7502. raphad

Lexical Summary

raphad: To spread, to support, to refresh

Original Word: רָפַד
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: raphad
Pronunciation: rah-FAD
Phonetic Spelling: (raw-fad')
KJV: comfort, make (a bed), spread
NASB: make, refresh, spreads
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to spread (a bed)
2. (by implication) to refresh

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

comfort, make a bed, spread

A primitive root; to spread (a bed); by implication, to refresh -- comfort, make (a bed), spread.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to spread
NASB Translation
make (1), refresh (1), spreads (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

[רָפַד] verb spread (Assyrian rapâdu, stretch oneself; Arabic prop up, support, aid, give, compare

Pi`el below; Sabean רפדת plural protection, guard, CIS^{iv, no. 40, 3}, compare ארפד terraces DHM^Hofmus.); —

Qal Imperfect3masculine singular יִרְמַּד Job 41:22 he (the crocodile) spreadeth a threshing-sledge upon the mud (leaves marks upon it from his scales).

Pi`el Perfect1south of couch (figurative) רִמַּדְתּי יְצוּעָ֑י Job 17:13; then (spread out any support, hence) Imperative masculine plural suffix רַמְּדוּנִי Songs 2:5 support me with apples ("" סַמְּכוּ).

Topical Lexicon

Word Overview

רָפַד pictures the deliberate act of spreading or arranging something so that another may lie, rest, or be refreshed. The verb therefore carries nuances of preparation, provision, and protection, whether the scene is a gloomy grave, a fearsome creature, or a bride craving strength.

Occurrences in Scripture

1. Job 17:13 – Job voices his despair: “If I look for Sheol as my home, if I spread out my bed in darkness.” The act of “spreading” transfers the normal comfort of a bed to the chill of the grave, underscoring Job’s depth of affliction.
2. Job 41:30 – Concerning Leviathan: “His undersides are jagged potsherds, leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge.” The verb paints Leviathan as “spreading” sharp shards beneath him, transforming the ground into a dangerous bed for any who dare approach.
3. Song of Songs 2:5 – The bride implores, “Sustain me with raisins; refresh me with apples, for I am faint with love.” Here “refresh” (רָפַד) presents the positive side of the verb: arranging nourishment that revives body and spirit.

Historical and Cultural Background

• Beds in the Ancient Near East were often nothing more than layers of woven mats or blankets laid out at night and gathered by day. The action of רָפַד evokes that domestic picture.
• Hospitality customs required a host to prepare a guest’s resting place; this lends the term overtones of welcome and care.
• In military imagery, a victor might “spread” the ground with shields or branches to protect a march or to display dominance—an echo of Leviathan’s menacing path.

Thematic Connections

1. Rest vs. Restlessness: Job longs for rest yet expects only darkness (Job 17:13), while the bride seeks rest and finds it through love (Song of Songs 2:5). Scripture holds these in tension until true rest is secured in the Lord (Psalm 23:2; Matthew 11:28).
2. Power Over Creation: Leviathan’s ability to spread out shards (Job 41:30) magnifies the Creator’s greater sovereignty; even the most fearsome creature can only act within boundaries God sets (Job 41:11).
3. Provision and Refreshment: The Song celebrates a covenant context of love that meets need, foreshadowing the ultimate “spreading” of a table before enemies (Psalm 23:5) and the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9).

Christological and Ministry Implications

• The grave that Job dreads finds its answer in the empty tomb; Christ “spread” His own body in death so that His people might one day lie down in peace and rise in glory (1 Thessalonians 4:14).
• Leviathan’s impenetrable armor anticipates the victory of Christ over the powers of chaos (Colossians 2:15).
• The bride’s plea for refreshment mirrors the believer’s ongoing dependence on Christ, “the bread of life” who sustains those faint with love and longing (John 6:35).

Application for Believers Today

• When suffering tempts the heart to prepare a bed in darkness, prayerfully “spread” God’s promises instead, allowing Scripture to cushion despair with hope (Romans 15:4).
• Spiritual warfare recognizes places where the enemy lays out jagged traps; believers counter by putting on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:11).
• Ministry that refreshes others—providing meals, hospitality, or a listening ear—reenacts Song of Songs 2:5 and points to the Savior’s own ministry of care (Mark 6:31).

Related Scriptures

Psalm 139:8; Isaiah 57:2; Jeremiah 31:25; Matthew 11:28; Hebrews 4:9–11; Revelation 7:17

Forms and Transliterations

יִרְפַּ֖ד ירפד רִפַּ֥דְתִּי רַפְּד֖וּנִי רפדוני רפדתי rap·pə·ḏū·nî rappeDuni rappəḏūnî rip·paḏ·tî ripPadti rippaḏtî yir·paḏ yirPad yirpaḏ

Englishman's Concordance

Job 17:13
HEB: בֵּיתִ֑י בַּ֝חֹ֗שֶׁךְ רִפַּ֥דְתִּי יְצוּעָֽי׃
NAS: as my home, I make my bed
KJV: [is] mine house: I have made my bed
INT: my home the darkness make my bed

Job 41:30
HEB: חַדּ֣וּדֵי חָ֑רֶשׂ יִרְפַּ֖ד חָר֣וּץ עֲלֵי־
NAS: potsherds; He spreads out [like] a threshing sledge
KJV: stones [are] under him: he spreadeth sharp pointed things
INT: are sharp potsherds spreads out a threshing on

Songs 2:5
HEB: סַמְּכ֙וּנִי֙ בָּֽאֲשִׁישׁ֔וֹת רַפְּד֖וּנִי בַּתַּפּוּחִ֑ים כִּי־
NAS: me with raisin cakes, Refresh me with apples,
KJV: me with flagons, comfort me with apples:
INT: Sustain raisin Refresh apples Because

3 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 7502
3 Occurrences

rap·pə·ḏū·nî — 1 Occ.
rip·paḏ·tî — 1 Occ.
yir·paḏ — 1 Occ.