְחַקִּ֖ים יִזְכְּר֑וּנִי וְחָי֥וּ
NAS: They will remember Me in far countries, And they with their children
KJV: and they shall remember me in far countries; and they shall live
INT: scatter the peoples far will remember will live

17 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 4801
17 Occurrences

ham·mer·ḥāq — 1 Occ.
mar·ḥaq·qîm — 2 Occ.
mer·ḥāq — 4 Occ.
mer·ḥaq·qê- — 1 Occ.
mim·mer·ḥāq — 8 Occ.
ū·ḇam·mer·ḥaq·qîm — 1 Occ.