רְפַס (re.phas)
re.phas
to tread
A:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- A:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb repas means to tread or trample with force. It appears only twice in the Old Testament, both times within the book of Daniel. In these contexts, it describes a physical action of crushing or pressing down underfoot, often associated with military conquest or judgment.
Its usage is concrete and visceral. The sources note its occurrence in Daniel 8:12, where it depicts the enemy trampling the sanctuary, and in Daniel 11:36, describing a king who exalts himself above every god. The word carries a sense of dominance and humiliation, emphasizing the power of the one doing the treading over what is beneath them.
While rare, repas provides a sharp image of subjugation. It is not merely walking but imposing weight and authority. This limited occurrence highlights its specific role in depicting the contrast between divine sovereignty and human arrogance in Daniel’s visions.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word repas paints a vivid picture of crushing force. In Daniel’s visions, it describes an enemy trampling the sanctuary or stamping down the residue with iron teeth. This is not gentle walking; it is the heavy, violent weight of conquest pressing down on what is sacred.
When you see this imagery, it can feel overwhelming. History often seems dominated by powers that crush and humiliate. Yet Daniel’s visions remind us that these earthly forces are temporary. The same God who allows the treading also holds the final authority over history.
Your faith does not rest on the stability of empires or the absence of conflict. It rests on the One who sees these events clearly. Even when oppression feels heavy, you are held by a sovereignty that outlasts every iron tooth and every conquering king.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- [it was] trampling2×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- רָפְסָ֑ה1×
- רָֽפְסָֽה\׃1×
Key Verses
-
Daniel 7:7
“After this I saw in the night visions, and, behold, there was a fourth animal, awesome, powerful, and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth. It devoured and broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet. It was different from all the animals that were before it. It had ten horns.
The fourth beast stamps the residue with its feet, illustrating the brutal physical domination described by this rare verb.
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Daniel 7:19
“Then I desired to know the truth concerning the fourth animal, which was different from all of them, exceedingly terrible, whose teeth were of iron, and its nails of bronze; which devoured, broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with its feet;
Daniel seeks understanding of this specific act of stamping, highlighting how such violent subjugation challenges the faithful to look beyond immediate suffering.