### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **raqqâh**, represented by `{{H7541}}`, refers to the **temple**, or the side of the head. Derived from a root word meaning thinness, its definition is properly, "thinness." It is a rare term, appearing only **5 times** across **5 unique verses** in the Bible, yet its usage is split between two sharply contrasting contexts.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In the biblical text, `{{H7541}}` is used in two distinct ways. In the Song of Solomon, it is a feature of beauty and admiration. The beloved’s **temples** are poetically compared to "a piece of a pomegranate," suggesting a delicate and lovely appearance seen from within her locks ([[Song of Solomon 4:3]], [[Song of Solomon 6:7]]). Conversely, in the book of Judges, the **temple** is depicted as a point of lethal vulnerability. It is the specific location where Jael drives a tent nail to kill the sleeping Sisera, a pivotal moment in Israel's victory ([[Judges 4:21-22]], [[Judges 5:26]]).
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words help frame the contexts in which `{{H7541}}` appears:
* `{{H7218}}` **rôʼsh** (head): This general term for the head provides the broader anatomical location for the temple. In the poetic account of Sisera's death, his **head** is smitten off after his temples are pierced [[Judges 5:26]].
* `{{H3489}}` **yâthêd** (nail, stake): This word identifies the object used by Jael to strike through Sisera's temples. The narrative specifies that the **nail** was a tent peg [[Judges 4:21]].
* `{{H7416}}` **rimmôwn** (pomegranate): In contrast to the violence in Judges, this word is used to create an image of beauty, with the temples being compared to a piece of a **pomegranate** [[Song of Solomon 4:3]].
* `{{H6777}}` **tsammâh** (locks): This word is used to describe the veil or hair that partially conceals the temples, adding to the intimate and modest depiction of the beloved's beauty ([[Song of Solomon 4:3]], [[Song of Solomon 6:7]]).
### Theological Significance
The conceptual significance of `{{H7541}}` is found in its powerful and divergent applications.
* **A Symbol of Delicate Beauty:** In the context of love and romance, the temple is presented as a feature to be praised. Its comparison to a pomegranate within locks suggests a hidden, intimate, and precious beauty [[Song of Solomon 4:3]].
* **A Point of Fatal Weakness:** In the context of warfare and judgment, the temple is shown to be a critical point of vulnerability. Sisera's death via a nail to his temples demonstrates that this physically "thin" part of the head is a place where a decisive and fatal blow can be struck ([[Judges 4:21]], [[Judges 5:26]]).
* **A Contrast of Life and Death:** The dual usage highlights a stark biblical contrast. The same part of the body can be an object of praise in a song about love and life, or the target for a lethal weapon in a story of conflict and death.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H7541}}` is more than a simple anatomical label for the temple. Its few occurrences in Scripture are impactful, using the same word to paint vivid pictures of both intimate beauty and mortal vulnerability. The word **raqqâh** powerfully illustrates how context can define meaning, transforming a feature of praise into a target for destruction.
TRV