H7273 H7273
Foot-soldier, infantryman — a man who goes to battle on foot, as distinguished from charioteers and cavalry
The noun רַגְלִי (ragli), derived from רֶגֶל ('foot'), designates a soldier who fights on foot — an infantryman. It appears in contexts emphasizing the sheer number of Israel's fighting men or contrasting them with mounted warriors. At the Exodus, about six hundred thousand 'men on foot' departed Egypt (Exod 12:37; Num 11:21). Israel musters four hundred thousand foot-soldiers against Benjamin (Judg 20:2), and thirty thousand fall to the Philistines (1 Sam 4:10). Second Samuel 8:4 and 2 Kings 13:7 contrast infantry with chariots and horsemen. Spanish 'soldado de a pie' and French 'fantassin' both convey the unmounted combat role.
Senses
1. foot-soldier, on foot (infantry) — A foot-soldier or infantryman — a man who marches and fights on foot, as distinguished from charioteers and horsemen. Used for the mass of Israel's fighting men at the Exodus (Exod 12:37; Num 11:21), the tribal muster in the judges period (Judg 20:2), and battlefield casualties or troop counts in the monarchy (1 Sam 4:10; 15:4; 2 Sam 8:4; 2 Kgs 13:7). The contrast with chariotry and cavalry highlights the foot-soldier as the basic unit of ancient Israelite military strength. Spanish 'soldado de a pie' and German 'Fußsoldat' both reflect the literal etymological connection to 'foot.' 12×
AR["المُشَاةِ", "راجِلاً", "راجِلٍ", "رَاجِلٍ"]·ben["পদাতিক", "পায়ে-তোমার", "সবাই"]·DE["Fuesse-von", "Fuss-Soldaten", "[רגלים]", "auf-Fuss"]·EN["foot-soldiers", "footmen", "on-foot"]·FR["[רגלי]", "[רגלים]", "pied-soldats", "sur-pied"]·heb["רגלי", "רגלים"]·HI["पैदल", "पैदल-सेन", "पैदल-सेना", "पैरों"]·ID["berjalan-kaki", "orang-berjalan-kaki", "pasukan-jalan-kaki", "pejalan-kaki", "prajurit", "prajurit-berjalan-kaki", "prajurit-kaki"]·IT["[רגלי]", "piede-soldati", "piedi", "su-piede"]·jav["ingkang-mlampah", "kang-mlampah-dharat", "mlampah", "prajurit-dharat", "prajurit-jaler", "prajurit-mlampah", "prajurit-sikil", "sikil", "tiyang-jaler-mlampah-suku"]·KO["걸음", "발들-과", "보병", "보병을", "보병이"]·PT["a-pé", "de-pé", "pé", "pés"]·RU["пехоты", "пешими", "пеших"]·ES["a-pie", "de-a-pie", "de-pie", "los-que-corren-a-pie"]·SW["askari-wa-miguu", "miguu", "wa-miguu", "waendao-kwa-miguu", "wapiganaji", "watu-wa-miguu"]·TR["piyade", "yaya", "yaya-olanlarla"]·urd["پیادل-سے", "پیادہ", "پیادے", "پیدل"]
Related Senses
H4421 1. war, battle, armed conflict (319×)H0341 1. enemy, adversary, foe (284×)H3898a 1. Nifal: to fight, wage war (167×)H2026 1. kill, slay (active) (146×)H2451 1. wisdom, discernment (146×)H5483b 1. horse (the animal) (138×)H0006 1. to perish, be destroyed (105×)H7843 1. Hifil: destroy, annihilate (83×)H2491a 1. slain, fatally pierced (74×)H6862c 1. adversary, enemy, foe (69×)H8045 1. destroy, exterminate (69×)G0615 1. kill, put to death (60×)H6571b 1. horseman, cavalryman (52×)H8077a 1. desolation, waste (abstract state) (52×)G4678 1. of wisdom (51×)G4717 1. crucify, fasten to a cross (46×)H2763a 1. utterly destroy (Hifil active) (44×)G0622 1. perish, be destroyed (intransitive) (41×)H0006 2. to destroy, annihilate (Piel) (38×)H8074 1. be desolate, lie waste (36×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† רַגְלִי adj. on foot;—אִישׁ ר׳ (after num.) footmen, especially foot-soldiers, Ju 20:2; 2 S 8:4 = 1 Ch 18:4; 1 Ch 19:18 (פָּרָשִׁים in ‖ 2 S 10:18); elsewhere ר׳ as subst., usually coll., of Isr. at Exod. Ex 12:37; Nu 11:21 (both JE); = foot-soldiery 1 S 4:10; 15:4; 2 S 10:6; 1 K 20:29; 2 K 13:7; n. pl. רַגְלִים footmen, men on foot Je 12:5 (opp. הַסּוּסִיס).