מַרְפֵּא (mar.pe)
mar.pe
healing
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 14 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The noun marpeh refers to a cure or healing, but its usage in Scripture often extends beyond physical medicine to include mental and spiritual restoration. In Proverbs 4:22, it is described as "health" or "life" to those who find wisdom, suggesting that right understanding brings a holistic soundness of mind and spirit. This broader sense appears in Jeremiah 8:22, where the question "Is there no balm in Gilead?" implies a search for a remedy that can address deep, perhaps incurable, wounds.
Lexical sources note that marpeh can denote health or profit, indicating a state of well-being and integrity. When used with a negative, as in Jeremiah 13:20, it can refer to an incurable condition, highlighting the severity of the situation when no cure is available. The word appears fourteen times in the Hebrew Bible, primarily in Proverbs and Jeremiah, where it underscores the restorative power of divine wisdom and the consequences of turning away from it.
The term’s root likely relates to strengthening or making firm, which aligns with its application to both physical recovery and mental soundness. Translators often render marpeh as "healing" or "health," capturing the idea of a return to wholeness. This usage reflects an ancient understanding of well-being as an integrated state of body, mind, and spirit, rather than isolated physical symptoms.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The Hebrew word marpeh points to a deep restoration that touches the whole person. It is not merely the absence of pain, but the presence of wholeness in body, mind, and spirit. When Proverbs describes wisdom as marpeh, it suggests that right understanding brings a stability that sustains us through life’s challenges.
In moments when we feel broken or weary, this word reminds us that true healing comes from God. Jeremiah 33:6 promises that He will bring health and healing, revealing peace and truth to those who seek Him. This assurance offers comfort when our own strength fails.
Whether facing physical illness or emotional distress, we can look to the One who restores. His care extends to every part of our lives, offering a remedy that lasts beyond temporary relief. In His presence, we find the soundness we need to move forward with hope.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 14 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- healing4×
- and/ healing2×
- [will be] healing2×
- [was] healing2×
- [is] healing2×
- health1×
- healing of1×
- calmness1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- מַרְפֵּֽא\׃6×
- מַרְפֵּ֑א2×
- מַרְפֵּֽא\׃\ \פ1×
- מַרְפֵּ֣א1×
- מַרְפֵּ֖ה1×
- מַרְפֵּ֖א1×
- מַרְפֵּ֔א1×
- וּ/מַרְפֵּ֥א1×
- וּ/מַרְפֵּ֖א1×
Key Verses
-
Proverbs 4:22
For they are life to those who find them, and health to their whole body.
This verse connects marpeh directly to wisdom, showing that right understanding brings life and health to the whole body.
-
Jeremiah 33:6
behold, I will bring it health and healing, and I will cure them; and I will reveal to them abundance of peace and truth.
Here God promises to bring healing and peace, highlighting His role as the ultimate source of restoration for His people.
-
Jeremiah 8:15
We looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of healing, and behold, dismay!
The longing for marpeh in this verse reveals the deep human desire for peace that often feels out of reach without God.