Word Study for H7574 (רֶתֶם) | Strong's Concordance

rethem /reh'-them/ Ask about this word

Rootor רֹתֶם · from רָתַם

Meaningthe Spanish broom (from its pole-like stems)

KJV usagejuniper (tree).

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of rethem — 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 rethem, represented by H7574, refers to the Spanish broom or juniper tree. It appears only 4 times in 4 unique verses, yet it holds significant symbolic weight in the contexts where it is found. Primarily associated with the wilderness, this plant is depicted as a source of both shelter and sustenance in extreme conditions.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In its biblical occurrences, H7574 marks moments of intense trial and desperation. It is under a juniper tree that the prophet Elijah, having fled into the wilderness, sits down and requests that he might die 1 Kings 19:4. In the same location, while he lay and slept under the juniper tree, an angel touched him, providing sustenance 1 Kings 19:5. For the afflicted man in Job, juniper roots serve as a source of food in a time of extreme poverty Job 30:4. In Psalms, the imagery shifts to judgment, where "coals of juniper" are described alongside sharp arrows as a severe punishment Psalms 120:4.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words clarify the context surrounding the juniper tree:

H4057 midbâr (wilderness): This word sets the scene for both Elijah's flight and the hardship described in Job, signifying a place of isolation, testing, and divine encounter 1 Kings 19:4.
H8328 sheresh (root): This term is explicitly connected to H7574 as a source of food for the desperate, literally "juniper roots for their meat" Job 30:4. It often symbolizes a foundational source or origin.
H1513 gechel (ember, coal): Used to describe "coals of juniper" in Psalms, this word denotes intense, burning heat, often associated with judgment or purification Psalms 120:4.
H4397 mal'ak (messenger, angel): An angel appears to Elijah under the juniper tree, transforming a place of despair into a site of divine intervention and care 1 Kings 19:5.

Theological Significance

The theological significance of H7574 is tied to its role in narratives of suffering and divine response.

Refuge in Despair: The juniper tree provides minimal shelter in the vast wilderness for Elijah at his lowest point. It is a symbol of solitude and desperation, a place where a cry for death is uttered before God 1 Kings 19:4.
Sustenance in Affliction: In Job, the use of juniper roots as food highlights a condition of utter destitution. It represents survival at the most basic level, where even the roots of a wilderness shrub become a necessity Job 30:4.
Image of Divine Wrath: The "coals of juniper" are paired with the "sharp arrows of the mighty" to create a powerful metaphor for severe and lasting judgment, suggesting a fire that burns hot and long Psalms 120:4.

Summary

In summary, H7574 serves as more than a simple botanical reference. It is a powerful symbol within the biblical text, representing the extremes of human experience. It appears in contexts of profound despair, providing refuge for the fleeing prophet, and in contexts of abject poverty, offering meager sustenance from its roots. Conversely, it is also used to illustrate the intensity of divine judgment. Through its few appearances, the juniper tree effectively captures themes of suffering, survival, and retribution.

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 2 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.

רְתָמִים
רֹתֶם

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 1 Kings (2 verses); never once in the other 36.

1 Kings

Job

Psalms

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.