### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **rethach**, represented by `{{H7571}}`, is an idiomatic term derived from the root for boiling. It appears only **1 time** in **1 unique verse** in the entire Bible. Its meaning is given as "a boiling," and it is used idiomatically to intensify the action of boiling, translated as to "(boil) **well**."
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
The single appearance of `{{H7571}}` is in the prophetic book of Ezekiel, within a parable of God's judgment against Jerusalem. The prophet is commanded to use a boiling pot to symbolize the city under siege. The instruction is to "make it boil **well**" [[Ezekiel 24:5]], emphasizing the intensity and severity of the coming affliction. In this context, the word moves beyond a simple cooking instruction to signify a thorough and fierce process of divine retribution.
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words found in its only context help to clarify its meaning and purpose:
* `{{H7570}}` **râthach** (to boil): This is the primitive root from which `{{H7571}}` is derived. It means simply "to boil." Beyond cooking, it can be used metaphorically to describe internal turmoil, as when Job says his "bowels boiled" [[Job 30:27]], or to depict immense power, as when Leviathan "maketh the deep to boil like a pot" [[Job 41:31]].
* `{{H1310}}` **bâshal** (to seethe): Used in the same verse, this word also means to cook by boiling. It is a common term for preparing food, as in the command to "Boil the flesh at the door of the tabernacle" [[Leviticus 8:31]], and is also used figuratively, as when a harvest is "ripe" [[Joel 3:13]].
* `{{H6106}}` **ʻetsem** (bone): This is the object being boiled in the parable of [[Ezekiel 24:5]]. The word for bone is often used to represent the very substance or self of a person, as in Ezekiel's vision of the dry "bones" being brought back to life [[Ezekiel 37:4]].
* `{{H6629}}` **tsôʼn** (flock): The "choice of the flock" are the contents of the boiling pot in Ezekiel's parable. This term for a flock of sheep is often used figuratively for God's people [[Psalms 100:3]].
### Theological Significance
The theological significance of `{{H7571}}` is tied directly to its singular, dramatic context in Ezekiel.
* **Symbol of Severe Judgment:** The command to boil the contents "well" is not about culinary perfection but is a graphic depiction of the inescapable and intense nature of God's judgment on Jerusalem [[Ezekiel 24:5]].
* **Intensification of Divine Action:** As an idiom, `{{H7571}}` amplifies the verb "to boil" `{{H7570}}`. This highlights the thoroughness of the purifying and consuming judgment that the inhabitants, represented by the choice flock `{{H6629}}` and bones `{{H6106}}`, were about to face.
* **Parable of the Pot:** The word functions within a powerful prophetic sign-act. The boiling pot symbolizes Jerusalem's fate, where the people will be subjected to a fiery trial within the confines of the city walls.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H7571}}` is a rare biblical word whose meaning is inseparable from its powerful, idiomatic use in the book of Ezekiel. Though appearing only once, it plays a crucial role in intensifying the imagery of a divine judgment that is both severe and thorough. Its usage demonstrates how a single, specific term can carry immense theological weight within its prophetic context, turning a mundane image of a boiling pot into a terrifying symbol of divine wrath.
TRV