Lexical Summary
rapha: To heal, to cure, to restore
Original Word:רָפָא
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:rapha'
Pronunciation:rah-fah'
Phonetic Spelling:(raw-faw')
KJV: cure, (cause to) heal, physician, repair, X thoroughly, make whole See H7503
NASB:heal, healed, physicians, become fresh, heals, healing, purified
Word Origin:[a primitive root]
1. (properly) to mend (by stitching), i.e. (figuratively) to cure
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
cure, cause to heal, physician, repair, thoroughly, make whole
Or raphah {raw-faw'}; a primitive root; properly, to mend (by stitching), i.e. (figuratively) to cure -- cure, (cause to) heal, physician, repair, X thoroughly, make whole. Seeraphah.
see HEBREWraphah
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. root
Definitionto heal
NASB Translationbecome fresh (3), completely healed (1), heal (24), healed (22), healer (1), healing (2), heals (3), physician (1), physicians (4), purified (2), reappeared (1), repaired (2), take care (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
(Late Hebrew in derivatives; Phoenician , Syriac
heal; on Aramaic proper name compounded with see Nö
ZMG xi (1886), 723 Lzb
369; Sabean proper name Langer
1, 1 DHM
ZMG xxxvii (1883), 326; Arabic
(and
)
darn, mend, repair, pacify; Ethiopic
stitch together, mend; compare Küchenmeister
ZWiss. Th. xxx (1887), 257 ff.); —
Perfect3masculine singular consecutiveIsaiah 6:10, suffixIsaiah 19:22, 1singular suffix consecutiveIsaiah 57:19, etc.;Imperfect3masculine singular2 Kings 20:8 +, suffixHosea 6:1, 1singularHosea 14:5 +, (Ges§ 75pp)Jeremiah 3:22; 3feminine plural (Idib. qq)Job 5:18, etc.;Imperative masculine singularNumbers 12:13, (Idib. pp)Psalm 60:4,Psalm 41:5, etc.;Infinitive absoluteIsaiah 19:22;constructHosea 5:13, etc.;Participle2 Kings 20:5 +, etc.; —heal:
literally,
Genesis 20:17 (E),Psalm 107:20 (suffix), with personNumbers 12:13 (JE)2 Kings 20:5,8.
Ecclesiastes 3:3 (opposed to ); participle as substantivehealer, physician,Genesis 50:2 (twice in verse) (J) 2Chronicles 16:12.
figurative,heal hurts of nation, involving s (restored) favour (and, often, forgiveness):
subject , with suffix person,Hosea 6:1;Hosea 11:3 (yet compare We Now),Exodus 15:26 (J),Isaiah 19:22bIsaiah 57:18,19;Jeremiah 33:6;Psalm 30:3, comparePsalm 6:3; with accusative 2Chronicles 30:20, with accusative 2Chronicles 7:14; with of nationHosea 7:1, and (indefinite subject)Isaiah 6:10 (lest)one heal them (= passive,they be healed); with accusative of hurt,Isaiah 30:26, (of land)Psalm 60:4, soHosea 14:5;Jeremiah 3:22 (including theconsequences of backsliding); with of hurtPsalm 103:3; accusative nation (personified) + of hurtJeremiah 30:17I will heal thee of thy wounds ("" ); absoluteIsaiah 19:22a (opposed to ),Deuteronomy 32:39 (opposed to ); participle as substantivehealer, physicianJeremiah 8:22.
of nation,Hosea 5:13, compareLamentations 2:13.
figurative,heal individual distresses, with suffix personJeremiah 17:14, with accusative =meJeremiah 41:5, with person,Psalm 147:3 (i.e. longing exiles, compareIsaiah 61:3); absoluteJob 5:18 (opposed to ); participle as substantiveJob 13:4.
Perfect3masculine singularLeviticus 13:37 +, 3 feminine singular (Ges§ 75qq)Jeremiah 51:9; 3plural consecutiveEzekiel 47:8;Imperfect2masculine singularJeremiah 51:8; 3masculine pluralEzekiel 47:9,11, (Gesl.c.)2 Kings 2:22, etc.;Infinitive constructJeremiah 15:18 +, (Idib.)Jeremiah 19:11; —be healed:
literally,1 Samuel 6:3; + accusative of diseaseDeuteronomy 28:27,35; subject diseaseLeviticus 13:18,37;Leviticus 14:3,48; of (bad) water2 Kings 2:22, salt waters (prediction), i.e. be made fresh,Ezekiel 47:8,9,11; of (broken) pottery, i.e. be made whole,Jeremiah 19:11 (in simile).
figurative,be healed:
Jeremiah 51:8,9; involving forgiveness and s blessing, impersonal with of people,Isaiah 53:5 i.e.healing has come to us.
Jeremiah 17:14, subject the distressJeremiah 15:18.
Perfect1singular2 Kings 2:21; 2masculine pluralEzekiel 34:4; 1pluralJeremiah 51:9;Imperfect3masculine singularExodus 21:19;Zechariah 11:16,1 Kings 18:30; 3masculine pluralJeremiah 6:14, (Ges§ 75qq)Jeremiah 8:11;Infinitive absoluteExodus 21:19; —have healed, heal, usually human subject:
literal,Exodus 21:19he shall have (him)well healed; with accusative of altar, =repair,1 Kings 18:30; with of water (subject )2 Kings 2:21.
,Ezekiel 34:14;Zechariah 11:16;work at healing, treat (accusative of hurt)Jeremiah 6:14;Jeremiah 8:11 (both , see [ ] ),Jeremiah 51:9.
Infinitive construct of purpose, , literally,in order to get healed, + of wounds2 Kings 8:29 =2 Kings 9:15, so "" 2Chronicles 22:6 (read with for , compare Be Kau Benz).
Topical Lexicon
Root Meaning and ScopeThe verb רָפָא occurs about sixty-seven times in the Old Testament and always carries the idea of bringing wholeness where damage, disease, or disorder have intruded. It is used for mending water, land, cities, personal bodies, broken hearts, and covenant relationships. The subject of the verb is nearly always the Lord, underscoring His unique prerogative to restore what has been marred.
Divine Self-Revelation as Healer
On the shore of the Red Sea the Lord declares, “For I am the LORD who heals you” (Exodus 15:26). This statement both explains Israel’s deliverance from plague and establishes “Yahweh-Ropheka” as a permanent aspect of His character (compareDeuteronomy 32:39;Job 5:18). From the outset, healing is presented as an act of covenant faithfulness rather than a mere therapeutic intervention.
Individual Bodily Healing
•Genesis 20:17 – “God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female servants, so they could bear children.”
•Numbers 12:13 – Moses pleads, “O God, please heal her,” and Miriam’s leprosy is lifted after discipline.
•2 Kings 20:5 – “I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will heal you,” the promise given to dying Hezekiah.
• Psalms 6:2; 30:2; 41:4 – Personal prayers that assume the Lord’s readiness to heal bodily affliction.
In each narrative God alone resolves the crisis, revealing that even when human means (such as Isaiah’s poultice for Hezekiah) are used, the efficacy comes from Him.
Corporate and National Restoration
Healing language widens to embrace land and nation. “Then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). Elisha “healed the waters” of Jericho (2 Kings 2:21), a prophetic sign that covenant blessing could reverse curses at the most basic level of daily life. Jeremiah pictures national restoration in the same terms: “For I will restore you to health and heal your wounds” (Jeremiah 30:17; 33:6).
Moral and Spiritual Renewal
The prophets repeatedly shift the word from the clinic to the heart:
•Isaiah 6:10 – Hardened hearts “might turn and be healed.”
•Hosea 6:1 – “Come, let us return to the LORD. … He will heal us.”
•Jeremiah 3:22 – “Return, O faithless sons; I will heal your backslidings.”
Sin is described as a festering wound men cannot close (Jeremiah 15:18), and shallow religion is condemned for claiming, “‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace” and for “healing the wound of My people superficially” (Jeremiah 6:14; 8:11).
Healing Through Providence and Means
The Lord is free to heal instantly (1 Kings 13:6) or through created agents. Salt is used at Jericho, a lump of figs for Hezekiah, and balm for Gilead (Jeremiah 8:22), teaching that secondary causes do not diminish divine sovereignty. Though physicians are mentioned (Genesis 50:2;Jeremiah 8:22), Scripture never portrays medicine as an autonomous power; success belongs to God.
Limits of Human Physicians
King Asa “even in his illness… sought help from the physicians and not from the LORD” (2 Chronicles 16:12, context). Jeremiah’s lament, “Is there no physician there?” (Jeremiah 8:22), exposes the futility of purely human remedies when the underlying problem is covenant breach. True health demands reconciliation with God.
Prophetic Vision of Messianic Healing
Isaiah foresees a Servant “pierced for our transgressions… and by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). Here רָפָא reaches its theological summit: the impending atonement will address both sin’s guilt and its corrupting effects. The Gospels later reveal Jesus embodying this promise, healing diseases as signs of a deeper redemption (Matthew 8:16–17 echoingIsaiah 53).
Pastoral and Ministry Implications
1. Prayer remains the primary avenue for seeking healing (Psalm 30:2;James 5:14–16 builds on this heritage).
2. Confession and repentance often accompany petitions for health (Psalm 41:4;Hosea 14:4).
3. Leaders are warned not to promise superficial cures; genuine ministry must address root causes (Jeremiah 6:14).
4. Hope for ultimate wholeness rests on God’s covenant fidelity: “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” (Psalm 147:3).
Intertextual and Theological Connections
The Hebrew concept of healing merges seamlessly with the New Testament’s salvation vocabulary (Greek sōzō, “to save/heal”). Physical restoration serves as a tangible pledge of eschatological renewal when “the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations” (Revelation 22:2). Thus the Old Testament usage of רָפָא lays a canonical foundation: God not only forgives but also brings comprehensive shalom to His people and His creation.
Forms and Transliterations
אֶרְפָּ֔א אֶרְפָּ֖ה אֶרְפָּא֙ אֶרְפָּאֵ֖ךְ ארפא ארפאך ארפה בָּרֹפְאִֽים׃ ברפאים׃ הֵֽרָפֵ֔א הָ֝רֹפֵ֗א הָ֭רֹפֵא הָרֹ֣פְאִ֔ים הָרֹפְאִ֖ים הרפא הרפאים וְאֵ֣רָפֵ֔א וְאֶרְפָּ֖א וְאֶרְפָּאֵ֑הוּ וְיִרְפָּאֵ֑ם וְיִרְפָּאֵ֑נוּ וְיֵרָֽפְאוּ֙ וְנִרְפָּֽא׃ וְנִרְפּ֥וּ וְרַפֹּ֥א וְרָ֥פָא וְרָפ֑וֹא וַֽיְרַפְּא֞וּ וַיְרַפֵּ֛א וַיְרַפּ֞וּ וַיִּרְפָּ֖א וַיִּרְפָּ֨א וַיֵּרָפ֣וּ וַתִּרְפָּאֵֽנִי׃ וּרְפָאָֽם׃ וּרְפָאתִ֑ים וּרְפָאתִֽיו׃ וארפא וארפאהו וירפא וירפאו וירפאם וירפאנו וירפו ונרפא׃ ונרפו ורפא ורפאם׃ ורפאתיו׃ ורפאתים ורפוא ותרפאני׃ יְרַפֵּ֑א יְרַפֵּֽא׃ יִרְפָּ֥א יִרְפָּֽא׃ יִרְפָּא־ יֵרָפְא֖וּ ירפא ירפא־ ירפא׃ ירפאו כְּרָפְאִ֣י כרפאי לְהִתְרַפֵּ֣א לְהֵרָפֵ֑א לְהֵרָפֵ֖ה לְהֵרָפֵֽא׃ לִרְפֹּ֣א לִרְפּ֔וֹא להרפא להרפא׃ להרפה להתרפא לרפא לרפוא נִרְפָּ֔תָה נִרְפָּ֖א נִרְפָּ֥א נִרְפָּא־ נרפא נרפא־ נרפתה רְפָ֖ה רְפָ֥א רְפָאֵ֤נִי רְפָאֵ֥נִי רְפָאָ֥ה רְפָאתִֽים׃ רִפִּ֙אתִי֙ רִפֵּאתֶ֗ם רִפִּ֣ינוּ רֹ֣פֶא רֹפְאֵ֖י רֹפְאֶֽךָ׃ רֹפֵ֖א רפא רפאה רפאי רפאך׃ רפאני רפאתי רפאתים׃ רפאתם רפה רפינו תִּרְפֶּֽינָה׃ תֵּרָֽפְאוּ֙ תֵּרָפֵֽא׃ תרפא׃ תרפאו תרפינה׃ ’er·pā ’er·pā·’êḵ ’er·pāh ’erpā ’erpā’êḵ ’erpāh bā·rō·p̄ə·’îm barofeIm bārōp̄ə’îm erPa erpaEch erPah hā·rō·p̄ê hā·rō·p̄ə·’îm haroFe haRofeIm hārōp̄ê hārōp̄ə’îm hê·rā·p̄ê heraFe hêrāp̄ê kə·rā·p̄ə·’î kerafeI kərāp̄ə’î lə·hê·rā·p̄ê lə·hê·rā·p̄êh lə·hiṯ·rap·pê leheraFe ləhêrāp̄ê leheraPeh ləhêrāp̄êh lehitrapPe ləhiṯrappê lir·pō lir·pō·w lirPo lirpō lirpōw nir·pā nir·pā- nir·pā·ṯāh nirPa nirpā nirpā- nirPatah nirpāṯāh rə·p̄ā rə·p̄ā·’āh rə·p̄ā·’ê·nî rə·p̄ā·ṯîm rə·p̄āh reFa refaAh refaEni reFah refaTim rəp̄ā rəp̄ā’āh rəp̄ā’ênî rəp̄āh rəp̄āṯîm rip·pê·ṯem rip·pî·nū rip·pi·ṯî rippeTem rippêṯem ripPinu rippînū ripPiti rippiṯî rō·p̄e rō·p̄ê rō·p̄ə·’ê rō·p̄ə·’e·ḵā Rofe rofeEcha rofeEi rōp̄e rōp̄ê rōp̄ə’ê rōp̄ə’eḵā tê·rā·p̄ê tê·rā·p̄ə·’ū teraFe terafeU têrāp̄ê têrāp̄ə’ū tir·pe·nāh tirPeinah tirpenāh ū·rə·p̄ā·’ām ū·rə·p̄ā·ṯîm ū·rə·p̄ā·ṯîw urefaAm urefaTim urefaTiv ūrəp̄ā’ām ūrəp̄āṯîm ūrəp̄āṯîw vaiyeraFu vaiyirPa vattirpaEni vayrapPe vayrappeU vayrapPu veEraFe veerPa veerpaEhu venirPa venirPu veRafa veraFo verapPo veyerafeU veyirpaEm veyirpaEnu wat·tir·pā·’ê·nî wattirpā’ênî way·rap·pê way·rap·pə·’ū way·rap·pū way·yê·rā·p̄ū way·yir·pā wayrappê wayrappə’ū wayrappū wayyêrāp̄ū wayyirpā wə’êrāp̄ê wə’erpā wə’erpā’êhū wə·’ê·rā·p̄ê wə·’er·pā wə·’er·pā·’ê·hū wə·nir·pā wə·nir·pū wə·rā·p̄ā wə·rā·p̄ō·w wə·rap·pō wə·yê·rā·p̄ə·’ū wə·yir·pā·’ê·nū wə·yir·pā·’êm wənirpā wənirpū wərāp̄ā wərāp̄ōw wərappō wəyêrāp̄ə’ū wəyirpā’êm wəyirpā’ênū yê·rā·p̄ə·’ū yə·rap·pê yerafeU yêrāp̄ə’ū yerapPe yərappê yir·pā yir·pā- yirPa yirpā yirpā-
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