Lexical Summary merchab: Broad place, open space, spaciousness Original Word: מֶרְחָב Strong's Exhaustive Concordance breadth, large place room From rachab; enlargement, either literally (an open space, usually in a good sense), or figuratively (liberty) -- breadth, large place (room). see HEBREW rachab NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom rachab Definition a broad or roomy place NASB Translation broad place (2), large field (1), large place (2), throughout (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs מֶרְחָב noun [masculine] broad, roomy, place; — absolute ׳מ, of pasture Hosea 4:16 (in simile); figurative of freedom from distress and anxiety 2 Samuel 22:20 = Psalm 18:20; Psalm 31:9; Psalm 118:5 (ᵑ0 construct in מֶרְחַבְיָה spacious place of Yah, i.e. extraordinarily spacious, < מֶרְחָב יָהּ, יָהּ being subject of verb); plural construct מֶרְחֲבֵיאֶֿרֶץ Habakkuk 1:6 expanses of the earth. רחה (√ of following; meaning unknown; Late Hebrew = Biblical Hebrew; Arabic Topical Lexicon Overview מֶרְחָב paints the picture of a “spacious, open place.” In the Ancient Near Eastern mind, such breadth contrasted sharply with the cramped danger of siege or slavery; it conveyed safety, possibility, and the blessing of God. All six occurrences combine to present a vivid biblical theology in which the LORD alone ushers His people from distress into freedom, while the unrepentant pursue a counterfeit breadth that becomes their ruin. Usage in Scripture 2 Samuel 22:20 and Psalm 18:19 (parallel passages) place the term at the heart of David’s song of deliverance. “He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me.” The verb “brought me out” links מֶרְחָב to the exodus motif: liberation from confinement into a land flowing with possibility. Psalm 31:8 celebrates the same deliverance in personal lament: “You have not given me over to the enemy; You have set my feet in an open space.” Here, breadth equals security; David’s feet stand firm, not because the ground is easy, but because the LORD has cleared it. Psalm 118:5 moves from distress to praise: “In my distress I called to the LORD, and He answered me and set me free.” The phrase “set me free” literally echoes “put me into a broad place,” showing that true freedom is relational—granted by the covenant God who answers prayer. Hosea 4:16 warns a rebellious nation: “For Israel is as obstinate as a stubborn heifer. Can the LORD now shepherd them like a lamb in a broad pasture?” The “broad pasture” which should be a blessing becomes an indictment; stubborn hearts disqualify themselves from experiencing the very spaciousness God intends. Habakkuk 1:6 describes Babylon: “For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans… they sweep across the earth to seize dwellings not their own.” Their conquests span a “broad land.” Here מֶרְחָב connotes the vast scope of judgment, revealing that the same openness which shelters God’s people can, in His sovereignty, serve as the stage for discipline. Themes of Deliverance and Salvation 1. Personal redemption: Each Davidic psalm links breadth with divine delight. God’s favor, not human merit, moves Him to rescue. Contrasts: True Freedom vs. False License • True freedom (2 Samuel 22; Psalm 18; Psalm 31; Psalm 118) is God-given, covenantal, and character-shaping. Historical Setting of Each Passage • Davidic corpus: Emerging from years of flight and civil strife, David testifies that the “spacious place” is neither palace nor battlefield but the experience of God’s protective presence. Links to New Testament Fulfillment Jesus embodies the spacious place promised in the Old Testament. He proclaims, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32), echoing Psalm 118:5. Paul proclaims that “it is for freedom that Christ has set us free” (Galatians 5:1), grounding the believer’s liberty in the finished work of the cross and resurrection. In Christ the believer moves from the cramped bondage of sin into the wide horizon of Spirit-empowered obedience. Pastoral and Devotional Applications • Assurance amid pressure: Believers facing persecution or inner turmoil may pray David’s words, trusting God to enlarge their circumstances or their hearts. Summary מֶרְחָב gathers the Bible’s storylines of redemption, judgment, and promise into a single image of expansive grace. Whether sung by a rescued king, invoked by a grateful worshiper, or wielded by prophets of warning, the word directs attention to the LORD who alone moves His people from narrow straits into the boundless security of His delight. Forms and Transliterations בַּמֶּרְחָֽב׃ בַמֶּרְחָ֣ב במרחב במרחב׃ לְמֶרְחֲבֵי־ לַמֶּרְחָ֑ב לַמֶּרְחָ֖ב למרחב למרחבי־ bam·mer·ḥāḇ ḇam·mer·ḥāḇ bammerChav bammerḥāḇ ḇammerḥāḇ lam·mer·ḥāḇ lammerChav lammerḥāḇ lə·mer·ḥă·ḇê- lemerchavei ləmerḥăḇê- vammerChavLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 2 Samuel 22:20 HEB: וַיֹּצֵ֥א לַמֶּרְחָ֖ב אֹתִ֑י יְחַלְּצֵ֖נִי NAS: He also brought me forth into a broad place; He rescued KJV: He brought me forth also into a large place: he delivered INT: brought A broad rescued because Psalm 18:19 Psalm 31:8 Psalm 118:5 Hosea 4:16 Habakkuk 1:6 6 Occurrences |
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handmill (compare WetzstSiebe, ZPV xiv (1891), 4); Aramaic רִיחְיָא, 
; LagBN 157 BaNB 9, 21).