7403. Rakal
Lexical Summary
Rakal: Racal

Original Word: רָכָל
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Rakal
Pronunciation: rah-KAHL
Phonetic Spelling: (raw-kawl')
KJV: Rachal
NASB: Racal
Word Origin: [from H7402 (רָכַל - traders)]

1. merchant
2. Rakal, a place in Israel

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Rachal

From rakal; merchant; Rakal, a place in Palestine -- Rachal.

see HEBREW rakal

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from rakal
Definition
a city in S. Judah
NASB Translation
Racal (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
רָכָל proper name, of a location (trader ?); — in south of Judah כְּרָכָל 1 Samuel 30:29, ᵐ5 ἐν Καρμήλ [A Παχηλ], read probably בְּכַרְמֶל We Dr Bu Kit HPS; see II. ׳כ 2

Topical Lexicon
Biblical Setting

Racal appears once in Scripture, in the catalogue of towns that received a portion of the Amalekite spoil from David (1 Samuel 30:26-31). After rescuing the captives at Ziklag, David sent gifts “to those in Racal” (1 Samuel 30:29). The gesture was part of a broader policy of generosity that knit together the elders of Judah and prepared the way for David’s later acceptance as king in Hebron (2 Samuel 2:4).

Geographical Identification

The towns listed with Racal—Eshtemoa, Hormah, Bor-ashan, Hebron, and various Jerahmeelite and Kenite settlements—cluster in the southern hill country of Judah and the northern Negev. While Racal’s precise site remains uncertain, the literary context places it on or near the trade routes that ran south of Hebron toward the wilderness of Paran. The root consonants of the name correspond to Hebrew terms connected with commerce, suggesting that Racal may have been a caravan station or market village along those routes.

Historical Significance

1 Samuel 30 describes a turning-point for David. Rejected in Philistine territory and having lost everything at Ziklag, he sought the LORD, pursued the Amalekites, and recovered all. By sharing the spoil equally between the 400 warriors who fought and the 200 who guarded the supplies (1 Samuel 30:24-25), and then sending portions to towns like Racal, David demonstrated a kingship marked by justice, generosity, and covenant loyalty. Those qualities contrasted sharply with Saul’s earlier refusal to “listen to the voice of the LORD” (1 Samuel 15:22-23), underscoring why the kingdom was transferring to David.

Theological Themes

1. Stewardship of Victory. David explicitly calls the plunder “from the spoil of the enemies of the LORD” (1 Samuel 30:26). The gifts were not mere political bribes; they were acknowledgments that triumph belongs to God and is to be shared for the strengthening of His people.
2. Unity of the Faith Community. By including Racal, a lesser-known settlement, David modeled the principle later expressed by Paul: “Whether one member suffers, all suffer with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice with it” (1 Corinthians 12:26).
3. Foreshadowing of Christ’s Ministry. David’s distribution of gifts prefigures the Messiah who “ascended on high… and gave gifts to men” (Ephesians 4:8), turning victory over enemies into edification for the saints.

Lessons for Ministry Today

• Share God-given resources widely, not merely with the influential but also with forgotten “Racals.”
• Recognize spiritual and practical support roles (the “baggage guards”) as equal partners in kingdom work.
• Use victories and testimonies to strengthen covenant bonds rather than to promote personal glory.

Archaeological and Scholarly Notes

Modern proposals locate Racal at Khirbet Raqaʿ or near Khirbet el-Kilʿa, both southwest of Hebron. Pottery surveys in these areas reveal Iron Age occupation consistent with Davidic-period activity. Although no inscription bearing the name has surfaced, the geographical fit with 1 Samuel 30 lends plausibility to such identifications.

Related Biblical Parallels

• Abraham’s generosity toward the king of Salem after his own victory (Genesis 14:17-24).
• Joshua’s equal division of plunder between front-line soldiers and those guarding supplies (Joshua 22:8).
• The early church’s distribution “to anyone who had need” (Acts 4:35), echoing David’s practice at Racal.

Summary

Racal, though mentioned only once, serves as a witness to David’s God-centered leadership. Its inclusion in the spoil-list illustrates the biblical ethic of communal blessing, reinforces the unity of God’s people, and offers a timeless model for stewardship, generosity, and covenant faithfulness.

Forms and Transliterations
בְּרָכָ֗ל ברכל bə·rā·ḵāl beraChal bərāḵāl
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Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
1 Samuel 30:29
HEB: וְלַאֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּרָכָ֗ל וְלַֽאֲשֶׁר֙ בְּעָרֵ֣י
NAS: and to those who were in Racal, and to those who
KJV: And to [them] which [were] in Rachal, and to [them] which [were] in the cities
INT: who Racal who the cities

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 7403
1 Occurrence


bə·rā·ḵāl — 1 Occ.

7402
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