7557. Raqqath
Lexical Summary
Raqqath: Raqqath

Original Word: רַקַּת
Part of Speech: Proper Name Location
Transliteration: Raqqath
Pronunciation: rak-KATH
Phonetic Spelling: (rak-kath')
KJV: Rakkath
NASB: Rakkath
Word Origin: [from H7556 (רָקַק - spits) in its original sense of diffusing]

1. a beach (as expanded shingle)
2. Rakkath, a place in Israel

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
Rakkath

From raqaq in its original sense of diffusing; a beach (as expanded shingle); Rakkath, a place in Palestine -- Rakkath.

see HEBREW raqaq

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from raqaq
Definition
a city in Naphtali
NASB Translation
Rakkath (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
רַקַּת proper name, of a location in Naphtail, Joshua 19:35; ᵐ5 (Ομαθα) δακεθ, A Ρεκκαθ, ᵐ5L Ρακκαθ; a Jewish tradition identified with Tiberias, TalmJer. Megilla 2 b NbrGeogr. 208 f. BuhlGeogr. 226 GASmGerogr. 447.

רָשׁ see רושׁ

רשׁה (√of following; compare Late Hebrew Hiph`il permit, Hoph`al Ecclus 3:22; Jewish-Aramaic רְשָׁא have power, Aph`el permit; Old Aramaic רשי cause, occasion, Lzb370, Nabataean allowed, Idib.; Syriac is usually blame; Assyrian rašû, possess, râšû, creditor; Arabic () be firm, IV. make firm; Ethiopic set, put in, place over, prepare, etc.; Sabean רשו servant of deity JHMordtmZMG xxx (1876), 31 f.).

Topical Lexicon
Geographical Setting

Rakkath lay on the western shoreline of the Sea of Galilee, south-south-west of Chinnereth and adjacent to Hammath (modern Hamat-Tiberias). The name itself evokes a “shore” or “bank,” and the single biblical mention places it squarely among the fortified towns allotted to Naphtali (Joshua 19:35). Its coastal location implies access to fresh water, fishing, and the north–south caravan route that skirted the lake, making the site strategic for commerce and defense.

Historical Context in Joshua

When Joshua distributed the land by lot, Naphtali received a string of fortified sites guarding the Sea’s western flank. Rakkath, together with Hammath and Chinnereth, formed a defensive arc protecting the fertile Plain of Gennesaret. The fortified designation indicates walls, gates, and military readiness—an answer to the Canaanite enclaves that persisted in Galilee (Judges 1:33). The listing underscores God’s covenant faithfulness: each tribe gained tangible inheritance in fulfillment of His promise (Genesis 12:7; Joshua 21:45).

Link to Later Galilean History

Jewish tradition and some scholars associate Rakkath with the nucleus of later Tiberias (founded by Herod Antipas about A.D. 18). Even if Tiberias did not sit precisely on Rakkath’s ruins, the proximity means the earlier town prepared the ground—literally and culturally—for a future regional capital. By New Testament times the western shoreline thrived with fishing villages such as Magdala, Capernaum, and Bethsaida, all within a short sail of ancient Rakkath. Thus the solitary Old Testament reference quietly anticipates the bustling Galilee that would host so much of the Messiah’s ministry.

Prophetic and Redemptive Significance

Isaiah foretold that “the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali… Galilee of the nations, the people walking in darkness have seen a great light” (Isaiah 9:1-2). Rakkath—embedded in Naphtali’s inheritance—stood inside that prophetic geography. When Jesus later taught from boats, healed multitudes on these shores, and called fishermen to become “fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19), the ancient fortified town’s shoreline silhouette lay within the same horizon. The allotment to Naphtali therefore served not only tribal security but the stage on which the Light of the world would dawn.

Theological Themes

1. Covenant Inheritance: Rakkath exemplifies how God parcels concrete places to His people, turning promise into territory (Joshua 21:45).
2. Strategic Placement: The Lord positions His people at cultural crossroads—here, the Via Maris corridor—to channel blessing beyond Israel (Genesis 12:3).
3. Foreshadowing the Gospel: Even obscure towns play a role in redemptive history, reminding believers that no detail in Scripture is superfluous (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Archaeological and Topographical Notes

• Springs at Hammath and fertile plains nearby would have supported a sizable population.
• Pottery scatters and foundations under later Tiberias layers suggest continuous occupation from the Late Bronze or early Iron Age.
• The inland rise behind the shoreline gives natural defense, matching Joshua’s “fortified” description.

Ministry Applications

• Stewardship of Place: Congregations are called to engage their locales intentionally, just as Naphtali had to secure and cultivate Rakkath.
• Small Things, Great Impact: Hidden faithfulness in seemingly minor settings can prepare the way for future gospel influence.
• Remembering God’s Promises: Studying allotment passages encourages trust that the Lord still assigns fields of service today (Acts 17:26-27).

Key Scripture

“Now the fortified cities include Ziddim, Zer, Hammath, Rakkath, Chinnereth” (Joshua 19:35).

Forms and Transliterations
רַקַּ֥ת רקת rakKat raq·qaṯ raqqaṯ
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Joshua 19:35
HEB: צֵ֔ר וְחַמַּ֖ת רַקַּ֥ת וְכִנָּֽרֶת׃
NAS: and Hammath, Rakkath and Chinnereth,
KJV: and Hammath, Rakkath, and Chinnereth,
INT: Zer and Hammath Rakkath and Chinnereth

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 7557
1 Occurrence


raq·qaṯ — 1 Occ.

7556
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