To slacken (in many applications, literal or figurative)
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The Hebrew verb raphah covers a broad movement of loosening, slackening, letting go, weakening, ceasing, or failing to support. Pharaoh falsely calls oppressed laborers slack, while Deuteronomy promises that the merciful God will not abandon His people.
Reader summary
Full entry for רָפָה (H7503) · Open the biblical lexicon
The Hebrew verb raphah covers a broad movement of loosening, slackening, letting go, weakening, ceasing, or failing to support. Pharaoh falsely calls oppressed laborers slack, while Deuteronomy promises that the merciful God will not abandon His people.
The BSB source-word alignment has 46 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include leave you (3), let go (3), . . . (2), abandon (2), hang limp (2).
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Exodus 4:26. Its strongest book concentrations include Deuteronomy (4), Exodus (4), Ezekiel (4), Jeremiah (4).
The Hebrew verb raphah covers a broad movement of loosening, slackening, letting go, weakening, ceasing, or failing to support. Pharaoh falsely calls oppressed laborers slack, while Deuteronomy promises that the merciful God will not abandon His people. Builders face opponents who try to weaken their hands, Jeremiah is accused of discouraging defenders because he speaks an unwelcome word, Proverbs addresses negligent work and strength that falters under distress, Psalm 37 calls people to release anger, and Psalm 46 commands cessation before God's rule over the nations.
The contexts do not make every weakness lazy or every stillness contemplative. Responsible teaching asks what is released, whose strength is reduced, what pressure caused it, and whether the passage describes oppression, fear, moral negligence, obedient restraint, or divine faithfulness. It must not shame exhausted, disabled, traumatized, ill, or overworked people, excuse abusive quotas, silence truthful warnings, or turn a command to cease into enforced passivity under harm.
Raphah describes slackening labor or hands, losing strength, letting go, ceasing an action, and failing or refusing support. Narrative agents and causes distinguish imposed weakness, false accusation, negligence, courageous work, restrained anger, and trust in God.
But require of them the same quota of bricks as before; do not reduce it. For they are lazy; that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’
Pharaoh preserves an abusive brick quota and labels enslaved people's worship request as laziness.
For the Lord your God is a merciful God; He will not abandon you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers, which He swore to them by oath.
Moses grounds hope in God's mercy and oath, declaring that He will not abandon or forget His people.
David also said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do it. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will neither fail you nor forsake you before all the work for the service of the house of the Lord is finished.
David encourages Solomon to complete the temple work because God will not fail or forsake him.
For they were all trying to frighten us, saying, “Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will never be finished.” But now, my God, strengthen my hands.
Opponents try to frighten the builders and weaken their hands, while Nehemiah prays for strengthened hands.
Then the officials said to the king, “This man ought to die, for he is discouraging the warriors who remain in this city, as well as all the people, by speaking such words to them; this man is not seeking the well-being of these people, but their ruin.”
Officials seek Jeremiah's death by accusing his truthful warning of weakening soldiers and harming the city.
Whoever is slothful in his work is brother to him who destroys.
Wisdom compares deliberate slackness in assigned work with conduct that destroys what should be maintained.
If you faint in the day of distress, how small is your strength!
The proverb exposes strength as limited when a person falters under the pressure of distress.
Refrain from anger and abandon wrath; do not fret—it can only bring harm.
The psalm calls worshipers to release anger and abandon wrath because fretting moves toward harm.
“Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted over the earth.”
Amid nations, kingdoms, and ended warfare, God's command calls striving to cease before His universal exaltation.
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. Progressive loss of strength or tension; weakening resolve, physical vigor, or commitment across literal and moral domains.
Progressive loss of strength or tension; weakening resolve, physical vigor, or commitment across literal and moral domains.
to slacken (in many applications, literal or figurative) BDB: sink Usage: abate, cease, consume, draw (toward evening), fail, (be) faint, be (wax) feeble, forsake, idle, leave, let alone (go, down), (be) slack, stay, be still, be slothful, (be) weak(-en). See 7495.
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Showing 3 selected witnesses from 46 lexical occurrence verses.
רָפָה is a primitive root - no further derivation.
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Raphah requires moral attention to causes rather than a reflexive celebration of strength. Exodus 5 places the language of slackness in Pharaoh's mouth as he intensifies an impossible quota, showing how an oppressor can call protest and worship laziness. Deuteronomy and Chronicles use the verb negatively to promise that God will not loosen His hold or abandon the people and work entrusted to them.
Nehemiah's opponents aim at weakened hands through fear, while his prayer names dependence rather than self-sufficient grit. Jeremiah 38 shows authorities calling truthful prophecy demoralizing and seeking the speaker's death; institutional claims about morale can conceal resistance to accountability. Proverbs 18 addresses chosen negligence, but Proverbs 24 realistically reveals how small human strength can feel in distress.
Psalm 37 directs release toward anger and wrath, and Psalm 46 places cessation within God's ending of war and exaltation among nations. Faithful teaching therefore confronts destructive idleness without using work texts against people crushed by exploitation, disability, illness, trauma, or inadequate support. It strengthens truthful service, permits needed rest and care, and calls violent or anxious striving to stop under God's rule.
Exod.5.8
Raphah is a Hebrew verb with literal and figurative senses organized around loosening or reduced force. Depending on stem and object, it can mean slacken, weaken, let alone, release, cease, fail, or forsake, so English renderings must be read within their clause.
Jesus invites the burdened to receive His rest, condemns leaders who load others without helping, and refuses coercive power. The apostles distinguish diligent service from exploitation, command care for weak members, and call believers to relinquish vengeance rather than surrender truth or protection.