רֶשֶׁף
𐤓𐤔𐤐
Reshef
H7566 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Resheph: a proper name referring to an individual, identified as a descendant in the genealogies of Ephraimite (Israelite) lineage in 1 Chronicles 7:25. The name Resheph itself, outside of personal naming, carries connotations of burning, flame, or plague in other biblical uses, but here functions strictly as a personal proper name without those semantic extensions in the narrative context.
Semantic Range
Resheph as a personal name; elsewhere, 'flame,' 'burning,' 'plague,' 'fever,' often with connotations of divine or supernatural agency
Root / Etymology
From the root רֶשֶׁף (resh-ph), meaning 'flame, burning heat, pestilence.' The use as a personal name likely derives either from the concrete sense of 'flame' or possibly referencing the well-attested West Semitic deity Resheph, associated with plague, fire and war; however, the biblical text offers no explicit connection to deity or metaphor.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In 1 Chronicles 7:25, Resheph appears as a male descendant in the genealogy of Ephraim, an Israelite ancestral line. The name is also widely attested across the Northwest Semitic world as both a common noun (meaning 'flame' or 'plague') and as the name of a god. In the context of the Hebrew Bible, however, when רֶשֶׁף appears as a personal name (rather than as a common noun), it contains no indication of active association with deity or with the meanings of 'plague' or 'fire' in everyday usage. Standard English translations generally transliterate the name for this character. The personal name may echo older Canaanite naming traditions in which reference to deities in personal names was widespread, but the text itself does not clarify this.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
the same as רֶשֶׁף; Resheph, an Israelite; Resheph.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
רשף (r-š-p̄) — burning, flame, spark, plague
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7566-01 |
וְ/רֶ֧שֶׁף | vereshef | HC/Np |
and Resheph | and Resheph | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7566-01 |
1 Chronicles 7:25 | וְ/רֶ֧שֶׁף | vereshef | HC/Np |
and Resheph | and Resheph |