Word Study for H7565 (רֶשֶׁף)

resheph /reh'-shef/ Ask about this word

Meaninga live coal; by analogy lightning; figuratively, an arrow, (as flashing through the air); specifically, fever

KJV usagearrow, (burning) coal, burning heat, hot thunderbolt.

Idioms & phrasesphrase spark

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of resheph — 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 resheph, represented by H7565, encapsulates concepts of flashing heat and fast-moving objects. Its definitions include a live coal, lightning, an arrow, fever, and a spark. It appears 7 times across 6 unique verses in the Bible, demonstrating its use in both literal and figurative contexts to describe intense and often destructive forces.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

The word H7565 is used to convey a range of powerful imagery. In Song of Solomon, it describes the intense passion of love and jealousy, where "the coals thereof are coals of fire" Song of Solomon 8:6. As an instrument of divine judgment, it appears as "burning heat" that devours those under a curse Deuteronomy 32:24 and as "hot thunderbolts" sent upon flocks Psalms 78:48. The word also represents weaponry, as when God breaks "the arrows of the bow" Psalms 76:3. In a vision of God's power, "burning coals went forth at his feet" Habakkuk 3:5, and in a statement on the human condition, man is born to trouble just as "sparks fly upward" Job 5:7.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help to frame the contexts in which H7565 appears:

H784 'êsh (fire): This word is directly linked to resheph in the description of love's intensity, where its coals are described as "coals of fire" Song of Solomon 8:6.
H7198 qesheth (bow): This term for a weapon is used in conjunction with resheph when it is translated as "arrows," highlighting its role in warfare and conflict Psalms 76:3.
H1698 deber (pestilence): This word appears alongside "burning coals" H7565 in Habakkuk's vision, associating resheph with divine plagues and unstoppable judgment that precedes God's presence Habakkuk 3:5.
H1259 bârâd (hail): In Psalms, resheph as "hot thunderbolts" is paired with hail as a plague upon cattle, illustrating its use as a destructive force of nature sent by God Psalms 78:48.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H7565 is found in its dynamic representation of power, both divine and emotional.

Instruments of Divine Judgment: resheph is frequently a tool of God's wrath. It is the "burning heat" of a curse Deuteronomy 32:24, the "hot thunderbolts" of a plague Psalms 78:48, and the "burning coals" that accompany God's majestic and fearsome approach Habakkuk 3:5.
Metaphor for Intensity: The word moves beyond physical destruction to describe intangible forces. In Song of Solomon, the "coals" of love and jealousy are described as a force as powerful and unyielding as death and the grave Song of Solomon 8:6.
Symbol of the Human Condition: Job uses the image of "sparks" (a phrase including H7565) flying upward as an unchangeable law of nature to illustrate that trouble is an inescapable part of human existence Job 5:7.

Summary

In summary, H7565 resheph is a multifaceted term that consistently conveys a sense of fiery, rapid, and penetrating force. Whether describing a literal arrow, a destructive plague, a flash of lightning, or the burning intensity of love, it points to that which is powerful and often uncontrollable. Its usage illustrates how a single concept of a "spark" or "flash" can be applied to divine judgment, human conflict, and the deepest emotions of the heart.

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 7 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.

רִשְׁפֵי
רֶשֶׁף
רְשָׁפִים

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 6 verses across 5 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Psalms (2 verses); never once in the other 34.

Deuteronomy

Job

Psalms

Song of Solomon

Habakkuk

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.