Lexical Summary rapha: To heal, to cure, to restore Original Word: רָפָא Strong's Exhaustive Concordance cure, cause to heal, physician, repair, thoroughly, make whole Or raphah {raw-faw'}; a primitive root; properly, to mend (by stitching), i.e. (figuratively) to cure -- cure, (cause to) heal, physician, repair, X thoroughly, make whole. See raphah. see HEBREW raphah NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to heal NASB Translation become fresh (3), completely healed (1), heal (24), healed (22), healer (1), healing (2), heals (3), physician (1), physicians (4), purified (2), reappeared (1), repaired (2), take care (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs רָפָא verb heal (Late Hebrew in derivatives; Phoenician רפא, Syriac  heal; on Aramaic proper name compounded with רפא see NöZMG xi (1886), 723 Lzb369; Sabean proper name אלרפא Langer1, 1 DHMZMG xxxvii (1883), 326; Arabic  (and  ) darn, mend, repair, pacify; Ethiopic  stitch together, mend; compare KüchenmeisterZWiss. Th. xxx (1887), 257 ff.); — Qal Perfect3masculine singular consecutive ׳וְר Isaiah 6:10, suffix וּרְפָאָם Isaiah 19:22, 1singular suffix consecutive וּרְפָאתִיו Isaiah 57:19, etc.; Imperfect3masculine singular יִרְמָּא 2 Kings 20:8 +, suffix יִרְמָּאֵנוּ Hosea 6:1, 1singular אֶרְמָּא Hosea 14:5 +, אֶרְמָּה (Ges§ 75pp) Jeremiah 3:22; 3feminine plural תִּרְמֶּינָה (Idib. qq) Job 5:18, etc.; Imperative masculine singular רְפָא Numbers 12:13, רְפָה (Idib. pp) Psalm 60:4, רְפָאָ֫ה Psalm 41:5, etc.; Infinitive absolute רָפוֺא Isaiah 19:22; construct לִרְמֹּא Hosea 5:13, etc.; Participle רֹפֵא 2 Kings 20:5 +, etc.; — heal: 1 literally, a. of God, with accusative of person Genesis 20:17 (E), Psalm 107:20 (suffix), with ל person Numbers 12:13 (JE) 2 Kings 20:5,8. b. of men, absolute Ecclesiastes 3:3 (opposed to הרג); participle as substantive healer, physician, Genesis 50:2 (twice in verse) (J) 2Chronicles 16:12. 2 figurative, heal hurts of nation, involving ׳יs (restored) favour (and, often, forgiveness): a. subject ׳י, with suffix person, Hosea 6:1; Hosea 11:3 (yet compare We Now), Exodus 15:26 (J), Isaiah 19:22b Isaiah 57:18,19; Jeremiah 33:6; Psalm 30:3, compare Psalm 6:3; with accusative עַם2Chronicles 30:20, with accusative אֶרֶץ2Chronicles 7:14; with ל of nation Hosea 7:1, and (indefinite subject) Isaiah 6:10 (lest) one heal them (= passive, they be healed); with accusative of hurt, מִחַץ מַכָּתוֺ Isaiah 30:26, שְׁבָרִים (of land) Psalm 60:4, so מְשׁוּבָה Hosea 14:5; Jeremiah 3:22 (including the consequences of backsliding); with ל of hurt Psalm 103:3; accusative nation (personified) + מִן of hurt Jeremiah 30:17 I will heal thee of thy wounds ("" אֶרְמָּאֵךְ); absolute Isaiah 19:22a (opposed to נגף), Deuteronomy 32:39 (opposed to מחץ); participle as substantive healer, physician Jeremiah 8:22. b. human subject, with ל of nation, Hosea 5:13, compare Lamentations 2:13. 3. a. figurative, heal individual distresses, with suffix person Jeremiah 17:14, with accusative נַפְשִׁי = me Jeremiah 41:5, with ל person, לִשְׁבוּרֵי לֵב Psalm 147:3 (i.e. longing exiles, compare Isaiah 61:3); absolute Job 5:18 (opposed to מחץ); participle as substantive Job 13:4. Niph`al Perfect3masculine singular נִרְמָּא Leviticus 13:37 +, 3 feminine singular נִרְמָּ֑תָה (Ges§ 75qq) Jeremiah 51:9; 3plural וְנִרְמּאו consecutive Ezekiel 47:8; Imperfect2masculine singular תֵּרָפֵא Jeremiah 51:8; 3masculine plural יֵרָֽפְאוּ Ezekiel 47:9,11, וַיֵּרָפו (Gesl.c.) 2 Kings 2:22, etc.; Infinitive construct הֵרָפֵא Jeremiah 15:18 +, הֵרָפֵה (Idib.) Jeremiah 19:11; — be healed: 1 literally, of person 1 Samuel 6:3; + accusative of disease Deuteronomy 28:27,35; subject disease Leviticus 13:18,37; Leviticus 14:3,48; of (bad) water 2 Kings 2:22, salt waters (prediction), i.e. be made fresh, Ezekiel 47:8,9,11; of (broken) pottery, i.e. be made whole, Jeremiah 19:11 (in simile). 2 figurative, be healed: a. of national hurts, subject city Jeremiah 51:8,9; involving forgiveness and ׳יs blessing, impersonal with ל of people, נִרְמָּאלָֿנוּ Isaiah 53:5 i.e. healing has come to us. b. of personal distress, subject person Jeremiah 17:14, subject the distress Jeremiah 15:18. Pi`el Perfect1singular רִמִּאתִי 2 Kings 2:21; 2masculine plural רְמֵּאתֶם Ezekiel 34:4; 1plural רִמִּאנוּ Jeremiah 51:9; Imperfect3masculine singular יְרַמֵּא Exodus 21:19; Zechariah 11:16, וַיְרַמֵּא 1 Kings 18:30; 3masculine plural וַיְרַמְּאוּ Jeremiah 6:14, וַיְרַמּוּ (Ges§ 75qq) Jeremiah 8:11; Infinitive absolute רַמֹּא Exodus 21:19; — have healed, heal, usually human subject: 1 literal, רַמּאֹ יְרַמֵּא Exodus 21:19 he shall have (him) well healed; with accusative of altar, = repair, 1 Kings 18:30; with ל of water (subject ׳י) 2 Kings 2:21. 2 figurative of healing national defects and hurts, accusative of person, Ezekiel 34:14; Zechariah 11:16; work at healing, treat (accusative of hurt) Jeremiah 6:14; Jeremiah 8:11 (both עַלנְֿקַלָּה, see [ קָלַל] Niph`al 2), Jeremiah 51:9. Hithpa`el Infinitive construct of purpose, לְהִתְרַמֵּא, literally, in order to get healed, + מִן of wounds 2 Kings 8:29 = 2 Kings 9:15, so "" 2Chronicles 22:6 (read with ᵐ5 מִן for כִּי, compare Be Kau Benz). Topical Lexicon Root Meaning and Scope The verb רָפָא occurs about sixty-seven times in the Old Testament and always carries the idea of bringing wholeness where damage, disease, or disorder have intruded. It is used for mending water, land, cities, personal bodies, broken hearts, and covenant relationships. The subject of the verb is nearly always the Lord, underscoring His unique prerogative to restore what has been marred. Divine Self-Revelation as Healer On the shore of the Red Sea the Lord declares, “For I am the LORD who heals you” (Exodus 15:26). This statement both explains Israel’s deliverance from plague and establishes “Yahweh-Ropheka” as a permanent aspect of His character (compare Deuteronomy 32:39; Job 5:18). From the outset, healing is presented as an act of covenant faithfulness rather than a mere therapeutic intervention. Individual Bodily Healing • Genesis 20:17 – “God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female servants, so they could bear children.” In each narrative God alone resolves the crisis, revealing that even when human means (such as Isaiah’s poultice for Hezekiah) are used, the efficacy comes from Him. Corporate and National Restoration Healing language widens to embrace land and nation. “Then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). Elisha “healed the waters” of Jericho (2 Kings 2:21), a prophetic sign that covenant blessing could reverse curses at the most basic level of daily life. Jeremiah pictures national restoration in the same terms: “For I will restore you to health and heal your wounds” (Jeremiah 30:17; 33:6). Moral and Spiritual Renewal The prophets repeatedly shift the word from the clinic to the heart: Sin is described as a festering wound men cannot close (Jeremiah 15:18), and shallow religion is condemned for claiming, “‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace” and for “healing the wound of My people superficially” (Jeremiah 6:14; 8:11). Healing Through Providence and Means The Lord is free to heal instantly (1 Kings 13:6) or through created agents. Salt is used at Jericho, a lump of figs for Hezekiah, and balm for Gilead (Jeremiah 8:22), teaching that secondary causes do not diminish divine sovereignty. Though physicians are mentioned (Genesis 50:2; Jeremiah 8:22), Scripture never portrays medicine as an autonomous power; success belongs to God. Limits of Human Physicians King Asa “even in his illness… sought help from the physicians and not from the LORD” (2 Chronicles 16:12, context). Jeremiah’s lament, “Is there no physician there?” (Jeremiah 8:22), exposes the futility of purely human remedies when the underlying problem is covenant breach. True health demands reconciliation with God. Prophetic Vision of Messianic Healing Isaiah foresees a Servant “pierced for our transgressions… and by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). Here רָפָא reaches its theological summit: the impending atonement will address both sin’s guilt and its corrupting effects. The Gospels later reveal Jesus embodying this promise, healing diseases as signs of a deeper redemption (Matthew 8:16–17 echoing Isaiah 53). Pastoral and Ministry Implications 1. Prayer remains the primary avenue for seeking healing (Psalm 30:2; James 5:14–16 builds on this heritage). Intertextual and Theological Connections The Hebrew concept of healing merges seamlessly with the New Testament’s salvation vocabulary (Greek sōzō, “to save/heal”). Physical restoration serves as a tangible pledge of eschatological renewal when “the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations” (Revelation 22:2). Thus the Old Testament usage of רָפָא lays a canonical foundation: God not only forgives but also brings comprehensive shalom to His people and His creation. Forms and Transliterations אֶרְפָּ֔א אֶרְפָּ֖ה אֶרְפָּא֙ אֶרְפָּאֵ֖ךְ ארפא ארפאך ארפה בָּרֹפְאִֽים׃ ברפאים׃ הֵֽרָפֵ֔א הָ֝רֹפֵ֗א הָ֭רֹפֵא הָרֹ֣פְאִ֔ים הָרֹפְאִ֖ים הרפא הרפאים וְאֵ֣רָפֵ֔א וְאֶרְפָּ֖א וְאֶרְפָּאֵ֑הוּ וְיִרְפָּאֵ֑ם וְיִרְפָּאֵ֑נוּ וְיֵרָֽפְאוּ֙ וְנִרְפָּֽא׃ וְנִרְפּ֥וּ וְרַפֹּ֥א וְרָ֥פָא וְרָפ֑וֹא וַֽיְרַפְּא֞וּ וַיְרַפֵּ֛א וַיְרַפּ֞וּ וַיִּרְפָּ֖א וַיִּרְפָּ֨א וַיֵּרָפ֣וּ וַתִּרְפָּאֵֽנִי׃ וּרְפָאָֽם׃ וּרְפָאתִ֑ים וּרְפָאתִֽיו׃ וארפא וארפאהו וירפא וירפאו וירפאם וירפאנו וירפו ונרפא׃ ונרפו ורפא ורפאם׃ ורפאתיו׃ ורפאתים ורפוא ותרפאני׃ יְרַפֵּ֑א יְרַפֵּֽא׃ יִרְפָּ֥א יִרְפָּֽא׃ יִרְפָּא־ יֵרָפְא֖וּ ירפא ירפא־ ירפא׃ ירפאו כְּרָפְאִ֣י כרפאי לְהִתְרַפֵּ֣א לְהֵרָפֵ֑א לְהֵרָפֵ֖ה לְהֵרָפֵֽא׃ לִרְפֹּ֣א לִרְפּ֔וֹא להרפא להרפא׃ להרפה להתרפא לרפא לרפוא נִרְפָּ֔תָה נִרְפָּ֖א נִרְפָּ֥א נִרְפָּא־ נרפא נרפא־ נרפתה רְפָ֖ה רְפָ֥א רְפָאֵ֤נִי רְפָאֵ֥נִי רְפָאָ֥ה רְפָאתִֽים׃ רִפִּ֙אתִי֙ רִפֵּאתֶ֗ם רִפִּ֣ינוּ רֹ֣פֶא רֹפְאֵ֖י רֹפְאֶֽךָ׃ רֹפֵ֖א רפא רפאה רפאי רפאך׃ רפאני רפאתי רפאתים׃ רפאתם רפה רפינו תִּרְפֶּֽינָה׃ תֵּרָֽפְאוּ֙ תֵּרָפֵֽא׃ תרפא׃ תרפאו תרפינה׃ ’er·pā ’er·pā·’êḵ ’er·pāh ’erpā ’erpā’êḵ ’erpāh bā·rō·p̄ə·’îm barofeIm bārōp̄ə’îm erPa erpaEch erPah hā·rō·p̄ê hā·rō·p̄ə·’îm haroFe haRofeIm hārōp̄ê hārōp̄ə’îm hê·rā·p̄ê heraFe hêrāp̄ê kə·rā·p̄ə·’î kerafeI kərāp̄ə’î lə·hê·rā·p̄ê lə·hê·rā·p̄êh lə·hiṯ·rap·pê leheraFe ləhêrāp̄ê leheraPeh ləhêrāp̄êh lehitrapPe ləhiṯrappê lir·pō lir·pō·w lirPo lirpō lirpōw nir·pā nir·pā- nir·pā·ṯāh nirPa nirpā nirpā- nirPatah nirpāṯāh rə·p̄ā rə·p̄ā·’āh rə·p̄ā·’ê·nî rə·p̄ā·ṯîm rə·p̄āh reFa refaAh refaEni reFah refaTim rəp̄ā rəp̄ā’āh rəp̄ā’ênî rəp̄āh rəp̄āṯîm rip·pê·ṯem rip·pî·nū rip·pi·ṯî rippeTem rippêṯem ripPinu rippînū ripPiti rippiṯî rō·p̄e rō·p̄ê rō·p̄ə·’ê rō·p̄ə·’e·ḵā Rofe rofeEcha rofeEi rōp̄e rōp̄ê rōp̄ə’ê rōp̄ə’eḵā tê·rā·p̄ê tê·rā·p̄ə·’ū teraFe terafeU têrāp̄ê têrāp̄ə’ū tir·pe·nāh tirPeinah tirpenāh ū·rə·p̄ā·’ām ū·rə·p̄ā·ṯîm ū·rə·p̄ā·ṯîw urefaAm urefaTim urefaTiv ūrəp̄ā’ām ūrəp̄āṯîm ūrəp̄āṯîw vaiyeraFu vaiyirPa vattirpaEni vayrapPe vayrappeU vayrapPu veEraFe veerPa veerpaEhu venirPa venirPu veRafa veraFo verapPo veyerafeU veyirpaEm veyirpaEnu wat·tir·pā·’ê·nî wattirpā’ênî way·rap·pê way·rap·pə·’ū way·rap·pū way·yê·rā·p̄ū way·yir·pā wayrappê wayrappə’ū wayrappū wayyêrāp̄ū wayyirpā wə’êrāp̄ê wə’erpā wə’erpā’êhū wə·’ê·rā·p̄ê wə·’er·pā wə·’er·pā·’ê·hū wə·nir·pā wə·nir·pū wə·rā·p̄ā wə·rā·p̄ō·w wə·rap·pō wə·yê·rā·p̄ə·’ū wə·yir·pā·’ê·nū wə·yir·pā·’êm wənirpā wənirpū wərāp̄ā wərāp̄ōw wərappō wəyêrāp̄ə’ū wəyirpā’êm wəyirpā’ênū yê·rā·p̄ə·’ū yə·rap·pê yerafeU yêrāp̄ə’ū yerapPe yərappê yir·pā yir·pā- yirPa yirpā yirpā-Links Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 20:17 HEB: אֶל־ הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים וַיִּרְפָּ֨א אֱלֹהִ֜ים אֶת־ NAS: and God healed Abimelech KJV: and God healed Abimelech, INT: to God healed and God Abimelech Genesis 50:2 Genesis 50:2 Exodus 15:26 Exodus 21:19 Exodus 21:19 Leviticus 13:18 Leviticus 13:37 Leviticus 14:3 Leviticus 14:48 Numbers 12:13 Deuteronomy 28:27 Deuteronomy 28:35 Deuteronomy 32:39 1 Samuel 6:3 1 Kings 18:30 2 Kings 2:21 2 Kings 2:22 2 Kings 8:29 2 Kings 9:15 2 Kings 20:5 2 Kings 20:8 2 Chronicles 7:14 2 Chronicles 16:12 2 Chronicles 22:6 67 Occurrences |
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