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רְוָחָה

𐤓𐤅𐤇𐤄

rᵉvâchâh

H7309 noun

SILEX Entry

Root רוח to be wide, to be spacious, to gain relief, to breathe freely

Definition

Relief, respite, or wide space resulting in ease or freedom from distress; the state of being free from constraint, hardship, or pressure, whether physically, emotionally, or socio-politically. In many contexts, refers specifically to a period or experience of deliverance from distress or oppression.

Semantic Range

relief, respite (from distress or oppression), deliverance from hardship, breathing room, period of ease, freedom from constraint

Root / Etymology

From the Hebrew root רוּחַ, meaning 'to be wide, spacious, at liberty.' רְוָחָה is the feminine noun form deriving from this root, indicating 'relief' or 'breathing space' as an extension of the idea of breadth or spaciousness. The sense is abstracted from the concrete idea of physical width or space to freedom from hardship.

Historical & Contextual Notes

רְוָחָה appears only a few times in the Hebrew Bible (e.g., Esther 4:14, Ezra 9:8). In these contexts, it refers to relief or deliverance provided in times of danger, threat, or oppression, such as relief for the Israelites in the Persian period. The term does not imply permanent salvation or liberation but rather a reprieve or alleviation. While later English translations sometimes render it as 'deliverance' or 'relief,' the nuance of spaciousness ('breathing room') is central and can be obscured in translation. In post-exilic and Persian period texts, it often reflects the hope or experience of temporary favor or mitigation of hardship among the Israelite or Judean communities. It contrasts with terms like יֵשַׁע (yesha‘, 'salvation'), which denote more comprehensive or ultimate deliverance.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

feminine of רֶוַח; relief; breathing, respite.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

רוח (r-w-ḥ) — to be wide, to be spacious, to gain relief, to breathe freely

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H7304 רָוַח those given relief
H7305 רֶוַח open relief-space
H7306 רוּחַ I cause to smell
H7307 רוּחַ wind-breath
H7308 רוּחַ breath-wind of

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H7309-01 הָֽ/רְוָחָ֔ה harevachah HTd/Ncfsa a respite breathing space 1
H7309-02 לְ/רַוְחָתִ֖/י leravechati HR/Ncfsc/Sp1cs from my relief for my relief 1

Occurrences in Scripture

2 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H7309-01 Exodus 8:11 הָֽ/רְוָחָ֔ה harevachah HTd/Ncfsa a respite breathing space
H7309-02 Lamentations 3:56 לְ/רַוְחָתִ֖/י leravechati HR/Ncfsc/Sp1cs from my relief for my relief
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