Word Study for H7280 (רָגַע) | Strong's Concordance

râgaʻ /raw-gah'/ Ask about this word

Roota primitive root

Meaningproperly, to toss violently and suddenly (the sea with waves, the skin with boils); figuratively (in a favorable manner) to settle, i.e. quiet; specifically, to wink (from the motion of the eye-lids)

KJV usagebreak, divide, find ease, be a moment, (cause, give, make to) rest, make suddenly.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of râgaʻ — 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 râgaʻ, represented by H7280, conveys a dynamic range of meanings, from violent, sudden tossing to a state of quiet settlement. It appears 13 times across 13 unique verses in the Bible. Its definition encompasses concepts like breaking, dividing, finding ease, being for a moment, and bringing to rest, showcasing a powerful duality between turmoil and tranquility.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical usage, H7280 describes God's sovereign power over creation, particularly His ability to divide the sea (Job 26:12, Isaiah 51:15). This act of controlling chaos is contrasted with the word's use to signify a state of peace and settlement. God promises to cause Israel to rest Jeremiah 31:2 and make His judgment rest as a light for the people Isaiah 51:4. Conversely, a curse for disobedience is to find no ease in foreign lands Deuteronomy 28:65. The word also denotes swiftness, as when God makes an enemy suddenly run away Jeremiah 49:19 or when the fleeting nature of a lie is described as lasting only for a moment Proverbs 12:19. It can even describe physical affliction, as when Job's skin is broken Job 7:5.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help illuminate the meaning of H7280:

H1530 gal (wave): This word is directly linked to God's power over the sea. In passages like Jeremiah 31:35 and Isaiah 51:15, God divides H7280 the sea when its waves roar, highlighting the context of immense natural force being brought under divine control.
H4494 mânôwach (rest): This term is often used in parallel with H7280 to emphasize the concept of a settled home or quiet. It appears in contexts of both the absence of rest Deuteronomy 28:65 and the finding of a place of rest Isaiah 34:14.
H7264 râgaz (disquiet): This word for trembling or turmoil is used as a direct antonym to H7280. In Jeremiah 50:34, God promises to give rest H7280 to the land while bringing disquiet to the inhabitants of Babylon, showcasing the two opposing fates delivered by God's judgment.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H7280 is significant and multifaceted.

Sovereignty Over Chaos: The act of dividing the sea is a powerful demonstration of God's absolute authority. He brings order to the roaring waves H1530, an act tied directly to the declaration of His name as "The LORD of hosts" (Isaiah 51:15, Jeremiah 31:35).
Rest as Divine Favor: Rest is portrayed not as a default state, but as a gift from God. He leads His people to rest Jeremiah 31:2 and even causes His law to rest as a light Isaiah 51:4. The withholding of this ease is a sign of judgment and sorrow Deuteronomy 28:65.
The Swiftness of Divine Action: H7280 emphasizes the suddenness with which God can act, whether in routing an enemy Jeremiah 50:44 or in the transient nature of evil, where a lying tongue lasts only for a moment Proverbs 12:19.

Summary

In summary, râgaʻ H7280 is a word of profound contrasts. It captures God's power to both stir up and to settle, to toss violently and to bring to a quiet rest. From the cosmic scale of dividing the sea to the personal experience of broken skin or the fleeting duration of a moment, it illustrates a God who is sovereign over all states of being, capable of bringing both sudden disquiet and perfect, lasting peace.

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 verb across 13 occurrences, inflected in 8 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.

אַרְגִּיעָה
רֹגַע
רָגַע
תַרְגִּיעַ
הַרְגִּיע
הִרְגִּיעָה
הִרְגִּיעַ
הֵרָגְעִי

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 13 verses across 5 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Jeremiah (6 verses); never once in the other 34.

Deuteronomy

Job

Proverbs

Isaiah

Jeremiah

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.