Word Study for H7304 (רָוַח) | Strong's Concordance

râvach /raw-vakh'/ Ask about this word

Roota primitive root (identical with רוּחַ)

Meaningproperly, to breathe freely, i.e. revive; by implication, to have ample room

KJV usagebe refreshed, large.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of râvach — 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 râvach, represented by H7304, is a primitive root meaning to breathe freely or revive. It appears 3 times across 3 unique verses in the Bible. By implication, its meaning extends to having ample room, being refreshed, or being large.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical usage, H7304 conveys both physical space and internal relief. It is used in Jeremiah 22:14 to describe the desire for a house with large chambers. In a more figurative sense, it describes the relief felt by Saul when David played the harp, causing Saul to be refreshed and the evil spirit to depart 1 Samuel 16:23. Similarly, in Job 32:20, speaking is presented as a way to find relief, with the speaker declaring he will speak so that he "may be refreshed."

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the contexts in which H7304 is used:

H2895 ṭôwb (to be (transitively, do or make) good (or well) in the widest sense): This word appears alongside H7304 in 1 Samuel 16:23, where Saul was not only refreshed but also "was well," indicating a return to a good state.
H4060 middâh (extension... measure... size... wide): In Jeremiah 22:14, this term is used to describe a "wide" house, which complements the "large" H7304 chambers within it, emphasizing physical spaciousness.
H6605 pâthach (to open wide): This word is used in Job 32:20, where the speaker intends to "open" his lips in order to be refreshed H7304, linking the act of opening with the experience of relief.

Theological Significance

The theological and thematic weight of H7304 centers on the concept of relief and restoration.

Restoration and Well-being: The word points to a recovery of well-being. In 1 Samuel 16:23, being refreshed is directly linked to becoming well and being freed from a malevolent spiritual influence.
Physical and Internal Space: H7304 bridges the idea of physical largeness with metaphorical relief. The same word used for a large room Jeremiah 22:14 is used for the internal relief found through music or speech (1 Samuel 16:23, Job 32:20), suggesting that having "room to breathe" is both a physical and spiritual need.
Relief through Expression: The context of Job 32:20 highlights that being refreshed can be an outcome of expression. The need to speak and "open" the lips is presented as the path to achieving this state of revival.

Summary

In summary, H7304 is a multifaceted term that encompasses more than just physical dimension. It illustrates the connection between having "ample room" and the state of being refreshed or revived. Whether describing a large physical space or the spiritual relief that comes from music and speech, râvach consistently points to the idea of finding the necessary space to breathe freely and be restored.

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 3 occurrences, inflected in 3 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Pual Participle Passive Plural Masculine Absolute 1×
Qal Conjunction+Imperfect 3rd Singular Masculine 1×
Qal Consecutive Perfect 3rd Singular Masculine 1×

Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Passive: The subject is acted upon.
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.
Qal: The simple, basic stem — plain action in the active voice.
Pual: The passive of the intensive (Piel) stem.
Consecutive Perfect: Perfect with vav — continues a sequence into the future.
Conjunction+Imperfect: Imperfect joined by a simple "and".
Absolute: The independent form of a noun (not bound to another).

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 3 verses across 3 of the 39 books. Most frequent in 1 Samuel, Job, and Jeremiah (1 verse each); never once in the other 36.

1 Samuel

Job

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, 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.