רָקַק (ra.qaq)
ra.qaq
to spit
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb raqaq means simply to spit. It appears only once in the Old Testament, in Leviticus 15:8, where it describes a specific ritual act related to bodily discharges.
In this context, the word is not used for casual spitting but for a deliberate action that transfers impurity. If saliva from someone with a discharge lands on another person or an object, that person or item becomes unclean until evening. This single usage highlights how physical acts were understood in ancient Israel as having tangible ritual consequences.
Because the word is so rare, it does not develop a wide range of metaphorical meanings in Scripture. Its power lies in its concrete, bodily reality, reminding readers that holiness and cleanliness involved practical, everyday concerns as well as spiritual ones.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word רָקַק (raqaq) appears only once in the Old Testament, in Leviticus 15:8. It describes the simple act of spitting by someone with a bodily discharge. This rare verb highlights how ancient Israel understood physical actions as having tangible ritual consequences. Holiness was not just an abstract spiritual concept but involved practical, everyday concerns about cleanliness and community health.
For your faith today, this word reminds us that God cares about the whole person—body and spirit. The detailed laws in Leviticus were not arbitrary rules but ways to teach respect for life and purity. When we read these passages, we see a God who is concerned with our physical well-being as much as our spiritual state.
While this specific ritual act does not apply directly to modern Christian practice, the underlying principle remains relevant. We are called to honor our bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit and to care for one another with practical love. This rare word invites us to reflect on how even small physical acts can impact our relationships and our walk with God.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- he will spit1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- יָרֹ֛ק1×
Key Verses
-
Leviticus 15:8
“‘If he who has the discharge spits on him who is clean, then he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
This is the only occurrence of רָקַק in Scripture, where it specifies that saliva from a person with a discharge transfers ritual impurity to another individual.