### 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.
TRV