רָצַע (ra.tsa)
ra.tsa
to bore
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb raṣaʿ means to bore or pierce through a solid object. In Scripture, it appears only once, in Exodus 21:6, describing the ritual where an Israelite slave voluntarily remains in service forever. The master brings him before God and uses an awl to pierce his ear against the doorpost.
This specific action marks a permanent change in status. By boring the ear, the owner signals that the servant has chosen slavery over freedom because he loves his master and family more than liberty. The physical mark serves as a public testimony of this lifelong commitment.
The word’s rarity highlights the gravity of the act. It is not a casual wound but a deliberate, lasting sign of devotion. This single instance in the Torah provides a concrete image of how covenant loyalty could be physically embodied through a simple tool and a doorframe.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The verb raṣaʿ, meaning to bore or pierce, appears only once in the Hebrew Bible. In Exodus 21:6, it describes a ritual where a servant chooses to remain with his master forever. An awl pierces the ear against the doorpost as a permanent mark of this voluntary commitment. This act was not about punishment but about declaring a deep, lasting love for one’s household and leader.
For your faith, this image reminds us that true devotion is often marked by deliberate, visible choices. We are invited to consider what we love enough to bind ourselves to permanently. Just as the servant chose service over freedom, we can offer our lives to God with full understanding and joy. This physical sign points to a spiritual reality: our hearts belong to the One who loves us most.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- and/ he will pierce1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- וְ/רָצַ֨ע1×
Key Verses
-
Exodus 21:6
then his master shall bring him to God, and shall bring him to the door or to the doorpost, and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall serve him forever.
This is the only occurrence of the word, describing the specific ritual act that marks a servant's voluntary lifelong commitment.