7371. rachath

Lexical Summary

rachath: Barge, raft, or tray

Original Word: רַחַת
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: rachath
Pronunciation: rah-khath'
Phonetic Spelling: (rakh'-ath)
KJV: shovel
NASB: shovel
Word Origin: [from H7306 (רוַּח - Spirit)]

1. a winnowing-fork (as blowing the chaff away)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

shovel

From ruwach; a winnowing-fork (as blowing the chaff away) -- shovel.

see HEBREW ruwach

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
of uncertain derivation
Definition
winnowing shovel
NASB Translation
shovel (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

רַ֫חַת noun [feminine] winnowing-shovel, or the like (√ unknown; Thes from רוח = ventilabrum, compare Nö^{ZMG xl (1886), 728}; Wetzst in De^Is (2), 709 from רחה = be soft, loose, friable, etc., compare Kö^{ii. 1, 177}; Late Hebrew = Biblical Hebrew, Arabic is probably loan-word Nö^l.c.); — וּבַמִּזְרֶה ׳זֹרֶה בָר Isaiah 30:24.

Topical Lexicon

Definition and Background

רַחַת denotes a large wooden scoop or shovel employed in the ancient Near East for winnowing—tossing grain or fodder into the air so that chaff or dust is carried away by the wind. Although attested only once in the Hebrew canon, the term presupposes a common agricultural implement familiar to Isaiah’s audience.

Biblical Usage

Isaiah 30:24 places רַחַת within a prophetic promise of post-judgment restoration: “The oxen and donkeys that work the soil will eat salted fodder, winnowed with shovel and pitchfork” (Isaiah 30:24). The single mention is sufficient to convey a scene of unusual plenty—draft animals ordinarily fed rough forage now receiving carefully prepared, seasoned fodder. The presence of both “shovel” (רַחַת) and “pitchfork” reinforces the picture of meticulous husbandry, reflecting Yahweh’s lavish provision for all His creatures.

Historical and Cultural Context

1. Tool Construction
• Typically fashioned from light but durable wood.
• Broad, shallow blade allowed grain or chaff to be lifted and cast into prevailing breezes.

2. Agricultural Practice
• Winnowing occurred on threshing floors situated on elevated ground for maximum wind exposure.
• After threshing, grain was separated, and remaining straw was further sifted; surplus chaff could be mixed with salt-brine to create nutritious fodder (cf. Job 6:6 for cultural awareness of salted fare).

3. Societal Implications
• Abundant animal feed signified overall prosperity, as strong livestock were indispensable for plowing and transport.
• Isaiah’s audience, facing Assyrian threat, would have received the image as a tangible sign of divinely secured agrarian stability.

Theological Significance

1. Covenant Blessing
• The verse parallels Deuteronomy 28:4,11, where fruitful herds are promised to obedient Israel. רַחַת thus becomes an emblem of covenant fidelity realized.

2. Divine Reversal
• Isaiah 30 moves from warning (verses 1-17) to mercy (verses 18-26). The humble shovel illustrates how God employs ordinary means to reverse extraordinary distress, underscoring His sovereignty over both judgment and restoration.

3. Typological Echoes
• The motif of winnowing anticipates New Testament imagery—“His winnowing fork is in His hand” (Matthew 3:12)—where separation of grain and chaff symbolizes final judgment. רַחַת therefore hints at the eschatological sorting of the righteous and the wicked.

Ministry Applications

1. Pastoral Encouragement
• Teachers may draw on Isaiah 30:24 to reassure believers that God not only rescues His people but also supplies their daily, even mundane, needs.

2. Stewardship Lessons
• The careful preparation of fodder models diligence; believers are exhorted to labor faithfully, trusting God for the increase (Proverbs 12:11).

3. Evangelistic Illustration
• The imagery of winnowing invites reflection on personal readiness for divine evaluation (2 Corinthians 13:5).

Related Scriptures and Themes

Job 39:12 – Faith in God’s oversight of harvest.

Proverbs 2:22 – Removal of the wicked, analogous to chaff.

Jeremiah 4:11-12 – Winnowing winds as judgment.

Matthew 3:12; Luke 3:17 – Messianic winnowing fork and final separation.

Summary

Although רַחַת appears only once, its agricultural realism anchors Isaiah’s vision of redemption in everyday life. The shovel evokes a future where even beasts of burden participate in the blessings of a restored land, foreshadowing the comprehensive renewal ultimately secured in Christ.

Forms and Transliterations

בָרַ֖חַת ברחת ḇā·ra·ḥaṯ ḇāraḥaṯ vaRachat

Englishman's Concordance

Isaiah 30:24
HEB: אֲשֶׁר־ זֹרֶ֥ה בָרַ֖חַת וּבַמִּזְרֶֽה׃
NAS: has been winnowed with shovel and fork.
KJV: which hath been winnowed with the shovel and with the fan.
INT: which has been winnowed shovel and fork

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 7371
1 Occurrence

ḇā·ra·ḥaṯ — 1 Occ.