רָתַח (ra.tach)
ra.tach
to boil
H:VQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:V
Word Overview
The Hebrew verb rāṯaḥ means to boil, capturing the violent agitation of water heated to its breaking point. It appears only once in the Old Testament, in Job 41:31, where the poet describes the power of Leviathan. The text states that the creature makes the deep boil like a cauldron, using this image to convey overwhelming force and chaos.
Although rare, the word carries significant sensory weight. It suggests not just warmth, but a turbulent, bubbling intensity that cannot be contained. In Job’s context, it emphasizes the untamable nature of the sea monster, portraying it as a force that stirs the ocean depths into a frothing rage.
Translators typically render this term literally as "boil" or "bubble," preserving the physical vividness of the original. The usage highlights how ancient Hebrew poetry employed everyday domestic imagery—like a pot on a fire—to describe cosmic and natural phenomena, making the abstract power of creation tangible and immediate.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The verb rāṯaḥ describes water boiling violently, a image used in Job to depict the chaos Leviathan stirs in the sea. This is not gentle warmth but a turbulent, bubbling intensity that cannot be contained. It captures a moment of breaking point where pressure becomes visible and forceful.
When life feels like it is churning with unrest, this word reminds us that such agitation is part of the human experience. Job uses this vivid picture to show forces beyond control, yet even in that chaos, God’s sovereignty remains. We do not need to have all the answers when things feel out of hand.
Instead, we can trust that the One who holds the depths also holds our hearts. There is comfort in knowing that even the deepest troubles are known and held by Him. May you find peace in His presence, whatever storm you face today.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- they have been made to boil1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- רֻתְּח֥וּ1×