Word Study for H7263 (רֶגֶב) | Strong's Concordance

regeb /reh'-gheb/ Ask about this word

Rootfrom an unused root meaning to pile together

Meaninga lump of clay

KJV usageclod.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of regeb — 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 regeb, represented by H7263, means a lump of clay or clod. It comes from an unused root that means to pile together. This specific term is quite rare, as it appears only 2 times across 2 unique verses in the Bible, both within the book of Job.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

The two uses of H7263 provide distinct but related imagery concerning the earth. In Job's discourse on the fate of the wicked, he poetically describes burial by saying, "The clods of the valley shall be sweet unto him" Job 21:33, suggesting a peaceful return to the earth. Later, in God's address to Job, the word is used to describe the process of creation itself: "When the dust groweth into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together?" Job 38:38. This question emphasizes God's power over the very formation of the land.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the physical processes and concepts associated with H7263:

H6083 ʻâphâr (dust): This is the base material from which clods are formed. It is defined as "dust (as powdered or gray); hence, clay, earth, mud". This is the same substance from which God formed man Genesis 2:7.
H4165 mûwtsâq (hardness): This word describes the process by which dust becomes solid. Its definition is "a casting (of metal); figuratively, a mass (of clay); casting, hardness." It is used alongside H7263 in Job 38:38 and also describes literal metalwork 1 Kings 7:37.
H1692 dâbaq (cleave): This root word means to "cling or adhere" and is used to describe how the clods "cleave fast together" Job 38:38. The same word is used to describe the profound bond of marriage Genesis 2:24.

Theological Significance

The thematic weight of H7263 is tied to its use in the book of Job, exploring questions of life, death, and divine power.

Divine Power over Creation: The term is used in God's rhetorical question to Job, highlighting that the formation of the earth—the hardening of dust into clods—is a process known and governed by God alone Job 38:38.
The Nature of the Grave: In contrast to a place of torment, the grave is depicted as a place where the "clods of the valley" are sweet, offering a gentle and final resting place for humanity Job 21:33.
Material Origin and End: The connection between dust H6083 and the clods H7263 it forms creates a parallel between man's origin from dust and his eventual return to the clumps of earth upon death.

Summary

In summary, H7263 is a specific and tangible word for a "clod" of earth. Though it appears only twice, its context within Job gives it significant depth. It ties the immense, creative power of God in shaping the world to the intimate, final experience of a human being returned to the ground, illustrating how scripture uses simple elements of the natural world to explore profound theological truths.

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 2 occurrences, inflected in 2 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.

רְגָבִים
רִגְבֵי

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

2 verses, all in Job — and none of the other 38 Old Testament books.

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.