English · KJV
H4801

מֶרְחָק

merchâq /mer-khawk'/ Ask about this word
Rootfrom רָחַק
Meaningremoteness, i.e. (concretely) a distant place; often (adverbially) from afar
KJV usage(a-, dwell in, very) far (country, off). See also בֵּית הַמֶּרְחָק.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of merchâq — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word merchâq, represented by H4801, denotes remoteness or a distant place. Derived from a root meaning to be remote, it is often used adverbially to mean "from afar." It appears 18 times across 18 unique verses, consistently referring to great physical or conceptual distance.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical usage, H4801 most frequently describes a literal geographic distance. It is often paired with the word for "country" to describe a foreign land, as in the "good news from a far country" Proverbs 25:25. This concept is also applied to divine judgment, where God summons nations from a "far country" to execute His will (Jeremiah 5:15, Isaiah 13:5) or where desolation is prophesied to come "from far" Isaiah 10:3. The term is also used to describe God's own perspective, as He knows the proud "afar off" Psalms 138:6.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help to define the scope and nature of this distance:

  • H4217 mizrâch (sunrise, the east): This term specifies a direction of origin. It is used alongside H4801 when God calls a man to execute His counsel from the east, from a far country Isaiah 46:11.
  • H7097 qâtseh (an extremity, end): This word describes the furthest boundary or limit. An army is described as coming from a far country, from the very end of heaven Isaiah 13:5, emphasizing the vast distance.
  • H7311 rûwm (to be high, raise): This highlights a vertical distance or exalted position. Because the Lord is high, He is able to know the proud "afar off" H4801, connecting His loftiness to His omniscience Psalms 138:6.
  • H776 ʼerets (earth, country, land): This word is frequently used with H4801 to ground the abstract idea of distance in a physical location, as seen in the recurring phrase "far countries" Isaiah 8:9.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H4801 is significant, illustrating the vast scope of God's power and knowledge.

  • Sovereignty in Judgment: The term is repeatedly used to show that God's authority is not limited by geography. He can bring judgment upon His people from a "far country" Jeremiah 4:16 and use distant nations as the "weapons of his indignation" Isaiah 13:5.
  • Divine Omniscience: The concept of "afar off" emphasizes God's all-knowing nature. From His exalted position, He perceives human pride and actions from a great distance, demonstrating that nothing is hidden from Him Psalms 138:6.
  • Promise of Restoration: Distance is also a key element in God's promises of hope. He pledges to remember His people even when they are scattered "in far countries" Zechariah 10:9 and offers a future vision of "the land that is very far off" Isaiah 33:17.

Summary

In summary, H4801 is a multifaceted term that moves beyond simple geography. While it literally means a "distant place," it functions theologically to define the boundless reach of God's sovereignty, judgment, and promise. It illustrates that no person or nation is too far to be outside the scope of His divine knowledge and action.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a noun across 18 occurrences, inflected in 3 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

  • מֶּרְחָק
  • מַרְחַקִּים
  • מֶרְחַקֵּי

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H4217 מִזְרָח from זָרַח; sunrise, i.e. the east; east (side, -ward), (sun-) rising (of the sun). H7097 קָצֶה or (negative only) קֵצֶה; from קָצָה; (used in a great variety of applications and idioms; compare קֵץ); an extremity; [ H7311 רוּם a primitive root; to be high actively, to rise or raise (in various applications, literally or figuratively); bring up, H776 אֶרֶץ from an unused root probably meaning to be firm; the earth (at large, or partitively a land); [idiom] common, country, e

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 18 verses across 7 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Isaiah (7 verses); never once in the other 32.

1
2 Samuel
1
Psalms
2
Proverbs
7
Isaiah
5
Jeremiah
1
Ezekiel
1
Zechariah

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.