Word Study for H7497 (רָפָא) | Strong's Concordance

râphâʼ /raw-faw'/ Ask about this word

Rootor רָפָה · from רָפָא in the sense of invigorating

Meaninga giant

KJV usagegiant, Rapha, Rephaim(-s). See also בֵּית רָפָא.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of râphâʼ — 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 râphâʼ, represented by H7497, refers to a giant. It appears 25 times across 24 unique verses in the Bible. The term is used both in its singular form to describe individuals of great stature and in its plural form, Rephaim, to denote a specific people group known for their formidable size and presence in the land before and during Israel's conquest.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H7497 identifies peoples who were early inhabitants of the land. The Rephaim are mentioned as a group smitten in Ashteroth Karnaim Genesis 14:5 and are listed among the peoples in the land promised to Abraham's descendants Genesis 15:20. Geographically, the term is preserved in the name "valley of Rephaim," a location near Jerusalem where the Philistines encamped 2 Samuel 5:18. Most notably, Og, king of Bashan, is described as the last of the "remnant of the giants" Deuteronomy 3:11, and his territory was known as "the land of giants" Deuteronomy 3:13. Later, individuals descended from "the giant" in Gath are confronted by David and his men 2 Samuel 21:22.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words provide context for the people and places associated with the giants:

H5747 ʻÔwg (Og): This individual is presented as the quintessential giant, a king of Bashan whose immense iron bedstead was a testament to his stature Deuteronomy 3:11.
H1316 Bâshân (Bashan): This region east of the Jordan was the kingdom of Og and is explicitly called the "land of giants," highlighting its connection to this people group Deuteronomy 3:13.
H6062 ʻĂnâqîy (Anakim): The Anakims were another tall people, and the Rephaim were "accounted giants, as the Anakims," indicating that these groups were comparable in their formidable physical presence Deuteronomy 2:11.
H1732 Dâvid (David): As king of Israel, David and his servants confronted and defeated the last of the Philistine giants from Gath, with four of them falling by their hands 2 Samuel 21:22.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H7497 is significant within the narrative of Israel's history.

Symbols of Formidable Opposition: The giants represent the seemingly insurmountable human opposition to God's covenant promises. The description of Og's immense iron bed Deuteronomy 3:11 and the Philistine giant with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot 2 Samuel 21:20 emphasizes the scale of the challenge.
Evidence of God's Power in Conquest: The defeat of the giants is a recurring theme that demonstrates God's power to overcome any obstacle for His people. The Israelites were able to dispossess these powerful inhabitants because God fought for them, as seen when Moses smote Og and his people Joshua 13:12.
Remnants of a Superseded Age: The Rephaim are often described as a "remnant" Joshua 12:4 or a people of "old time" Deuteronomy 2:20, who were accounted for alongside other ancient peoples like the Emims H368 and Zamzummims H2157. Their displacement signifies the passing of an old order to make way for God's chosen people, Israel.

Summary

In summary, H7497 is more than a label for physical size; it identifies specific peoples and powerful individuals who occupied the land promised to Israel. The Rephaim function as a benchmark for the challenges Israel faced, and their defeat serves as a powerful testament to God's faithfulness and strength. From the ancient kings like Og of Bashan to the Philistine warriors who challenged David, the giants are a crucial element in the biblical story of conquest, faith, and the establishment of God's kingdom.

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 25 occurrences, inflected in 4 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.

רְפָאִים
רָפָה
רְפָאִים
רְפָאִים

Related Words

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.

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 24 verses across 6 of the 39 books. Most frequent in 2 Samuel (7 verses); never once in the other 33.

Genesis

Deuteronomy

Joshua

2 Samuel

1 Chronicles

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.