English · KJV
H7353

רָחֵל

râchêl /raw-kale'/ Ask about this word
Rootfrom an unused root meaning to journey
Meaninga ewe (the females being the predominant element of a flock) (as a good traveller)
KJV usageewe, sheep.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of râchêl — 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 râchêl, represented by H7353, refers to a ewe or female sheep. It appears 4 times in 4 unique verses in the Bible. The word's root suggests the act of journeying, fitting for an animal that was a predominant element of a flock and a good traveller.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

The use of H7353 is primarily associated with pastoral life and wealth. In Genesis, it is used to quantify Jacob's assets and diligence as a shepherd, where he presents "two hundred ewes" as part of a gift Genesis 32:14 and notes that under his care, the ewes did not miscarry Genesis 31:38. In the Song of Solomon, the image of a flock of freshly washed sheep is used poetically to describe pristine beauty and fruitfulness Song of Solomon 6:6. Most significantly, it is used in Isaiah's prophecy of the suffering servant, who is compared to a sheep that is silent before her shearers, illustrating meek submission Isaiah 53:7.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help define the agricultural and symbolic context of the ewe:

  • H7716 seh: This is a general term for a member of a flock, such as a sheep or goat. It is used alongside H7353 in Isaiah's prophecy, which describes a lamb H7716 brought to the slaughter and a sheep H7353 that is silent Isaiah 53:7.
  • H5795 ʻêz: This word specifically means she goat. It appears with H7353 in lists of livestock to distinguish between the female sheep and goats within a flock (Genesis 31:38, Genesis 32:14).
  • H6629 tsôʼn: This is a collective term for a flock of sheep or goats. It establishes the group context for the individual animals, such as the ewes mentioned as part of Jacob's flock Genesis 31:38.
  • H1494 gazâz: Meaning to shear a flock, this word is directly tied to the ewe's most famous symbolic role. A sheep H7353 is portrayed as silent and submissive before her shearers H1494 Isaiah 53:7.
  • H2874 ṭebach: This word means slaughter. It appears in the same prophetic passage, heightening the imagery of silent submission in the face of impending death Isaiah 53:7.

Theological Significance

The conceptual significance of H7353 develops from the literal to the metaphorical:

  • Symbol of Prosperity: In Genesis, healthy and numerous ewes are a clear indicator of wealth and divine blessing. Jacob highlights that his ewes did not cast their young, signifying productive and successful husbandry Genesis 31:38.
  • Image of Purity and Fruitfulness: The simile in Song of Solomon uses a flock of clean sheep where every one bears twins and none are barren to paint a picture of perfection, uniformity, and vibrant life Song of Solomon 6:6.
  • Emblem of Silent Submission: The most profound theological use is in Isaiah 53:7, where the ewe's quiet nature before its shearers symbolizes the suffering servant. This figure endures oppression H5065 and affliction H6031 without protest, establishing a powerful picture of meekness.

Summary

In summary, râchêl H7353 moves from being a simple term for a female sheep to a word carrying significant symbolic weight. It is foundational to understanding pastoral wealth and blessing in the patriarchal narratives, serves as an image of perfection in poetic literature, and culminates as a key metaphor for innocent, silent submission in prophecy. Though appearing only a few times, it illustrates how scripture invests the ordinary elements of life with deep spiritual meaning.

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 noun across 4 occurrences, inflected in 3 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.

  • רְחֵלִים
  • רְחֵלֶי
  • רָחֵל

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.

H7716 שֶׂה or שֵׂי; probably from שָׁאָה through the idea of pushing out to graze; a member of a flock, i.e. a sheep or goat; (less H5795 עֵז from עָזַז; a she-goat (as strong), but masculine in plural (which also is used elliptically for goat's hair); (she) goa H6629 צֹאן or צאוֹן; (Psalm 144:13), from an unused root meaning to migrate; a collective name for a flock (of sheep or goats); als H1494 גַּזָז a primitive root (akin to גּוּז); to cut off; specifically to shear aflock or shave the hair; figuratively to destroy an H2874 טֶבַח from טָבַח; properly, something slaughtered; hence, a beast (or meat, as butchered); abstractly butchery (or concretely, H5065 נָגַשׂ a primitive root; to drive (an animal, a workman, a debtor, an army); by implication, to tax, harass, tyrannize; distres

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 4 verses across 3 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Genesis (2 verses); never once in the other 36.

2
Genesis
1
Song of Solomon
1
Isaiah

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.