אֲרוּכָה (a.ru.khah)
a.ru.khah
health
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 5 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun arukhah refers to the healing or restoration of a wound. Its primary sense is not merely the cessation of pain, but the physical process of new flesh growing over an injury to restore integrity. This concrete image grounds its broader use for spiritual or national recovery.
Found in five verses, mostly within Jeremiah and Isaiah, the word often describes God’s act of restoring a broken people. When Jeremiah speaks of healing Israel’s backsliding (Jeremiah 3:22), he uses this term to suggest a deep, structural repair rather than a superficial fix. It implies that what was torn is being made whole again.
The root connects to the idea of length or extension, reflecting how new tissue extends across a wound. This etymology highlights the completeness of the restoration. Translators typically render it "healing" or "restoration," capturing both the physical and covenantal dimensions present in these prophetic texts.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
When we face injury or brokenness, the Hebrew word arukhah offers a picture of deep restoration. It describes the physical process where new flesh grows over a wound to restore integrity. This is not just pain relief but structural repair. The root implies length and extension, suggesting that what was torn is being made whole again.
In Jeremiah 30:17, God promises to restore health and heal wounds because His people were called outcasts. This assurance reminds us that restoration comes from Him alone. It is a covenantal promise of wholeness that goes beyond superficial fixes. We can trust in this complete healing for our lives.
This word connects physical recovery with spiritual renewal. It shows God’s desire to make us whole again. When we feel broken, we can look to His promise of restoration. May you find comfort in the knowledge that He brings peace and truth to those who seek Him.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 5 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- healing2×
- and/ healing/ your1×
- [the] repair1×
- [the] healing of1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- אֲרֻכָ֥ה2×
- וַ/אֲרֻכָתְ/ךָ֖1×
- אֲרוּכָ֛ה1×
- אֲרֻכַ֖ת1×
Key Verses
-
Jeremiah 30:17
For I will restore health to you, and I will heal you of your wounds,” says Yahweh, “because they have called you an outcast, saying, ‘It is Zion, whom no man seeks after.’”
This verse explicitly links God's promise to restore health with healing wounds, showing His active role in reversing the pain of being called an outcast.
-
Isaiah 58:8
Then your light will break out as the morning, and your healing will appear quickly; then your righteousness shall go before you, and Yahweh’s glory will be your rear guard.
Here, healing appears quickly alongside righteousness, indicating that true restoration is accompanied by God's glory and moral integrity.
-
Jeremiah 8:22
Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then isn’t the health of the daughter of my people recovered?
The rhetorical question about the balm in Gilead highlights the depth of the people's injury and the need for divine intervention beyond human physicians.