רֹ֫קֵחַ (ro.qach)
ro.qach
spice
H:N-MQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 2 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-M
Word Overview
The noun roqach refers to a specific type of spice mixture or aromatic blend used in the ancient Near East. It does not denote a single raw ingredient like cinnamon or cassia, but rather a prepared compound, likely created by grinding and combining various fragrant plants into a unified scent.
This word appears exclusively in the book of Exodus, where it plays a central role in the instructions for creating the holy anointing oil. In Exodus 30:24, God commands Moses to use five hundred shekels of roqach alongside other spices to craft a sacred perfume that would consecrate the tabernacle and its vessels.
The restricted usage highlights its specialized nature. Unlike common culinary spices found throughout the Old Testament, roqach is tied strictly to ritual purity and divine worship. Its presence in the text underscores the value placed on sensory richness in Israel’s cultic practices, marking the oil as distinct from ordinary perfumes used for daily life.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word roqach describes a complex blend of spices rather than a single ingredient. In Exodus, this mixture was not for casual use but for creating holy anointing oil. This special scent marked objects and people as set apart for God’s service. It reminds us that worship involves our full senses, engaging the heart through beauty and fragrance.
When you read about this aromatic blend, consider how God values the details of devotion. The careful preparation of roqach shows that approaching the divine requires intentionality. Just as the oil consecrated the tabernacle, your life can be a fragrant offering when dedicated to Him.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 2 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- perfume of1×
- perfume1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- רֹ֥קַח1×
- רֹ֖קַח1×
Key Verses
-
Exodus 30:25
You shall make it into a holy anointing oil, a perfume compounded after the art of the perfumer: it shall be a holy anointing oil.
This verse commands the creation of holy anointing oil using roqach, establishing its exclusive role in consecration rituals.
-
Exodus 30:35
You shall make incense of it, a perfume after the art of the perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy.
Here the text specifies that the incense made from this blend must be pure and holy, reinforcing its sacred status.