Lexical Summary rakash: To gather, acquire, collect Original Word: רָכַשׁ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance gather, get A primitive root; to lay up, i.e. Collect -- gather, get. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to collect, gather (property) NASB Translation accumulated (1), acquired (2), gathered (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs רָכַשׁ verb collect, gather property, verb only P (rare) (Mandean דכש gather, NorbergLexid.231; Assyrian rukûšu, property (HptHebraica iii. 110 riding animal); Aramaic רִכְשָׁא,  = Biblical Hebrew רֶכֶשׁ); — Qal Perfect3masculine singular ׳ר, accusative קִנְיָן, Genesis 31:18b Genesis 36:6; else where with accusative of congnate meaning with verb רְכוּשׁ: אָשֶׁר רָכָ֑שׁ Genesis 31:18a, 3plural רָֽכְשׁוּ Genesis 46:6, דָכָ֑שׁוּ Genesis 12:5. Topical Lexicon Literary Scope רָכַשׁ appears five times, all within Genesis, and every instance occurs in the movement narratives of the patriarchs (Genesis 12:5; 31:18 [twice in the Hebrew text]; 36:6; 46:6). The verb is consistently rendered by the Berean Standard Bible with “acquired” or “possessions,” underscoring the deliberate accumulation of both goods and people as households expanded. Patriarchal Contexts • Genesis 12:5 introduces the term when Abram departs Haran: “Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated, and the people they had acquired in Haran.” Here רָכַשׁ frames material prosperity and the enlargement of Abram’s retinue as the outworking of God’s earlier promise of blessing (Genesis 12:2). Divine Provision and Stewardship In every scene, רָכַשׁ bears witness to God’s tangible provision. Material blessing is not portrayed as an end in itself but as a resource by which the patriarchs can obey divine direction—whether embarking on an unknown journey, returning to the promised land, or preserving the covenant family during famine. The narrative repeatedly ties prosperity to faith-driven migration, implying that obedient trust and responsible management of possessions are inseparable. “Souls” Acquired: Household Evangelism Genesis 12:5 uniquely pairs רָכַשׁ with the phrase “the people they had acquired,” suggesting servants or retainers who attached themselves to Abram’s household. Rabbinic and later Christian commentators have seen here an anticipatory picture of evangelism: those outside the original family circle become participants in the blessings promised “to all the families of the earth” (Genesis 12:3). The verb therefore carries not only economic overtones but also spiritual and missional ones. Covenantal Distinctions The contrast between Jacob (Genesis 31:18) and Esau (Genesis 36:6) demonstrates that identical prosperity can lead to divergent outcomes. Jacob’s possessions accompany him deeper into covenant history, ultimately supporting the nation-forming sojourn in Egypt; Esau’s wealth, though genuine, contributes to the development of Edom, a lineage often portrayed in later Scripture as opposing Israel. רָכַשׁ thus illuminates the moral dimension of ownership: whose purposes are served by what is acquired? Socio-Historical Insight The verb belongs to a world where wealth is measured in livestock, tents, silver, and human resources. It presupposes a patriarchal household economy flexible enough to migrate across the Fertile Crescent. These details align with second-millennium B.C. backgrounds, reinforcing the historicity of the Genesis narratives while illustrating the mobility required for God’s unfolding plan. Ministry Application 1. Stewardship: God-granted possessions are tools for obedience; believers are called to hold resources in readiness for divine directives. Forward-Looking Trajectory The tangible acquisitions of the patriarchs anticipate the spiritual inheritance secured in the Messiah. Just as early possessions sustained the family that would produce Israel, so the redeemed community today is endowed “with every spiritual blessing” (Ephesians 1:3) to accomplish its pilgrim calling. רָכַשׁ in Genesis therefore foreshadows the ultimate gathering of a people and a kingdom for God’s glory. Forms and Transliterations רָֽכְשׁוּ֙ רָכַ֖שׁ רָכָ֔שׁ רָכָ֔שׁוּ רכש רכשו rā·ḵā·šū rā·ḵaš rā·ḵāš rā·ḵə·šū raChash raChashu racheShu rāḵaš rāḵāš rāḵāšū rāḵəšūLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 12:5 HEB: רְכוּשָׁם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר רָכָ֔שׁוּ וְאֶת־ הַנֶּ֖פֶשׁ NAS: which they had accumulated, and the persons KJV: and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls INT: their possessions which had accumulated and the persons which Genesis 31:18 Genesis 31:18 Genesis 36:6 Genesis 46:6 5 Occurrences |
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