Lexical Summary rutaphash: To cleanse, to purify Original Word: רֻטֲפַשׁ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance be fresh A root compounded from ratob and taphash; to be rejuvenated -- be fresh. see HEBREW ratob see HEBREW taphash NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to grow fresh NASB Translation become fresher (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs רֻטֲפַשׁ verb quadriliteral intransitive grow fresh (Ges§ 56; si vera lectio, transposed טרפשׁ [expanded from טָפַשׁ be wide, loose, delicate, compare especially Assyrian tapâšu, be fat, ZimBP 99 A FräZA iii. 55], compare Talmud טַרְמְּשָׁא fatty membrane, Syriac  PS1527 thin flesh; Arabic  be convalescent; but ׳ר perhaps not original); — Perfect passive רֻטֲפַשׁ בְּשָׂרוֺ מִנֹּעַר Job 33:25 his flesh hath grown fresher than, etc.; read perhaps טפשׁ AltschüllerZAW vi (1886), 212, יטפשׁ Bi Bu compare Du. Topical Lexicon Meaning and Conceptual Picture רֻטֲפַשׁ evokes the vivid image of moist, supple flesh newly suffused with life. The term is not merely “healthy”; it conveys the freshness of skin that has just emerged from the womb or from cleansing waters—life at its earliest, most vigorous stage. Scripture employs the word once, yet that single occurrence is enough to set a theological thread running from tangible bodily renewal to the ultimate hope of resurrection. Contextual Usage (Job 33:25) Elihu is describing the chastened sufferer who has cried out to God and found mercy: “then his flesh is renewed like a child’s; he returns to the days of his youth.” (Job 33:25) The entire speech (Job 32–37) argues that divine discipline, far from capricious, aims at repentance and restoration. רֻטֲפַשׁ stands at the pivot of that argument. God does not leave a repentant sinner in mere survival; He restores vitality that feels younger than before the affliction. The word therefore functions as a narrative proof of God’s redemptive purpose in suffering. Theological Significance 1. Divine Reversal: Job’s account echoes Israel’s national pattern—judgment followed by restoration (Psalm 30:5; Hosea 6:1–2). רֻטֲפַשׁ crystallizes that reversal in the personal sphere. Implications for Ministry and Pastoral Care • Hope in Affliction: When illness or age assaults the body, the counselor may draw on רֻטֲפַשׁ to assure believers that God’s grace can visit even their flesh, whether now in partial measure or fully in the resurrection. Christological and Eschatological Foreshadowing Jesus’ healing ministry embodies רֻטֲפַשׁ. The leper’s skin became “clean” (Mark 1:42); the paralytic “rose” (Mark 2:12). Each miracle previews the resurrection body promised to all who are in Christ. Revelation 21:4 consummates the vision: “There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain.” The freshness signified by רֻטֲפַשׁ will then be permanent. Devotional Reflection Believers can pray Job 33:25 personally: “Lord, renew my flesh like a child’s; return me to the days of youthful zeal.” Whether the answer comes through present healing, revitalized spiritual vigor, or future resurrection, the word steadies faith in God’s restorative character. Related Biblical Themes and Passages Psalm 51:7–12 – Cleansing and renewed joy Isaiah 40:31 – Strength rising on eagle’s wings Lamentations 3:22–23 – New mercies every morning 2 Corinthians 4:16 – “Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” Romans 8:23 – Awaiting “the redemption of our bodies” רֻטֲפַשׁ thus stands as a single but radiant witness: God’s intention is not merely to spare life but to restore it to a vigor that proclaims His redeeming power. Forms and Transliterations רֻֽטֲפַ֣שׁ רטפש ru·ṭă·p̄aš rutaFash ruṭăp̄ašLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Job 33:25 HEB: רֻֽטֲפַ֣שׁ בְּשָׂר֣וֹ מִנֹּ֑עַר NAS: Let his flesh become fresher than KJV: His flesh shall be fresher than a child's: INT: become his flesh youth 1 Occurrence |
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