רָצָא
𐤓𐤑𐤀
râtsâʼ
H7519 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To take pleasure in or find favor with; to be pleased with; to accept willingly. The verb is used primarily to convey the sense of delighting in, being satisfied with, or showing acceptance toward something or someone. In certain contexts it can mean to show goodwill, to be favorably disposed, or to take delight, especially in the context of divine acceptance or human favor. Rarely, it can carry the idea of being well received or approved.
Semantic Range
to be pleased with, to show favor, to accept willingly, to delight in, to receive with pleasure, to show goodwill, to approve
Root / Etymology
Root: רצה (ר-צ-ה), which broadly carries the meaning of 'acceptance, pleasure, favor.' The verb form רָצָא denotes the act of being pleased with or accepting. The core meaning relates to the experiencing or displaying of delight, pleasure, or willingness to accept. There is no solid evidence to support an original sense of 'to run' for this verb in Biblical Hebrew, despite some lexica listing it due to apparent confusions in root determination.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In the Hebrew Bible, רָצָא predominantly appears in contexts where one person (or God) is said to delight in or accept offerings, people, prayers, or actions. In legal and cultic texts, it expresses the idea of ritual or personal acceptance, often by God of a sacrifice or supplicant (e.g., Leviticus 1:4, 'that it may be accepted for him'). The concept expands to encompass human-to-human acceptance or goodwill. Over time, the term does not signify 'to run' in Biblical usage, and this meaning results from confusion with similarly-spelled roots; most modern lexica now reject 'to run' as a valid meaning for this root. The nuance in post-exilic texts can include a more formal or official sense of approval. The term is distinct from other Hebrew words for acceptance or favor (e.g., חָפֵץ for 'to delight,' חָנַן for 'to show favor'), emphasizing personal pleasure or satisfaction rather than gratuitous favor or kindness. Standard English translations often vary between 'accept,' 'be pleased with,' and 'delight in' to capture the nuance, but sometimes conflate it with simple approval or ritual acceptance, which may miss its emotional or volitional overtone.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to run; also to delight in; accept, run.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
רצה (r-ṣ-h) — pleasure, acceptance, favor
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H7521 | רָצָה | in being pleased |
| H7522 | רָצוֹן | in favor-of |
| H7525 | רִצְיָא | and Ritsyah |
| H8656 | תִּרְצָה | in Delight |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7519-01 |
רָצ֣וֹא | ratso | HVqa |
ran | to be pleased | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7519-01 |
Ezekiel 1:14 | רָצ֣וֹא | ratso | HVqa |
ran | to be pleased |