Hebrew word · H7514

רָפַק

mitrapeket

to lean

This form appears only here in the Hebrew Bible. The root r-p-q is not otherwise used in biblical Hebrew. The verb form is reflexive: an action done to or for oneself. So: 'supporting herself, leaning herself'. Later Hebrew and Aramaic use r-p-q for leaning or pressing against something.

Appears once in the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

1) to support

1a) (Hithpael) to support oneself, lean

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 Song of Songs 8:5

Range of meaning

This form appears only here in the Hebrew Bible. The root r-p-q is not otherwise used in biblical Hebrew. The verb form is reflexive: an action done to or for oneself. So: 'supporting herself, leaning herself'. Later Hebrew and Aramaic use r-p-q for leaning or pressing against something. Arabic rafaqa has a related range: being gentle, keeping someone company; mirfaq means elbow or cushion.

Against the English

Most English versions say 'leaning on/upon'. YLT's 'hasting herself' follows a different, poorly supported guess. 'Leaning' is accurate, but English readers can hear it as tiredness or weakness. The Hebrew picture is closeness: she is draped on him, walking pressed to his side.

How it drifted

Nothing drifted in the word itself. Much devotional use, though, has heard 'leaning' as the exhausted dependence of a soul coming out of trials. That idea is not present in the word.

Used elsewhere in the period

Septuagint: epistērizomenē, 'supporting herself upon'. Vulgate: innixa, 'leaning upon'. The ancient versions agree on the basic sense of leaning or support. Rabbinic Hebrew uses the root for leaning or attaching oneself (per Jastrow; HALOT s.v. רפק).

Similar words

Where it appears

Song of Songs · 1

  1. Song of Songs 8:5 מִתְרַפֶּ֖קֶת leaning herself

    Who is this coming up from the wilderness, leaning on her beloved? I roused you under the apple tree; there your mother conceived you; there she travailed and brought you forth.

    Here: A word found only here in the Bible. The verb form is reflexive, 'leaning herself / propping herself'. The picture is a woman walking pressed against her lover's side, arm in arm or nestled into him.

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