English · KJV
H7342

רָחָב

râchâb /raw-khawb'/ Ask about this word
Rootfrom רָחַב
Meaningroomy, in any (or every) direction, literally or figuratively
KJV usagebroad, large, at liberty, proud, wide.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of râchâb — 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 râchâb, represented by H7342, means roomy, in any (or every) direction, literally or figuratively. It appears 21 times across 21 unique verses in the Bible. This term is used to describe things that are broad, large, at liberty, proud, or wide.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical narratives, H7342 is used in both literal and figurative contexts. Literally, it describes physical expansiveness, such as God's promise of "a good land and a large" to the Israelites Exodus 3:8 or the great and "wide sea" Psalms 104:25. It also refers to man-made structures like the "broad wall" of Jerusalem Nehemiah 3:8. Figuratively, it can describe a state of being, such as walking "at liberty" when following God's precepts Psalms 119:45. In a negative sense, the word is used to describe a "proud heart" Psalms 101:5, which is associated with arrogance and leads to strife Proverbs 28:25.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help define the scope of H7342:

  • H1419 gâdôwl (great): Often paired with H7342 to emphasize immense size, as seen in the description of a city that was "large and great" Nehemiah 7:4.
  • H1362 gâbâhh (high, proud): This word connects to the negative figurative sense of H7342. In Psalms 101:5, the psalmist will not tolerate one with a "high look" and a "proud heart."
  • H752 ʼârôk (long): This dimensional term is used in parallel with H7342 to describe the vastness of God's wisdom, which is "longer than the earth, and broader than the sea" Job 11:9.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H7342 is significant and multifaceted.

  • Divine Blessing and Provision: A "large" space is a key feature of God's blessing. The promised land is described as "large" Exodus 3:8 and "wide" 1 Chronicles 4:40, signifying freedom, security, and abundance provided by God.
  • The Scope of God's Law: The word illustrates the comprehensive nature of divine wisdom. God's commandment is described as "exceeding broad" Psalms 119:96, indicating that its reach and perfection surpass all human limits.
  • The Sin of Pride: A "proud" or "enlarged" heart is a condition of sin. It is condemned as something God will not suffer Psalms 101:5 and is identified as the source of strife Proverbs 28:25 and sin Proverbs 21:4.
  • Spiritual Liberty: True freedom is equated with spaciousness. The psalmist states, "I will walk at liberty" Psalms 119:45, linking a life of obedience to God's precepts with an unrestricted, expansive existence.

Summary

In summary, H7342 is a versatile word that conveys concepts of physical and figurative space. It represents both the abundance of God's blessings, seen in the promise of a "large" land and the "broad" scope of His law, and the danger of human sin, embodied by the "proud" heart. The word effectively uses the tangible idea of width and roominess to illustrate profound spiritual truths about blessing, wisdom, pride, and liberty.

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 21 occurrences, inflected in 5 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.

  • רְחָבָה
  • רַחֲבַת
  • רְחַב
  • רַחֲבֵי
  • רָחָב

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.

H1419 גָּדוֹל or גָּדֹל; (shortened) from גָּדַל; great (in any sense); hence, older; also insolent; [phrase] aloud, elder(-est), [phr H1362 גָּבָהּ from גָּבַהּ; lofty (literally or figuratively); high, proud. H752 אָרֹךְ from אָרַךְ; long; long.

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 21 verses across 11 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Nehemiah (5 verses); never once in the other 28.

1
Genesis
1
Exodus
1
Judges
1
1 Chronicles
5
Nehemiah
2
Job
4
Psalms
2
Proverbs
2
Isaiah
1
Jeremiah
1
Ezekiel

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.