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רְפָיָה

𐤓𐤐𐤉𐤄

Refayah

H7509 noun

SILEX Entry

Root רפא to heal, restore, cure

Definition

A personal name meaning 'Yah has healed.' Used as the name of several individuals in biblical genealogies, primarily within the context of Israelite and post-exilic communities. The name reflects a theological assertion regarding divine restoration or healing granted by Yah (the Israelite deity).

Semantic Range

personal name meaning 'Yah has healed' or 'Yah has restored,' attested only as a proper name; not used as a common noun or verb

Root / Etymology

רְפָיָה is a compound of the verb רָפָא (to heal, restore, cure) and the theophoric element יָהּ (shortened form of YHWH, the Israelite national deity). The structure indicates a verbal noun or participial idea, signifying one for whom 'Yah has healed.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

רְפָיָה is attested exclusively as a personal name in the Hebrew Bible, applied to at least five Israelites in various genealogical records (e.g., 1 Chronicles 3:21; 4:42; Nehemiah 3:9). The use of the theophoric suffix (יָהּ) is common in Israelite personal names, suggesting the parents' acknowledgment of, or appeal to, divine restoration. The healing in such names does not always denote literal physical recovery; it may express gratitude for preservation or hope for communal well-being. The name's function remained consistent from the monarchic period into the post-exilic era, with no evidence of significant semantic shift. English translations sometimes modernize the name as 'Rephaiah,' and later tradition sometimes associated such names with broader Israelite or Judean identity, but this is dependent on context and era. This name is distinct from similar-sounding names not incorporating the divine element.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from רָפָא and יָהּ; Jah has cured; Rephajah, the name of five Israelites; Rephaiah.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

רפא (r-p-ʾ) — to heal, restore, cure

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H3416 יִרְפְּאֵל El Heals
H4832 מַרְפֵּא healing remedy
H7495 רָפָא with the healers
H7496 רָפָא Rephaim giants
H7497 רָפָא the Rephaite

Word Forms

2 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H7509-02 וּ/רְפָיָ֧ה urefayah HC/Np and Rephaiah and Yah-has-healed and Refayah 3
H7509-01 רְפָיָ֣ה refayah HNp Rephaiah Yah has healed Refayah 2

Occurrences in Scripture

5 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H7509-01 Nehemiah 3:9 רְפָיָ֣ה refayah HNp Rephaiah Yah has healed Refayah
H7509-01 1 Chronicles 3:21 רְפָיָה֙ refayah HNp Rephaiah Yah has healed Refayah
H7509-02 1 Chronicles 4:42 וּ/רְפָיָ֧ה urefayah HC/Np and Rephaiah and Yah-has-healed and Refayah
H7509-02 1 Chronicles 7:2 וּ/רְפָיָ֡ה urefayah HC/Np and Rephaiah and Yah-has-healed and Refayah
H7509-02 1 Chronicles 9:43 וּ/רְפָיָ֥ה urefayah HC/Np and Rephaiah and Yah-has-healed and Refayah
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