רַקָּחָה (raq.qa.chah)
raq.qa.chah
perfumer
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The noun raqqāḥâ refers specifically to a female perfumer or ointment-maker, highlighting a specialized craft in ancient Israel. It appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, in 1 Samuel 8:13, where it is part of a list of royal duties that King Saul’s advisors warn will impose heavy burdens on the people.
Its root relates to grinding or pounding spices, pointing to the physical labor involved in creating scented oils. By placing this role alongside those who grind grain and bake bread, the text emphasizes that even skilled artisans would be conscripted into royal service, illustrating the costs of centralized monarchy.
This single occurrence serves as a concrete example of economic exploitation under kingship. The word itself does not carry deep theological weight but provides historical texture to the narrative of Israel’s transition from judges to monarchs.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word raqqāḥâ means a female perfumer or ointment-maker. It appears only once in the Hebrew Bible, in 1 Samuel 8:13. Here it is part of a warning about the heavy costs of having a king. The text lists skilled workers like perfumers, cooks, and bakers who would be taken into royal service. This shows how centralized power could exploit even the most talented people for its own gain.
For your faith, this word reminds us that God cares about every kind of work and skill. Whether someone grinds spices or bakes bread, their labor has value. Yet history also warns us when leaders misuse that value for personal power. We are called to honor the dignity of all workers and to seek justice in how we treat one another.
May you find peace in knowing that your gifts matter to God. Trust Him to guide your steps and protect those under your care.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- to/ perfumers1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- לְ/רַקָּח֥וֹת1×
Key Verses
-
I Samuel 8:13
He will take your daughters to be perfumers, to be cooks, and to be bakers.
This verse uses the word to illustrate how a king would conscript skilled women into royal service, highlighting the burden of centralized monarchy.