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רוּץ

𐤓𐤅𐤑

rûwts

H7323 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To move swiftly on foot, typically in the sense of running or hurrying. The verb is used both literally, for physical running by people or animals, and metaphorically, to indicate rapid action, eagerness, or purposeful movement, such as rushing to deliver news or to perform a task. It may also refer to official messengers, couriers, or guards who physically run in the performance of their duties. In some contexts, it can imply fleeing or escaping swiftly, or moving rapidly in pursuit or in service.

Semantic Range

to run (physically), to hasten, to flee, to rush, to act with urgency, to serve as a messenger or courier, to act as a guard or attendant who runs, to pursue swiftly

Root / Etymology

רוץ is a verbal root meaning 'to run, move swiftly.' The core sense is straightforward motion at speed, physically by a person or agent. Derived nouns and participial forms denote those who run, such as messengers or guards. The root is attested in other Semitic languages (e.g., Aramaic רוץ; Ugaritic rṣ), confirming its ancient lineage and basic meaning of rapid motion on foot.

Historical & Contextual Notes

רוּץ is used extensively throughout the Hebrew Bible in narratives describing rapid physical motion, from individuals running to deliver messages (e.g., 2 Samuel 18:19–27; Jeremiah 51:31) to figurative uses expressing eagerness (e.g., Psalm 119:32). In royal or military contexts, footmen or runners (participle רָץ) were officials who served as swift messengers, couriers, or attendants (cf. 1 Kings 1:5). The noun form appears in lists of officials or as designations for posts. This term should not be confused with other verbs meaning 'to flee' (e.g., ברח, H1272), though the context may sometimes blend senses of intentional versus panicked haste. Unlike the later English literary sense of 'footman' as a servant, the biblical רָץ was primarily a messenger or guard tasked with rapid travel. The wide semantic range in various English translations ('footman, guard, courier, messenger, post') reflects attempts to capture both the literal and official roles connected to swift movement. Over time, in post-biblical Hebrew, רוץ retained its basic sense of 'to run,' while official capacities developed into other terms.

Translation Consistency

primary "run" 14 occurrences

"Run" is the most natural, common, and flexible English verb that covers the primary literal sense (move swiftly on foot) and the frequent metaphorical senses (rush, hasten, flee, act urgently, serve as a courier or runner). Corpus evidence shows forms like "ran" and "run" dominate, and "run" easily yields the necessary inflected forms (runs, running, runner) for all SIDANCE entries while remaining idiomatic.

Alternatives (36 occurrences):
"ran" (28x) "runners" (4x) "running" (3x) "brought him quickly" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to run (for whatever reason, especially to rush); break down, divide speedily, footman, guard, bring hastily, (make) run (away, through), post.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

רוץ (mêrôwts) — to run, rush, move swiftly

Root רוץ to run, move swiftly, rush
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4793 מֵרוֹץ the running
H4794 מְרוּצָה in their running

Word Forms

33 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H7323-05 הָ/רָצִ֔ים haratsim HTd/Vqrmpa the couriers the runners the runners 18
H7323-21 וַ/יָּ֨רָץ֙ vayarats HC/Vqw3ms and ran and he ran and he ran 18
H7323-11 רָ֔ץ rats HVqp3ms running he ran he ran 10
H7323-30 יָר֖וּץ yaruts HVqi3ms runs he runs he will run 6
H7323-03 אָר֔וּץ aruts HVqi1cs I can run I run I will run 4
H7323-16 רֻ֗ץ ruts HVqv2ms run Run! Run 4
H7323-20 וַ/תָּ֥רָץ vatarats HC/Vqw3fs and ran and she ran and she ran 4
H7323-31 יָר֨וּצוּ֙ yarutsu HVqi3mp run they run they run 4
H7323-33 יְרוּצֽוּ/ן yerutsun HVqi3mp/Sn they run they run they run 4
H7323-09 לָ/רוּץ֙ laruts HR/Vqc to run to run swiftly to run swiftly 3

Occurrences in Scripture

104 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H7323-21 Genesis 18:2 וַ/יָּ֤רָץ vayarats HC/Vqw3ms and he ran and he ran and he ran
H7323-11 Genesis 18:7 רָ֣ץ rats HVqp3ms ran he ran he ran
H7323-21 Genesis 24:17 וַ/יָּ֥רָץ vayarats HC/Vqw3ms ran and he ran and he ran
H7323-20 Genesis 24:20 וַ/תָּ֥רָץ vatarats HC/Vqw3fs and ran and she ran and she ran
H7323-20 Genesis 24:28 וַ/תָּ֨רָץ֙ vatarats HC/Vqw3fs and she ran and she ran and she ran
H7323-21 Genesis 24:29 וַ/יָּ֨רָץ vayarats HC/Vqw3ms and Laban ran and he ran and he ran
H7323-20 Genesis 29:12 וַ/תָּ֖רָץ vatarats HC/Vqw3fs and she ran and she ran and she ran
H7323-21 Genesis 29:13 וַ/יָּ֤רָץ vayarats HC/Vqw3ms he ran and he ran and he ran
H7323-21 Genesis 33:4 וַ/יָּ֨רָץ vayarats HC/Vqw3ms and ran and he ran and he ran
H7323-25 Genesis 41:14 וַ/יְרִיצֻ֖/הוּ vayeritsuhu HC/Vhw3mp/Sp3ms they brought him quickly they made him run they brought him quickly
H7323-21 Numbers 11:27 וַ/יָּ֣רָץ vayarats HC/Vqw3ms and ran and he ran and he ran
H7323-21 Numbers 17:12 וַ/יָּ֨רָץ֙ vayarats HC/Vqw3ms and ran and he ran and he ran
H7323-24 Joshua 7:22 וַ/יָּרֻ֖צוּ vayarutsu HC/Vqw3mp and they ran and they ran and they ran
H7323-24 Joshua 8:19 וַ/יָּר֨וּצוּ֙ vayarutsu HC/Vqw3mp and-they-ran and they ran and they ran
H7323-21 Judges 7:21 וַ/יָּ֧רָץ vayarats HC/Vqw3ms and ran and he ran and he ran
H7323-20 Judges 13:10 וַ/תָּ֖רָץ vatarats HC/Vqw3fs and ran and she ran and she ran
H7323-21 1 Samuel 3:5 וַ/יָּ֣רָץ vayarats HC/Vqw3ms he ran and he ran and he ran
H7323-21 1 Samuel 4:12 וַ/יָּ֤רָץ vayarats HC/Vqw3ms and ran and he ran and he ran
H7323-29 1 Samuel 8:11 וְ/רָצ֖וּ veratsu HC/Vqq3cp and they will run and they ran and they will run
H7323-24 1 Samuel 10:23 וַ/יָּרֻ֨צוּ֙ vayarutsu HC/Vqw3mp and they ran and they ran and they ran
H7323-27 1 Samuel 17:17 וְ/הָרֵ֥ץ veharets HC/Vhv2ms and run and cause to run and run
H7323-21 1 Samuel 17:22 וַ/יָּ֖רָץ vayarats HC/Vqw3ms and ran and he ran and he ran
H7323-21 1 Samuel 17:48 וַ/יָּ֥רָץ vayarats HC/Vqw3ms and ran and he ran and he ran
H7323-21 1 Samuel 17:51 וַ/יָּ֣רָץ vayarats HC/Vqw3ms and ran and he ran and he ran
H7323-09 1 Samuel 20:6 לָ/רוּץ֙ laruts HR/Vqc to run to run swiftly to run swiftly
H7323-16 1 Samuel 20:36 רֻ֗ץ ruts HVqv2ms Run Run! Run
H7323-11 1 Samuel 20:36 רָ֔ץ rats HVqp3ms ran he ran he ran
H7323-08 1 Samuel 22:17 לָ/רָצִים֩ laratsim HRd/Vqrmpa to the runners to the running ones to the runners
H7323-14 2 Samuel 15:1 רָצִ֥ים ratsim HVqrmpa runners those who run those who run
H7323-04 2 Samuel 18:19 אָר֣וּצָה arutsah HVqh1cs let me run let me run let me run
H7323-23 2 Samuel 18:21 וַ/יָּרֹֽץ vayarots HC/Vqw3ms and ran and he ran and he ran
H7323-04 2 Samuel 18:22 אָרֻֽצָה arutsah HVqh1cs I run let me run let me run
H7323-11 2 Samuel 18:22 רָץ֙ rats HVqrmsa run he ran run
H7323-03 2 Samuel 18:23 אָר֔וּץ aruts HVqi1cs will I run I run I will run
H7323-16 2 Samuel 18:23 ר֑וּץ ruts HVqv2ms Run! Run! Run
H7323-21 2 Samuel 18:23 וַ/יָּ֤רָץ vayarats HC/Vqw3ms And he ran and he ran and he ran
H7323-11 2 Samuel 18:24 רָ֥ץ rats HVqrmsa running he ran running
H7323-11 2 Samuel 18:26 רָץ֒ rats HVqrmsa running he ran running
H7323-11 2 Samuel 18:26 רָ֣ץ rats-2 HVqrmsa running he ran running
H7323-03 2 Samuel 22:30 אָר֣וּץ aruts HVqi1cs I can run I run I will run
H7323-14 1 Kings 1:5 רָצִ֥ים ratsim HVqrmpa to run those who run those who run
H7323-05 1 Kings 14:27 הָ/רָצִ֔ים haratsim HTd/Vqrmpa the runners the runners the runners
H7323-05 1 Kings 14:28 הָֽ/רָצִ֔ים haratsim HTd/Vqrmpa the guards the runners the runners
H7323-05 1 Kings 14:28 הָ/רָצִֽים haratsim-2 HTd/Vqrmpa of the guards the runners the runners
H7323-21 1 Kings 18:46 וַ/יָּ֨רָץ֙ vayarats HC/Vqw3ms and he ran and he ran and he ran
H7323-21 1 Kings 19:20 וַ/יָּ֨רָץ֙ vayarats HC/Vqw3ms and ran and he ran and he ran
H7323-26 2 Kings 4:22 וְ/אָר֛וּצָה vearutsah HC/Vqi1cs that I may run and let me run and let me run
H7323-16 2 Kings 4:26 רֽוּץ ruts HVqv2ms run Run! Run
H7323-13 2 Kings 5:20 רַ֣צְתִּי ratseti HVqp1cs I will run I ran I ran
H7323-11 2 Kings 5:21 רָ֣ץ rats HVqrmsa running he ran he ran
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