רֶ֫פֶשׁ (re.phesh)
re.phesh
mire
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 rephesh describes a specific kind of wet, unstable ground—mire or thick mud. It appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, in Isaiah 57:20, where it serves as a vivid metaphor for the condition of the wicked.
In this single occurrence, the text contrasts the restless sea with the stability promised to the righteous. The wicked are likened to churning waves that cannot find rest, just as they cannot find firm footing in rephesh. The image suggests a state of perpetual turmoil and lack of secure ground, emphasizing instability rather than mere dirt.
Translators typically render this word as "mire" or "mud" to preserve the sense of sinking and struggle. By using this concrete physical reality, Isaiah communicates spiritual unrest through the tangible experience of being stuck in soft, shifting earth.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word rephesh paints a picture of thick, shifting mud that offers no firm footing. In Isaiah 57:20, it describes the restless sea casting up mire and mud. This image captures a state of perpetual turmoil where one is stuck in unstable ground, unable to find peace or stability.
For your faith life, this serves as a reminder that true rest comes from God alone. When we rely on our own strength or worldly sources of security, we often find ourselves sinking into similar instability. The promise is clear: those who trust in the Lord find solid ground, while the restless seek comfort in what cannot hold them.
May you find your footing in the unchanging character of God, who offers peace that the world cannot give or take away.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- mire1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- רֶ֥פֶשׁ1×
Key Verses
-
Isaiah 57:20
But the wicked are like the troubled sea; for it can’t rest and its waters cast up mire and mud.
This verse uses rephesh to metaphorically describe the wicked as being like a troubled sea that casts up mire, symbolizing their lack of peace and spiritual instability.