Remote , literally or figuratively, of place or time; specifically, precious ; often used adverbially (with preposition)
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The Hebrew adjective rachoq describes what is distant or far away. Its distance may be spatial, as with a remote land, a traveler, or people standing apart; temporal, as with plans formed long ago or events thought to lie in the distant future; practical, as with something beyond a person's reach; or relational and moral, as when lips speak of God while the heart remains far away.
Reader summary
Full entry for רָחוֹק (H7350) · Open the biblical lexicon
The Hebrew adjective rachoq describes what is distant or far away. Its distance may be spatial, as with a remote land, a traveler, or people standing apart; temporal, as with plans formed long ago or events thought to lie in the distant future; practical, as with something beyond a person's reach; or relational and moral, as when lips speak of God while the.
The BSB source-word alignment has 84 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include from afar (11), at a distance (8), from a distant (5), and far (4), far (4).
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 22:4. Its strongest book concentrations include Isaiah (18), Jeremiah (8), Psalms (6), Deuteronomy (5).
The Hebrew adjective rachoq describes what is distant or far away. Its distance may be spatial, as with a remote land, a traveler, or people standing apart; temporal, as with plans formed long ago or events thought to lie in the distant future; practical, as with something beyond a person's reach; or relational and moral, as when lips speak of God while the heart remains far away.
The word marks separation, but the surrounding passage explains what that separation means. It can expose isolation, danger, alienation, or false confidence, yet it can also magnify welcome, restoration, and God's ability to hear and gather people across distance. Rachoq does not teach that physical remoteness makes someone spiritually inferior, nor that God is confined by location.
Readers should identify what is far, from whom or what it is far, and whether the text treats the distance as geography, time, inability, judgment, lament, or promised return.
Rachoq ranges across physical remoteness, long duration, practical inaccessibility, relational separation, and comparative distance, while each context supplies the reason and theological force of being far.
And as for the foreigner who is not of Your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of Your name—
Solomon includes a foreigner arriving from a distant land among those whose prayer toward the temple God is asked to hear.
For this commandment I give you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach.
Moses says the command is not beyond Israel's reach, using distance language for practical inaccessibility rather than physical mileage alone.
“Am I only a God nearby,” declares the Lord, “and not a God far away?”
The Lord's question rejects the idea that He is merely nearby and absent from what human beings consider far away.
The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.
The proverb contrasts the Lord's distance from the wicked with His hearing of righteous prayer, giving distance a moral and relational force.
Bringing praise to their lips. Peace, peace to those far and near,” says the Lord, “and I will heal them.”
The Lord announces peace and healing to those far and near, making distance part of a promise that reaches separated people.
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders ItA compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
Hebrew word. Distance as fundamental separation—spatial, temporal, or relational—expressing remoteness and the preciousness of what lies beyond reach
Distance as fundamental separation—spatial, temporal, or relational—expressing remoteness and the preciousness of what lies beyond reach
remote, literally or figuratively, of place or time; specifically, precious; often used adverbially (with preposition) BDB: distant Usage: (a-) far (abroad, off), long ago, of old, space, great while to come.
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Showing 1 selected witness from 85 lexical occurrence verses.
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Rachoq helps readers see that distance is a relationship between people, places, times, capacities, or moral postures rather than a complete explanation by itself. A foreigner may travel from a distant land and still be welcomed into prayer. A command may be described as not beyond reach, emphasizing that covenant instruction has been given rather than hidden in an inaccessible place.
A person may speak religious words while the heart remains far from God, and a proverb may describe the Lord as far from wickedness without implying that He lacks knowledge of the wicked. Prophets can also announce peace, healing, and return to those who are far away. The word therefore resists two opposite errors: treating physical closeness as proof of faithfulness, and treating separation as proof that restoration is impossible.
Faithful teaching should let each context identify the distance, acknowledge the pain or danger it may involve, and preserve God's freedom to hear, judge, gather, and heal across boundaries human beings cannot overcome alone.
Isa.57.19
Rachoq is a Hebrew adjective that commonly functions with prepositions or adverbially. It can mark distance in space or time, something beyond reach, or figurative separation. A comparative construction can communicate that one thing lies far beyond another without making precious a separate basic gloss.
The New Testament likewise speaks of people who were far off being brought near through Christ and of peace proclaimed to those far and near. This thematic connection develops reconciliation and access to God, but it does not make every Hebrew distance occurrence a direct prediction of one later text.