7554. raqa
Strong's Lexicon
raqa: To spread out, to beat, to stamp, to stretch

Original Word: רָקַע
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: raqa
Pronunciation: rah-KAH
Phonetic Spelling: (raw-kah')
Definition: To spread out, to beat, to stamp, to stretch
Meaning: to pound the earth, to expand, to overlay

Word Origin: A primitive root

Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: While there is no direct Greek equivalent for "raqa," the concept of spreading or stretching out can be seen in Greek words like "ἐκτείνω" (ekteino - to stretch out) and "πλατύνω" (platuno - to make broad).

Usage: The Hebrew verb "raqa" primarily means to spread out or to beat out. It is often used in the context of creating something by hammering or spreading, such as metalwork or the expanse of the heavens. The term conveys the idea of expansion and formation through a deliberate and forceful action.

Cultural and Historical Background: In ancient Near Eastern cultures, metalworking was a significant craft, and the process of hammering metal into thin sheets was a common practice. This imagery is reflected in the use of "raqa" to describe the creation of the firmament in Genesis, where God spreads out the heavens like a canopy. The concept of "raqa" also aligns with the ancient understanding of the sky as a solid dome or expanse.

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to beat, stamp, beat out, spread out
NASB Translation
beaten (1), hammered (2), plates (1), spread (3), spreading (1), stamp (1), stamped (2).

Brown-Driver-Briggs
[רָקַע] verb beat, stamp, beat out, spread out (Late Hebrew id.; Hiph`il, Aramaic רְקַע Aph`el, both spread out, and derivatives; Syriac press down (Luke 6:38 ᵑ6), spread out, also consolidate; Arabic patch, put on a patch, repair, compare Christian-Palestinian Aramaic patch, swaddling-bands, SchwIdioticon 90; Phoenician מרקע platter, or bowl, of gold CISi. 90, 1); —

Qal Imperfect1singular suffix אֶרְקָעֵם 2 Samuel 22:43 I will stamp them down (probably gloss to אֲדִקֵּם preceding, of. BaePs 18:43); Imperative רְקַע בְּדַגְלְךָ Ezekiel 6:11 beat (stamp) with thy foot, in token of contemptuous pleasure, compare Da ("" הַכֵּה בְכַמְּךָ); so Infinitive construct suffix רַקְעֲךָ בְּרָ֑גֶל Ezekiel 25:6 ("" מַחְאֲךָ יָד); Participle active as substantive construct (Ges§ 65d) רֹקַע הָאָרֶץ (i.e. ׳י) he that (beateth out) spreadeth out the earth Isaiah 42:5, רֹקַע ׳הַא Isaiah 44:24, ׳רוֺקַע הָא Psalm 136:6.

Pi`el Imperfect3masculine singular suffix בַּזָּהָב יְרַקְּעֶנּוּ Isaiah 40:19 a goldsmith with gold over-layeth it (literally beateth it out3masculine plural וַיְרַקְּעוּ אֶתֿ מַּחֵי הַזָּהָב Exodus 39:3 they beat out the plates of gold; suffix וַיְרִקְּעוּם צִמּוּי Numbers 17:4 they beat them out as plating.

Pu`al Participle כֶּסֶף מְרֻקָּ֑ע Jeremiah 10:9 silver beaten out.

Hiph`il Imperfect2masculine singular תַּרְקִיעַ עִמּוֺ לִשְׁחָקִים Job 37:18 canst thou make with (= like) him a spreading for clouds (spread out clouds; cf, רָקִיעַ)?

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
beat, make broad, spread abroad forth, over, out, into plates, stamp, stretch

A primitive root; to pound the earth (as a sign of passion); by analogy to expand (by hammering); by implication, to overlay (with thin sheets of metal) -- beat, make broad, spread abroad (forth, over, out, into plates), stamp, stretch.

Forms and Transliterations
אֶרְקָעֵֽם׃ ארקעם׃ וְרַקְעֲךָ֖ וַֽיְרַקְּע֖וּם וַֽיְרַקְּע֞וּ וּרְקַ֤ע וירקעו וירקעום ורקע ורקעך יְרַקְּעֶ֑נּוּ ירקענו לְרֹקַ֣ע לרקע מְרֻקָּ֞ע מרקע רֹקַ֥ע רקע תַּרְקִ֣יעַ תרקיע ’er·qā·‘êm ’erqā‘êm erkaEm lə·rō·qa‘ leroKa lərōqa‘ mə·ruq·qā‘ merukKa məruqqā‘ rō·qa‘ roKa rōqa‘ tar·qî·a‘ tarKia tarqîa‘ ū·rə·qa‘ ureKa ūrəqa‘ vayrakkeU vayrakkeUm verakaCha way·raq·qə·‘ū way·raq·qə·‘ūm wayraqqə‘ū wayraqqə‘ūm wə·raq·‘ă·ḵā wəraq‘ăḵā yə·raq·qə·‘en·nū yerakkeEnnu yəraqqə‘ennū
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Englishman's Concordance
Exodus 39:3
HEB: וַֽיְרַקְּע֞וּ אֶת־ פַּחֵ֣י
NAS: Then they hammered out gold sheets
KJV: And they did beat the gold into
INT: hammered into sheets

Numbers 16:39
HEB: הִקְרִ֖יבוּ הַשְּׂרֻפִ֑ים וַֽיְרַקְּע֖וּם צִפּ֥וּי לַמִּזְבֵּֽחַ׃
NAS: had offered, and they hammered them out as a plating
KJV: had offered; and they were made broad [plates for] a covering
INT: had offered were burned hammered A plating the altar

2 Samuel 22:43
HEB: חוּצ֥וֹת אֲדִקֵּ֖ם אֶרְקָעֵֽם׃
NAS: I crushed [and] stamped them as the mire
KJV: of the street, [and] did spread them abroad.
INT: of the streets crushed stamped

Job 37:18
HEB: תַּרְקִ֣יעַ עִ֭מּוֹ לִשְׁחָקִ֑ים
NAS: Can you, with Him, spread out the skies,
KJV: Hast thou with him spread out the sky,
INT: spread out the skies

Psalm 136:6
HEB: לְרֹקַ֣ע הָ֭אָרֶץ עַל־
NAS: To Him who spread out the earth above
KJV: To him that stretched out the earth
INT: spread the earth above

Isaiah 40:19
HEB: וְצֹרֵ֖ף בַּזָּהָ֣ב יְרַקְּעֶ֑נּוּ וּרְתֻק֥וֹת כֶּ֖סֶף
NAS: it, A goldsmith plates it with gold,
KJV: and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold,
INT: A goldsmith gold plates chains of silver

Isaiah 42:5
HEB: הַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ וְנ֣וֹטֵיהֶ֔ם רֹקַ֥ע הָאָ֖רֶץ וְצֶאֱצָאֶ֑יהָ
NAS: and stretched them out, Who spread out the earth
KJV: and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth,
INT: the heavens and stretched spread the earth offspring

Isaiah 44:24
HEB: שָׁמַ֙יִם֙ לְבַדִּ֔י רֹקַ֥ע הָאָ֖רֶץ [מִי
NAS: by Myself And spreading out the earth
KJV: the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth
INT: the heavens Myself and spreading the earth waste

Jeremiah 10:9
HEB: כֶּ֣סֶף מְרֻקָּ֞ע מִתַּרְשִׁ֣ישׁ יוּבָ֗א
NAS: Beaten silver is brought
KJV: Silver spread into plates is brought
INT: silver Beaten Tarshish is brought

Ezekiel 6:11
HEB: הַכֵּ֨ה בְכַפְּךָ֜ וּרְקַ֤ע בְּרַגְלְךָ֙ וֶֽאֱמָר־
NAS: your hand, stamp your foot
KJV: with thine hand, and stamp with thy foot,
INT: Clap your hand stamp your foot and say

Ezekiel 25:6
HEB: מַחְאֲךָ֣ יָ֔ד וְרַקְעֲךָ֖ בְּרָ֑גֶל וַתִּשְׂמַ֤ח
NAS: your hands and stamped your feet
KJV: [thine] hands, and stamped with the feet,
INT: have clapped your hands and stamped your feet and rejoiced

11 Occurrences

Strong's Hebrew 7554
11 Occurrences


’er·qā·‘êm — 1 Occ.
lə·rō·qa‘ — 1 Occ.
mə·ruq·qā‘ — 1 Occ.
rō·qa‘ — 2 Occ.
tar·qî·a‘ — 1 Occ.
ū·rə·qa‘ — 1 Occ.
way·raq·qə·‘ū — 1 Occ.
way·raq·qə·‘ūm — 1 Occ.
wə·raq·‘ă·ḵā — 1 Occ.
yə·raq·qə·‘en·nū — 1 Occ.
















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