רֹךְ (rokh)
rokh
tenderness
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun rokh describes a state of extreme tenderness or delicacy, appearing only once in the Hebrew Bible at Deuteronomy 28:56. In this specific context, it characterizes the profound softness of a woman during childbirth, an image drawn from the physical vulnerability and intensity of that moment.
Its usage is strikingly narrow, focusing on human fragility rather than general comfort. The word underscores how severe distress can strip away normal resilience, leaving even the strongest individuals in a state of raw sensitivity. This singular occurrence highlights the severity of the covenant curses described in Deuteronomy 28, where such intimate physical experiences are twisted into sources of horror.
Translators typically render rokh as "tenderness" or "delicacy," capturing the sense of something easily broken. The term serves as a powerful literary device to illustrate the depth of suffering, contrasting the natural bond of care with the desolation of exile.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word rokh appears only once in Scripture, describing a state of extreme delicacy during childbirth. This rare noun captures a moment of profound physical vulnerability, where normal resilience is stripped away by intense suffering. It reminds us that fragility is not a moral failure but a human reality.
When we face seasons of hardship or emotional exhaustion, this verse offers a strange comfort. Even in the darkest covenant curses, God acknowledges the raw sensitivity of the human heart. You do not need to pretend to be strong when you are breaking down. Your tenderness is seen.
This singular image invites us to treat our own limits with grace. Instead of judging our weakness, we can bring it before God. He understands the weight of being overwhelmed and meets us in our quietest moments of need.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ from/ gentleness1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וּ/מֵ/רֹ֑ךְ1×
Key Verses
-
Deuteronomy 28:56
The tender and delicate woman among you, who would not venture to set the sole of her foot on the ground for delicateness and tenderness, her eye will be evil toward the husband that she loves, toward her son, toward her daughter,
This verse uses rokh to describe a woman's extreme physical delicacy during childbirth, illustrating how severe distress can reduce even the strongest individuals to a state of raw sensitivity and vulnerability.