Hebrew word · H7569

רַתּוֹק

haratok

chain

A chain or fetter. This word occurs only here in the Hebrew Bible, so its meaning comes from related words built on the same root r-t-q: the plural noun 'chains' (רַתּוּקוֹת, the Qere, or traditional reading, of 1 Kgs 6:21, golden chains in the temple; Isa 40:19, silver chains on an idol).

Appears 2 times in 2 verses of the Hebrew Old Testament. ·

What it means

chain

Also means: rat.ti.qah (רַתִּיקָה "chain" H7572)

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 Ezekiel 7:23

Range of meaning

A chain or fetter. This word occurs only here in the Hebrew Bible, so its meaning comes from related words built on the same root r-t-q: the plural noun 'chains' (רַתּוּקוֹת, the Qere, or traditional reading, of 1 Kgs 6:21, golden chains in the temple; Isa 40:19, silver chains on an idol). The verb in Nahum 3:10 means 'bound in fetters' ('all her great men were bound in chains', of the captives of Thebes). A disputed verb form in Eccl 12:6 ('the silver cord') may also belong to this root.

Against the English

KJV and NASB have 'make a/the chain', BSB and ESV 'forge', NIV 'prepare chains', WEB 'make chains'. The plural renderings lose the definite article ('the chain'), which presents the chain as a known, expected object.

Used elsewhere in the period

Nahum 3:10 uses the related verb for deportees bound in fetters, the same picture as here. Assyrian palace reliefs and Babylonian practice show captives led away roped or chained at the neck and wrists. Jeremiah 40:1 describes Jeremiah 'bound in chains' (a different word, ʾziqqîm) among the captives at Ramah, and 2 Kings 25:7 records Zedekiah bound in bronze fetters for the march to Babylon.

Where it appears

1 Kings · 1

  1. 1 Kings 6:21 בְּרַתּוּק֤וֹת with chains of

    So Solomon overlaid the inside of the temple with pure gold, and he extended gold chains across the front of the inner sanctuary, which was overlaid with gold.

Ezekiel · 1

  1. Ezekiel 7:23 הָֽרַתּ֑וֹק the chain

    Forge the chain, for the land is full of crimes of bloodshed, and the city is full of violence.

    Here: 'The chain'. The word occurs only here in the Bible. Related words mean chains (1 Kgs 6:21; Isa 40:19) and being bound in fetters (Nah 3:10), so it is the chain used to bind captives being led off into exile. The article ('the') points to a known item: the chain everyone knows conquered people wear.

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