7527. ratsa
Lexical Summary
ratsa: To be pleased with, to accept favorably, to delight in

Original Word: רָצַע
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: ratsa`
Pronunciation: rah-tsah
Phonetic Spelling: (raw-tsah')
KJV: bore
NASB: pierce
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to pierce

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
bore

A primitive root; to pierce -- bore.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to bore, pierce
NASB Translation
pierce (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
רָצַע verb bore, pierce (Late Hebrew = Biblical Hebrew; Arabic stab violently); —

Qal Perfect3masculine singular consecutive ׳וְר Exodus 21:6 (E) he shall pierce his ear (accusative, ב instrumental).

Topical Lexicon
Root Idea and Image

The verb רָצַע depicts the decisive act of piercing or boring through with an awl. Its lone verbal occurrence (Exodus 21:6) concerns the servant’s ear, marking permanent, voluntary servitude. The action is deliberate, public, and irreversible, combining physical alteration with covenantal meaning.

Biblical Context: Exodus 21:6

“Then his master shall bring him before the judges. He shall take him to the door or doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl, and he will serve him for life.” (Exodus 21:6)

The setting is the Sinai legislation that regulated servitude in Israel. A Hebrew slave, having completed six years of service, could choose freedom (Exodus 21:2). Should he instead love his master and household, he declared that love before God (“the judges”) and submitted to ear-boring. The doorpost—threshold of the household—became the site of covenantal sealing, linking the servant forever to the master’s house.

Ancient Near Eastern Background

Voluntary lifelong servitude was not unique to Israel, yet the Torah’s regulation stands apart:
• It preserved the servant’s dignity by grounding the decision in love, not coercion.
• The rite was carried out before legal authorities, deterring abuse.
• The focus on the ear underscored perpetual listening and obedience rather than mere ownership.

Other cultures branded slaves on the face or hand; Israel’s law aimed at devotion, not degradation.

Theological Significance

1. Covenant Love: The servant loves his master (Exodus 21:5). The boring ritual externalizes inward affection—echoing the covenant ideal of willing submission (Psalm 119:32).
2. Perpetual Obedience: The ear symbolizes receptivity to the master’s voice. An “opened” ear becomes a living reminder of unending attentiveness (cf. Psalm 40:6; Isaiah 50:5).
3. Household Identity: Executed at the doorway—earlier smeared with Passover blood (Exodus 12:7)—the act ties personal destiny to the redeemed household, illustrating corporate solidarity in Israel’s communal life.

Christological Foreshadowing

Psalm 40:6 (LXX, Hebrews 10:5) applies the pierced-ear motif to Messiah: “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You prepared for Me.” The Servant of the Lord perfectly hears and obeys, embracing voluntary submission even to death (Philippians 2:6–8). Just as the Hebrew slave embraced lifelong service out of love, Jesus “took the form of a servant,” forever identifying with His people. The doorpost of Calvary becomes the place where the perfect Servant is fastened, sealing a new covenant.

New Testament Echoes

Though רָצַע itself is absent from Greek Scripture, its theology resurfaces:
Romans 6:16–18 contrasts slavery to sin with glad slavery to righteousness.
• Paul’s self-designation as “a servant of Jesus Christ” (Romans 1:1) mirrors the Exodus bond-servant’s willing devotion.
Revelation 22:4–5 envisions eternal servants who “see His face,” echoing life-long, joyful service in the Master’s house.

Ministry Applications

1. Voluntary Surrender: Believers are invited to present their bodies “as living sacrifices” (Romans 12:1), embracing a willing, lifelong hearing of Christ’s word.
2. Covenant Community: Local congregations serve as households where commitments are made and witnessed; baptism and communion publicly testify to an inner allegiance, much like the doorpost scene.
3. Servant Leadership: Christian leaders model pierced-ear obedience, guiding others not through dominance but through demonstrated love for the Master (Mark 10:42–45).

Related Old Testament Parallels

Deuteronomy 15:16–17 repeats the instruction, adding the piercing of the female servant’s ear, underlining gender-inclusive opportunity for covenant devotion.
Leviticus 25:39–46 limits permanent servitude for Israelites, ensuring the Exodus law functions as privilege, not oppression.

Together, these passages reveal a consistent ethic: life-long service is valid only when freely chosen from love.

Summary

רָצַע captures a singular yet profound moment: an ear is pierced, a declaration is made, and a servant enters permanent, loving bondage. The image radiates through Scripture—illuminating covenant loyalty in Israel, prefiguring the obedience of Christ, and calling every believer to the joyful freedom found in voluntary, whole-hearted servitude to the Lord.

Forms and Transliterations
וְרָצַ֨ע ורצע veraTza wə·rā·ṣa‘ wərāṣa‘
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
Exodus 21:6
HEB: אֶל־ הַמְּזוּזָ֑ה וְרָצַ֨ע אֲדֹנָ֤יו אֶת־
NAS: And his master shall pierce his ear
KJV: and his master shall bore his ear
INT: about the doorpost shall pierce and his master his ear

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 7527
1 Occurrence


wə·rā·ṣa‘ — 1 Occ.

7526
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