רַחְצָה (rach.tsah)
rach.tsah
washing
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun rach.tsah denotes the act or result of washing, appearing only twice in the Old Testament. In both instances, it is found within Song of Solomon, where it contributes to the poem’s vivid imagery of physical care and beauty.
While the word simply means "washing," its specific context in these verses highlights a tangible, sensory detail rather than a ritual or spiritual cleansing. The sources note its literal usage, pointing to the concrete action of cleaning the body. This straightforward meaning grounds the poetic language in everyday reality, emphasizing the physical intimacy and aesthetic appreciation described in the text.
Its rarity in Scripture makes each occurrence significant. By using this specific term for washing, the author of Song of Solomon focuses on the immediate, sensory experience of the beloved, avoiding abstract theological concepts in favor of clear, descriptive language about human affection and care.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word rach.tsah appears only twice in the Hebrew Bible, both times within Song of Solomon. It describes the simple act of washing, grounding the poem’s romantic imagery in tangible, everyday reality. When the beloved speaks of teeth coming up from the washing, the focus is on physical care and aesthetic beauty rather than ritual purity or spiritual metaphor.
This rarity invites us to appreciate the concrete details of human affection. The text does not use abstract theological concepts here; instead, it highlights the sensory experience of cleanliness and whiteness as signs of vitality and health. Such specific language reminds us that God created the physical world and values the beauty found in ordinary moments.
For your faith life, this word offers a gentle reminder to honor the body and appreciate the tangible gifts of creation. It encourages a view of intimacy and care that is grounded in reality, celebrating the goodness of physical existence without needing to layer it with deeper symbolic meanings.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- the/ washing2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- הָ/רַחְצָ֑ה2×
Key Verses
-
Song of Solomon 4:2
Your teeth are like a newly shorn flock, which have come up from the washing, where every one of them has twins. None is bereaved among them.
This verse uses rach.tsah to describe the whiteness and purity of teeth, grounding the metaphor in a concrete image of cleanliness rather than spiritual ritual.
-
Song of Solomon 6:6
Your teeth are like a flock of ewes, which have come up from the washing, of which every one has twins; not one is bereaved among them.
Here the same term reinforces the theme of vitality and health, emphasizing that the beloved's beauty is fresh and undamaged like wool after washing.