English · KJV
H7338

רַחַב

rachab /rakh'-ab/ Ask about this word
Rootfrom רָחַב
Meaninga width
KJV usagebreadth, broad place.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of rachab — 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 rachab, represented by H7338, denotes a width or broad place. It appears 2 times across 2 unique verses in the Bible. This term is used to describe both physical expanse and a figurative state of freedom from constraint or distress.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H7338 appears exclusively in the book of Job, where it is used in two key contexts. It symbolizes deliverance from affliction, as Elihu suggests God would have moved Job out of a tight spot into a broad place that is free from straitness Job 36:16. Later, God himself uses the term to challenge Job's understanding of the sheer scale of creation, asking if he has perceived the breadth of the earth Job 38:18.

Related Words & Concepts

The concept of breadth is often illuminated by its contrast with words signifying confinement and distress:

  • H6862 tsar (narrow; a tight place): This word is used to describe the "strait" from which one is delivered into the broad place Job 36:16. It often figuratively represents trouble or distress.
  • H4164 mûwtsaq (narrowness; figuratively, distress): This term is explicitly used to describe what is absent in the broad place mentioned in Job 36:16, emphasizing that the "broad place" is a state free from "straitness."
  • H776 ʼerets (the earth): This is the object whose breadth is questioned in Job 38:18, linking the concept of physical expanse to the vastness of God's created world.

Theological Significance

Despite its limited use, the theological weight of H7338 is significant. It illustrates key truths about God's character and power.

  • Deliverance from Distress: The "broad place" serves as a powerful metaphor for salvation and relief. It represents God's ability to move his people from situations of trouble and confinement (tsar) into a state of security and abundance Job 36:16.
  • Sovereignty in Creation: The "breadth of the earth" is presented as something beyond human comprehension, highlighting God's role as the omniscient Creator whose works are vast and immeasurable Job 38:18. It underscores the distinction between human limitation and divine power.

Summary

In summary, H7338 is a focused term that uses the physical concept of width or breadth to convey profound spiritual realities. It contrasts the confinement of trouble with the freedom of God's deliverance and sets the immeasurable scope of God's creation against the finite understanding of humanity. Through this word, the Bible illustrates that physical space can be a powerful metaphor for one's spiritual condition in relation to God.

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 an adjective 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.

  • רַחֲבֵי
  • רַחַב

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.

H6862 צַר or צָר; from צָרַר; compare as in צֹר; narrow; (as a noun) a tight place (usually figuratively, i.e. trouble); also a pe H4164 מוּצַק or מוּצָק; from יָצַק; narrowness; figuratively, distress; anguish, is straitened, straitness. 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

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.