### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **rêcheh**, represented by `{{H7347}}`, refers to a **mill-stone** or **mill**. Derived from an unused root meaning to pulverize, this term appears **5 times** in **5 unique verses**. Though its appearances are few, it signifies a tool essential for daily sustenance and carries significant symbolic weight within the biblical narrative.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In its scriptural usage, `{{H7347}}` is central to the preparation of food and the functioning of a household. The Israelites used **mills** to grind manna in the wilderness [[Numbers 11:8]]. The sound of **millstones** was considered a sign of normal life and gladness; its silencing was a mark of desolation and judgment [[Jeremiah 25:10]]. The task of working at the **mill** was often associated with low-status labor, as seen in the description of the plague of the firstborn affecting everyone down to the "maidservant that is behind the **mill**" [[Exodus 11:5]]. Its importance is codified in law, where taking a **millstone** as a pledge is forbidden because it is equivalent to taking a person's life [[Deuteronomy 24:6]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related Hebrew words help to define the context and function of the millstone:
* `{{H2912}}` **ṭâchan** (to grind meal): This verb describes the primary action performed with a `{{H7347}}`. In [[Isaiah 47:2]], a command is given to "Take the **millstones**, and **grind** meal". This same action is described in [[Numbers 11:8]], where the people **ground** manna.
* `{{H7393}}` **rekeb** (upper millstone): This word can refer to a vehicle or cavalry, but by analogy, it also means the **upper millstone**. It is used in parallel with `{{H7347}}` in [[Deuteronomy 24:6]], which prohibits taking "the nether or the **upper millstone** to pledge."
* `{{H7058}}` **qemach** (flour, meal): This is the direct product of the millstone's work. The connection is explicit in [[Isaiah 47:2]], where the use of the **millstones** `{{H7347}}` is for the purpose of grinding **meal**.
### Theological Significance
The significance of `{{H7347}}` extends beyond its practical use, carrying deep cultural and symbolic meaning.
* **Indicator of Life and Community:** The "sound of the **millstones**" is presented as a vital sign of a living, functioning community. Its removal, along with the "light of the candle," signifies a complete societal collapse and judgment [[Jeremiah 25:10]].
* **Essential for Sustenance:** The law in [[Deuteronomy 24:6]] elevates the **millstone** from a mere tool to a life-sustaining necessity. To take a person's **millstone** was to take away their ability to prepare food and thus to survive.
* **Symbol of Humiliation and Servitude:** The act of grinding at the **mill** was a form of difficult labor. It is used in [[Isaiah 47:2]] as an image of judgment and humiliation, where a once-proud entity is forced to "Take the **millstones**" and perform the work of a servant.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H7347}}` **rêcheh** is a term that, while infrequent, is rich with meaning. It functions literally as the tool used to produce daily bread, but it also serves as a powerful symbol. The presence of the **mill** and its sound represents life, peace, and prosperity. Its absence or its use as an instrument of forced labor signifies judgment, destitution, and the loss of a person's fundamental means of existence.
TRV