Lexical Summary raphas: To trample, to tread upon Original Word: רָפַשׂ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance foul, trouble A primitive root; to trample, i.e. Roil water -- foul, trouble. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originthe same as raphas, q.v. Topical Lexicon Core Imagery and Thematic Significance רָפַשׂ evokes the picture of feet churning clear water into mud. The act is never neutral; it turns something life-giving into something unusable. Scripture employs this verb to expose moral pollution, social injustice, and failed leadership, contrasting the divine ideal of purity with the human tendency to corrupt. Canonical Distribution 1. Proverbs 25:26 (wisdom literature) The sparse yet strategic placement deepens the metaphor from personal compromise to national rebellion. Illustration in Wisdom Literature Proverbs 25:26 situates the verb within a moral axiom: “Like a muddied spring or a polluted well is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.” The proverb warns that when the righteous capitulate, they not only lose personal integrity but also deprive the community of spiritual refreshment. רָפַשׂ therefore highlights the corporate cost of private collapse. Prophetic Use: Egypt’s Turbulent Dominion Ezekiel 32:2 depicts Pharaoh as a monstrous crocodile that “churns the waters with your feet and muddies their rivers.” Political arrogance disturbs global well-being. The imagery brands Egypt’s empire as a source of chaos rather than blessing, setting the stage for divine judgment (Ezekiel 32:11-15). Prophetic Use: False Shepherds of Israel Ezekiel 34:18 confronts leaders who gorge themselves on the flock’s pasture yet “muddy the rest with your feet.” Here רָפַשׂ unmasks selfish authority that spoils spiritual resources for those in its care. The Lord’s response is to reclaim His sheep (Ezekiel 34:22-24), promising a messianic shepherd who will provide unpolluted waters. Moral and Theological Implications 1. Purity versus Pollution: The verb underscores God’s concern that blessing remain undefiled. Pastoral Application • Guarding personal holiness keeps the “spring of life” (Proverbs 4:23) clear for others. Christological Horizon Where human feet have muddied the stream, Christ walks upon the water without stirring sediment (Matthew 14:25). His ministry embodies the antithesis of רָפַשׂ, bringing pristine grace to a polluted world and commissioning the church to do likewise (John 20:21). Summary רָפַשׂ exposes the tragic exchange of purity for corruption, whether in individual compromise, imperial oppression, or ecclesial failure. Scripture answers the problem not merely with condemnation but with the promise of a redeemed Shepherd and a river that “will never run dry” (Ezekiel 47:9), urging believers to keep their feet—and their influence—clean. Forms and Transliterations וַתִּרְפֹּ֖ס ותרפס נִ֭רְפָּשׂ נרפש תִּרְפֹּשֽׂוּן׃ תרפשון׃ nir·pāś nirpāś Nirpos tir·pō·śūn tirpoSun tirpōśūn vattirPos wat·tir·pōs wattirpōsLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Proverbs 25:26 HEB: מַעְיָ֣ן נִ֭רְפָּשׂ וּמָק֣וֹר מָשְׁחָ֑ת KJV: the wicked [is as] a troubled fountain, INT: spring a troubled well polluted Ezekiel 32:2 Ezekiel 34:18 3 Occurrences |
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