H7351 H7351
rafters, ceiling beams; architectural term for wooden structural elements in a building
A collective noun for rafters or wooden beams used in construction. Song of Songs 1:17 mentions 'our rafters' parallel to 'our beams,' describing the lovers' idyllic bower. The term appears in both Ketiv and Qere forms, suggesting textual uncertainty. Cross-linguistic glosses—Spanish 'artesonados' (coffered ceilings), French 'lambris' (paneling)—indicate decorative wooden elements that beautify as well as support.
Senses
1. sense 1 — Denotes rafters or wooden ceiling beams used in building construction. In Song of Songs 1:17, the term appears alongside 'beams' (קֹרוֹת) to evoke an intimate architectural setting, likely metaphorical for the lovers' meeting place. The Syriac cognate suggests strips of wood running between beams. Spanish and French glosses (artesonados, lambris) emphasize the decorative quality, while the textual variants (Ketiv/Qere) reflect scribal uncertainty about the precise reading. 2×
AR["(رَهِيطِينُو)", "[رَحِيطْنُو]"]·ben["(আমাদের-ছাদ)", "[আমাদের-খুঁটি]"]·DE["[(רהיטנו)]", "[[רחיטנו]]"]·EN["[ketiv]", "our-rafters"]·FR["(nos-lambris)", "[nos-lambris]"]·heb["רהיטנו", "רחיטנו"]·HI["(हमारे-मचान)", "[हमारे-मचान]"]·ID["[Q]", "kasau-kita"]·IT["[ketiv]-nostro", "nostro-rafters-nostro"]·jav["(plangitan-kita)", "[plangitan-kita]"]·KO["우리-서까래들-이", "케티브"]·PT["(nosso-revestimento)", "[nosso-revestimento]"]·RU["[ктив]", "стропила-наши"]·ES["(nuestros-artesonados)", "[nuestros-artesonados]"]·SW["(mapao-yetu)", "[mapao-yetu]"]·TR["kirisleri"]·urd["ہماری-چھتیں"]
Related Senses
H1129 1. Qal: build, construct (316×)H2691a 1. court, courtyard, enclosure (142×)G4864 1. synagogue, place of Jewish assembly (56×)G5438 1. prison, place of confinement (41×)H4013 1. fortress, stronghold (37×)H0875 1. well, cistern (dug water source) (35×)H0352b 1. pillar or jamb of gateway (32×)H2474 1. window, opening in wall (32×)H1406 1. roof / rooftop (31×)H4609b 1. steps, stairs, stairway (31×)H1129 2. Nifal: be built, be established (30×)H0361 1. portico, porch (architectural structure) (27×)H1129 3. Qal participle: builder (27×)H1219 1. fortified, inaccessible (25×)H4581 1. fortress, stronghold (25×)H3805 1. capital of a pillar (24×)H4350 1. stand, base, pedestal (24×)H0759 1. palace, royal residence (21×)H4692 1. siege, besiegement (20×)G3618 1. build or construct physically (19×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† [רָהִיט] n.m.coll. rafters? boards? (as strips running between beams? so Bu conj.; cf. Syr. ܪܗܛܐ boards (?), Nö in Bu);—sf. רָהִיטֵנוּ Ct 1:17 Qr (Kt רחיטנו; Codd. רַח׳ Baer p. 46 Köii. 1, 149), ‖ קֹרוֹת.