Hebrew word · H7399

רְכוּשׁ

rekhush-

property

Movable property: herds, flocks, goods, valuables. It is the kind of wealth semi-nomadic households carried as they moved, as distinct from land (BDB, HALOT s.v. רְכוּשׁ).

Appears 28 times in 27 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

1) property, goods, possessions

1a) property, goods

1a1) general term for all movable goods

1a2) of livestock

1a3) of stores, utensils, etc

Abridged from Brown, Driver and Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (1906), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).

In depth

From the study of Genesis 15:14

Range of meaning

Movable property: herds, flocks, goods, valuables. It is the kind of wealth semi-nomadic households carried as they moved, as distinct from land (BDB, HALOT s.v. רְכוּשׁ).

Against the English

KJV and YLT 'substance' (archaic for wealth); BSB and NASB 'many possessions'; ESV and NIV 'great possessions'; WEB and NLT 'great wealth'. All are accurate in meaning. 'Possessions' best keeps the sense of goods that can be carried away.

How it drifted

Only the KJV/YLT word 'substance' has drifted (see drift list). The Hebrew word itself is stable.

Used elsewhere in the period

The word recurs in Abram's story: Abram leaves Haran with 'all their possessions' (Gen 12:5); his and Lot's possessions are too great for the land (13:6); the invaders seize Sodom's goods (14:11–12, 16); and Abram refuses to keep the king of Sodom's goods so that no one could say 'I made Abram rich' (14:21–23). Fulfilled in Exod 12:35–38 and Ps 105:37 ('he brought them out with silver and gold').

From the study of Ezra 8:21

Range of meaning

Movable property and acquired goods: livestock, valuables, household wealth, everything one can carry or drive along. Used especially of migrants' goods (Gen 12:5; 31:18; 46:6).

Against the English

KJV and YLT 'substance' is archaic for 'possessions'. BSB and WEB 'possessions' and ESV 'goods' are accurate.

How it drifted

'Substance' meaning 'property' has largely dropped out of modern English (it survives in 'a man of substance').

Used elsewhere in the period

Genesis 15:14 promises that Abraham's descendants will leave Egypt 'with great rekhush'. Ezra 1:4, 6 uses rekhush for the goods neighbours gave the first returnees. Ezra 10:8 has rekhush forfeited as a penalty.

Where it appears

Genesis · 11
  1. Genesis 12:5 רְכוּשָׁם֙ possession[s] their

    And Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all the possessions and people they had acquired in Haran, and set out for the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan,

  2. Genesis 13:6 רְכוּשָׁם֙ possession[s] their

    But the land was unable to support both of them while they stayed together, for they had so many possessions that they were unable to coexist.

  3. Genesis 14:11 רְכֻ֨שׁ [the] possession[s] of

    The four kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food, and they went on their way.

  4. Genesis 14:12 רְכֻשׁ֛וֹ possession[s] his

    They also carried off Abram’s nephew Lot and his possessions, since Lot was living in Sodom.

  5. Genesis 14:16 הָרְכֻ֑שׁ וּרְכֻשׁוֹ֙ the possession[s], and possession[s] his

    He retrieved all the goods, as well as his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the rest of the people.

  6. Genesis 14:21 וְהָרְכֻ֖שׁ and the possession[s]

    The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me the people, but take the goods for yourself.”

  7. Genesis 15:14 בִּרְכֻ֥שׁ with possession[s]

    But I will judge the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will depart with many possessions.

    Here: Movable wealth: livestock, goods, valuables you can take with you. They will leave not as runaways with nothing but as a people carrying wealth.

  8. Genesis 31:18 רְכֻשׁוֹ֙ possession[s] his

    and he drove all his livestock before him, along with all the possessions he had acquired in Paddan-aram, to go to his father Isaac in the land in Canaan.

  9. Genesis 36:7 רְכוּשָׁ֛ם possession[s] their

    For their possessions were too great for them to dwell together; the land where they stayed could not support them because of their livestock.

  10. Genesis 46:6 רְכוּשָׁם֙ possession[s] their

    They also took the livestock and possessions they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and Jacob and all his offspring went to Egypt.

Numbers · 2
  1. Numbers 16:32 הָרֲכֽוּשׁ׃ the property

    and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households—all Korah’s men and all their possessions.

  2. Numbers 35:3 וְלִרְכֻשָׁ֔ם and for property their

    The cities will be for them to live in, and the pasturelands will be for their herds, their flocks, and all their other livestock.

1 Chronicles · 2
  1. 1 Chronicles 27:31 הָרְכ֔וּשׁ the property

    Jaziz the Hagrite was in charge of the flocks. All these officials were in charge of King David’s property.

  2. 1 Chronicles 28:1 רְכוּשׁ־ [the] property

    Now David summoned all the leaders of Israel to Jerusalem: the leaders of the tribes, the leaders of the divisions in the king’s service, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and the officials in charge of all the property and cattle of the king and his sons, along with the court officials and mighty men—every mighty man of valor.

    Here: Movable wealth and possessions in general: stores, produce, goods.

2 Chronicles · 6
  1. 2 Chronicles 20:25 וּרְכ֤וּשׁ and property

    Then Jehoshaphat and his people went to carry off the plunder, and they found on the bodies an abundance of goods and valuables—more than they could carry away. They were gathering the plunder for three days because there was so much.

  2. 2 Chronicles 21:14 רְכוּשֶֽׁךָ׃ property your

    So behold, the LORD is about to strike your people, your sons, your wives, and all your possessions with a serious blow.

  3. 2 Chronicles 21:17 הָרְכוּשׁ֙ the property

    So they went to war against Judah, invaded it, and carried off all the possessions found in the king’s palace, along with his sons and wives; not a son was left to him except Jehoahaz, his youngest.

  4. 2 Chronicles 31:3 רְכוּשׁ֜וֹ own property his

    The king contributed from his own possessions for the regular morning and evening burnt offerings and for the burnt offerings on the Sabbaths, New Moons, and appointed feasts, as written in the Law of the LORD.

  5. 2 Chronicles 32:29 רְכ֖וּשׁ property

    He made cities for himself, and he acquired herds of sheep and cattle in abundance, for God gave him very great wealth.

  6. 2 Chronicles 35:7 מֵרְכ֥וּשׁ [were] from [the] property of

    From his own flocks and herds Josiah contributed 30,000 lambs and goats plus 3,000 bulls for the Passover offerings for all the people who were present.

Ezra · 4
  1. Ezra 1:4 וּבִרְכ֣וּשׁ and with property

    And let every survivor, wherever he lives, be assisted by the men of that region with silver, gold, goods, and livestock, along with a freewill offering for the house of God in Jerusalem.’”

  2. Ezra 1:6 בָּרְכ֥וּשׁ with <the> property

    And all their neighbors supported them with articles of silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with valuables, in addition to all their freewill offerings.

  3. Ezra 8:21 רְכוּשֵֽׁנוּ׃ property our

    And there by the Ahava Canal I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask Him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions.

    Here: Movable property: goods, animals and valuables that travel with you. On this trip it sat alongside the huge temple treasure listed in 8:25–27, which made the caravan a rich prize for raiders.

  4. Ezra 10:8 רְכוּשׁ֑וֹ property his

    Whoever failed to appear within three days would forfeit all his property, according to the counsel of the leaders and elders, and would himself be expelled from the assembly of the exiles.

Daniel · 3
  1. Daniel 11:13 וּבִרְכ֥וּשׁ and with equipment

    For the king of the North will raise another army, larger than the first, and after some years he will advance with a great army and many supplies.

  2. Daniel 11:24 וּרְכ֖וּשׁ and property

    In a time of peace, he will invade the richest provinces and do what his fathers and forefathers never did. He will lavish plunder, loot, and wealth on his followers, and he will plot against the strongholds—but only for a time.

  3. Daniel 11:28 בִּרְכ֣וּשׁ with property

    The king of the North will return to his land with great wealth, but his heart will be set against the holy covenant; so he will do damage and return to his own land.

Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.