רֶ֫גֶל247 H7272
Foot, feet; by extension leg, pace, step; idiomatically 'on foot' (pedestrian) and 'times' (occurrences).
Regel is one of the most concrete and embodied nouns in Hebrew, rooted firmly in the physical foot that walks dusty roads, stands on holy ground, and is washed by a gracious host. Yet like many body-part terms, it extends into rich figurative territory. The dual raglayim appears in prostration scenes, travel narratives, and euphemistic contexts alike. When paired with prepositions, regel can describe proximity ('at one's feet,' meaning under one's authority or protection), mode of travel ('on foot,' as opposed to mounted), or pace and gait ('at the foot of the cattle,' Gen 33:14, meaning matching their walking speed). Most surprisingly, the plural regalim developed into a counting word for 'times' — as in 'three regalim' meaning three pilgrimage festivals (Exod 23:14) — a metonymy from repeated footsteps to repeated occasions that Arabic مَرَّة (from the root 'to pass by') parallels beautifully. Cognates span the Semitic family: Arabic rijl, Aramaic rigla, and even Ethiopic saragala ('vehicle,' from the foot-powered idea of conveyance).
1. foot (body part) — The primary anatomical sense: the physical foot of a human or animal — 236 of 251 occurrences, making this overwhelmingly dominant. Covers foot-washing hospitality (Gen 18:4; 24:32), the sacred command to remove sandals on holy ground (Exod 3:5), the priestly ritual of applying blood to the right foot (Lev 8:23), skin disease inspection extending to the feet (Lev 13:12), and dozens of prepositional phrases meaning 'at/under/to one's feet.' Spanish pie/pies, Korean 발, Arabic رِجْل, and Swahili miguu all select basic foot vocabulary. The dual raglayim is the standard form in most contexts, reflecting the natural pairing of the body part. 236×
AR["رَجْلَي","رِجلَيهِ","رِجلَيَّ","رِجْلايَ","رِجْلَايَ","رِجْلَيَّ","رِجْلَيْهِ"]·ben["আমার-পা","আমার-পায়ের","তাঁর-পায়ের","তার-পা","তার-পায়গুলি"]·DE["Fuesse-von","mein-Fuesse","mein-Fuss","sein-Fuesse","seine-Füße"]·EN["feet-my","his-feet","my-feet"]·FR["mes-pieds","mes-pieds,","mon-pied-moi","mon-pieds","ses-pieds","son-pieds"]·heb["רגל-ו","רגל-י","רגלי","רגלי-","רגלי-י","רגליו","רגליי"]·HI["अपने-पैर","अपने-पैरों-को","उसके-पैर","उसके-पैरों","के सब अनुसार","पाँव-मेरे","पाँवों-मेरे","पैरों-मेरे","मेरे-पैर","मेरे-पैरों-की","मेरे-पैरों-के","मेरे-पैरों-को"]·ID["kaki-Nya","kaki-kakinya","kaki-ku","kakiku","kakinya"]·IT["i-miei-piedi","mio-piedi","piede-mio","suo-piedi","suoi-piedi"]·jav["kurban-panuwun","samparan-ipun","samparanipun","sampéyan-kawula","sampéyan-kula","suku","suku-kawula","suku-kula","suku-panjenenganipun"]·KO["그-의-발","그의-발들과","그의-발들을","그의-발은","나-의-발-들-을","나-의-발-을","나-의-발들-을","나-의-발들-이","나-의-발을","나의-발들","나의-발들-을","나의-발들-의","나의-발들을","나의-발을","내-발들-을","발","발들-을"]·PT["meus-pés","os-meus-pés","pés-seus","seus-pés"]·RU["ног-его","ног-моих","ногами-Его","ноги-его","ноги-мои","ноги-свои","ногу-мою"]·ES["mis-pies","pies-de-mí","sus-pies"]·SW["miguu-yake","miguu-yangu","sifa"]·TR["ayaklarimi","ayaklarım","ayaklarımı","ayaklarımın","ayaklarına","ayaklarını","ayaklarının","ayağımı"]·urd["اُس-کے-پاؤں","اپنے-قدم","اپنے-پاؤں","میرے قدموں کو","میرے پاؤں کو","میرے-پاؤں","میرے-پاؤں-کے","میرے-پیر","میرے-پیروں-کی","پاؤں-اُس-کے","پاؤں-میرے","پیر-اُس-کے"]
Gen 24:32, Gen 41:44, Exod 24:10, Lev 8:23, Lev 13:12, Lev 14:14, Lev 14:17, Lev 14:25, Lev 14:28, Deut 28:35, Deut 28:65, Deut 29:5 (+38 more)
▼ 4 more senses below
Senses
2. sense 2 — The metonymic extension to 'times' (occurrences, repetitions) — 4 occurrences, all involving counting. At Exod 23:14 Israel is commanded to celebrate 'three regalim a year,' the pilgrimage festivals. In the Balaam narrative, the donkey turns aside 'three regalim' (Num 22:28, 32, 33). The conceptual link is from repeated footsteps or foot-journeys to the abstract idea of 'occasions.' Spanish veces, Korean 번, German Male, and French fois all use dedicated counting words, confirming that no target language preserves the foot metaphor — it is uniquely Semitic. This sense is the etymological origin of the term shalosh regalim for the three pilgrimage festivals. 4×
AR["مَرَّاتٍ","مَرّاتٍ"]·ben["বার"]·DE["Zeiten"]·EN["times"]·FR["fois"]·heb["רגלים"]·HI["बार"]·ID["kali"]·IT["tempi","volte"]·jav["kaping","wekdal"]·KO["번","번들"]·PT["vezes"]·RU["раза"]·ES["veces"]·SW["mara","sikukuu"]·TR["kez"]·urd["بار"]
3. on foot (pedestrian) — Adverbial usage meaning 'on foot' (pedestrian travel) — 4 occurrences where the prepositional phrase be-regel or ragli functions as an adverb indicating mode of travel, contrasting with mounted or riding. In 2 Sam 15:16-18 David's household departs 'on foot' during Absalom's revolt; Ps 66:6 recalls Israel crossing the sea 'on foot.' Hindi पैदल (a dedicated pedestrian adverb), Spanish a pie, and Korean 도보로 all confirm this as a lexicalized adverbial sense rather than a literal reference to the body part. The military context of several occurrences (foot soldiers versus cavalry) reinforces the pedestrian-versus-mounted distinction. 4×
AR["بِ-الرِّجْلِ","بِأَرجُلِهِم","بِرِجلِهِ-"]·ben["-পায়ে-তাদের","পায়ে","পায়ে-তার"]·DE["auf-Fuss","auf-Fuss-von"]·EN["on-foot","on-foot-from"]·FR["dans-pied","sur-pied","sur-pied-de"]·heb["ב-רגל","ב-רגל-ו","ב-רגלי-ו"]·HI["उसके-साथ-पैदल","पैदल"]·ID["dengan-kaki"]·IT["in-piede","su-piede","su-piede-da"]·jav["mawi-suku","ngangge-samparan","ngangge-samparanipun"]·KO["그의-발로","발-로"]·PT["a-pé","a-pé-dele"]·RU["ногой-своей","пешком"]·ES["a-pie","a-pies-de-él"]·SW["kwa-miguu","kwa-miguu-yake"]·TR["ayağında","yaya"]·urd["اُس-کے-ساتھ-پیدل","بِ-پیر","پیدل"]
4. leg (lower limb) — The extended anatomical sense: leg or lower limb, not just the foot — 4 occurrences where the reference clearly includes the shin, calf, or entire lower leg. The bronze greaves reaching to Goliath's shins (1 Sam 17:6) and the legs of the tabernacle table (Exod 25:26; 37:13) use regel for the full limb. Spanish pierna ('leg') and Korean 다리 ('leg,' distinct from 발 'foot') both select limb vocabulary, and Ezek 16:25 (spreading one's legs) likewise requires the broader anatomical reference. The shift from foot to leg is natural and parallels English usage ('at the foot of the bed' meaning the lower end). 4×
AR["أَرجُلِها","رِجْلَيْكِ","رِجْلَيْهِ"]·ben["তার-পায়াগুলি","তার-পায়ে","তোমার-পা","পায়ের-তার"]·DE["Fuss","legs-sein","sein-legs"]·EN["its-legs","legs-his","legs-your"]·FR["legs-son","pied","son-jambes"]·heb["רגלי-ו","רגליו","רגלייך"]·HI["उसके-पैरों","उस्के-पैरोम-के","टाँगें-तेरी","पैरों"]·ID["-kakimu","kakinya"]·IT["legs-suo","piede","suo-legs"]·jav["sikil-ipun","sikilipun.","suku-ipun.","suku-panjenengan"]·KO["그-다리들의","그것의-다리들","그의-다리","네-다리들을"]·PT["pernas-dela","seus-pés","suas-pernas","tuas-pernas"]·RU["ног-его","ногах-его","ноги-твои"]·ES["piernas-de-ti","piernas-suyas","sus-patas"]·SW["miguu-yake","yake","yako"]·TR["ayaklarını","ayaklarının","bacaklarının"]·urd["اُس-کی-ٹانگوں","اُس-کے-پاؤں","اُس-کے-پاؤں-کے","اپنی-ٹانگیں"]
5. pace or step — Pace, step, or gait — 3 occurrences where regel denotes the manner or speed of walking rather than the body part itself. Jacob tells Esau he will travel 'at the foot of the livestock' and 'at the foot of the children' (Gen 33:14), meaning matching their walking pace. In Gen 30:30, Laban's wealth increased 'at my foot,' i.e., following Jacob's pace of work. Arabic خُطوة ('step/pace'), Hindi गति ('pace'), and Spanish paso ('step') all select motion-manner vocabulary, confirming a metonymic shift from the instrument of walking to the rate of movement. 3×
AR["بِخُطْوَتِي","حَسَبَ","وَ-حَسَبَ"]·ben["আমার-পায়ে","এবং-পায়ে","পায়ে"]·DE["auf-meinem-Fuß","nach-dem-Fuß","und-nach-dem-Fuß"]·EN["and-at-pace-of","at-foot-my","at-pace-of"]·FR["et-à-pace-de","à-pace-de","à-pied-mon"]·heb["ו-ל-רגל","ל-רגל","ל-רגל-י"]·HI["और-गति-के-अनुसार","गति-के-अनुसार","मेरे-कदमों-पर"]·ID["dan-menurut-langkah","menurut-langkah","untuk langkahku"]·IT["a-pace-di","a-piede-mio","e-a-pace-di"]·jav["dhateng-lampah-kula","lan-miturut-lampahipun","miturut-lampahipun"]·KO["~의-발에-맞춰","그리고-~의-발에-맞춰","나의-발길에"]·PT["ao-passo-de","e-ao-passo-de","para-pé-meu"]·RU["и-по-ноге","по-ноге","с-приходом-моим"]·ES["a-paso-de","a-pie-mío","y-a-paso-de"]·SW["kwa-miguu","popote-nilipoenda"]·TR["ayak-basışımda","ayak-temposuna","ve-ayak-temposuna"]·urd["اور-قدم-کے-موافق","قدم-کے-موافق","قدموں-میرے-پر"]
Related Senses
H5921a 1. upon, on, over (spatial) (5443×)H0413 1. directional: to, toward (5366×)H1121a 1. son, male offspring, descendant (4914×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)H4428 1. king, human ruler (2518×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H3117 1. day, specific time (2231×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)H6440 1. before, in front of (spatial) (1870×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H3027 1. physical hand (body part) (1596×)H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)H5704 1. until, unto, as far as (1238×)H1697 1. word, speech, utterance (1235×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
רֶ֫גֶל247 n.f.Dt 8:4 (on sf. m. Ct 5:3 v. KöSynt. § 14 AlbrZAW (xvi, 1896, 76) xv (1895), 316 f.), foot (NH id.; Arabic رِجْلٌ leg, foot; Aramaic רַגְלָא, ܪܶܓܠܴܐ foot; Palm. sf. רגלה Lzb 368; transp. Zinj. (pl. cstr.) לגרי Id.ib., Mand. ליגרא NöM 102; cf. Ethiopic ሰረገላ vehicle Di347);—abs. ר׳ Ex 21:24 +, רָ֑גֶל v 24 +; cstr. רֶגֶל Nu 22:25 +; sf. רַגְלִי Gn 30:30 +, etc.; du. רַגְלַ֫יִם Is 28:3…