H7390 H7390
Tender, delicate, soft: young or frail in body; gentle or mild in speech; fainthearted, timid in courage.
The Hebrew adjective rakh spans a spectrum from physical tenderness to emotional gentleness to psychological timidity — three dimensions of softness that Hebrew unites under a single root. In its most frequent use, it describes the tender vulnerability of youth and delicacy: Jacob's children are 'tender' and cannot be driven hard (Gen 33:13), Abraham selects a 'tender and good' calf for his angelic visitors (Gen 18:7), and Leah's eyes are described as rakkot — 'tender' or 'soft' in contrast to Rachel's beauty (Gen 29:17). Arabic rakhsan and Korean yeonhan confirm the physical-delicacy reading across language families. Proverbs deploys the word for the power of gentle speech: 'a soft answer turns away wrath' (Prov 15:1) and 'a soft tongue breaks bone' (Prov 25:15), where Spanish suave and Arabic layyinun shift toward communicative gentleness. The single military occurrence in Deuteronomy 20:8 — dismissing the 'fainthearted' soldier from battle — reveals how tenderness becomes a liability when courage is required.
1. tender, young, delicate — Tender, young, or delicate in body or constitution — describing persons, animals, or plants that are soft, frail, or immature. Twelve occurrences cover Abraham's tender calf (Gen 18:7), Leah's gentle eyes (Gen 29:17), Jacob's fragile children (Gen 33:13), the young and inexperienced Solomon (1 Chr 22:5; 29:1), the pampered man and woman of Deuteronomy's curse (Deut 28:54, 56), David's self-description as 'weak though anointed king' (2 Sam 3:39), Ezekiel's tender twig (Ezek 17:22), and a child described as 'tender and only-beloved' (Prov 4:3). Arabic rakhsan, Korean yeonhan, and Spanish tierno all cluster around physical softness and youth. The Babylonian lady told to descend from her throne (Isa 47:1) extends the image — she is 'tender and delicate,' unaccustomed to hardship. 12×
AR["الرَّقِيقَةُ","الرَّقِيقُ","رَخْصًا","رَقِيقًا","رَقِيقٌ","رَقِيقَتَانِ","رَقِيقُونَ","طَرِيًّا","نَاعِمَةً","وَ-غَضٌّ","وَرَخوَ","وَغَضٌّ"]·ben["আর-কোমল","ও-কোমল","কোমল"]·DE["[ורך]","[רך]","[רכה]","der-zart","tender","waren-sanft","zart-sind","zartes"]·EN["and-tender","and-tender-","tender","the-tender"]·FR["[ורך]","[רכה]","le-tender","tender","tendre"]·heb["ה-רך","ה-רכה","ו-רך","רך","רכה"]·HI["और-कोमल","और-कोमल-","कोमल","कोमल-हैं"]·ID["Perempuan-yang-lembut","dan-lemah","dan-lembut","empuk","lemah","lemah-lembut","lembut","muda","yang-lembut"]·IT["[ורך]","[רך]","[רכה]","il-tender","tender","tenero"]·jav["Ingkang-alus","alus","empuk","ingkang-alus","lan-alus","lan-alus-","lan-lemes","ringkih","taksih-timur"]·KO["그-부드러운-여인이","그리고-연약한","부드러운","부드러웠다","연약하고","연한"]·PT["a-delicada","delicados","e-mole-de-","e-tenro","fraco","o-delicado","tenras","tenro","terna"]·RU["Нежная","и-мягким-","и-нежен","нежная","нежного","нежный","нежным","слаб","слабые"]·ES["La-tierna","tierna","tierno","tiernos","y-tierno","y-tierno-de-"]·SW["dhaifu","laini","mpole","mwanamke-laini","mwororo","na-kondoo","na-laini-","na-mwororo"]·TR["hassas","narin","ve-kırılgan","ve-narin","ve-yumuşak-","yumusak","yumuşak","yumuşaktı","zayıfım"]·urd["اور-نرم","نازک","نازک-ہیں","نرم","کمزور-تھیں","کومل"]
Gen 18:7, Gen 29:17, Gen 33:13, Deut 28:54, Deut 28:56, 2 Sam 3:39, 1 Chr 22:5, 1 Chr 29:1, 2 Chr 13:7, Prov 4:3, Isa 47:1, Ezek 17:22
▼ 2 more senses below
Senses
2. soft, gentle (of speech or manner) — Soft or gentle in speech, manner, or approach — describing the quality of words or persuasion rather than physical constitution. Three occurrences in wisdom literature celebrate the paradoxical strength of softness: 'a soft answer turns away wrath' (Prov 15:1), 'a soft tongue breaks bone' (Prov 25:15), and Leviathan's mock question about whether it will 'speak soft words' to its captor (Job 41:3). Spanish suave, Arabic layyinun, and Korean budeureon all shift from physical tenderness to communicative gentleness, confirming this as a distinct metaphorical extension. The Proverbs passages are especially memorable for their ironic reversals — what is soft defeats what is hard. 3×
AR["بِلِينٍ؟","لَيِّنٌ"]·ben["কোমল","নরম","নরম-কথা"]·DE["[רך]","[רכה]","[רכות]"]·EN["gentle","soft","soft-words"]·FR["tendre"]·heb["רך","רכה","רכות"]·HI["कोमल","कोमल-बातें"]·ID["lembut","yang-lembut"]·IT["gentle","soft","soft-words"]·jav["alus","kang-alus","tembung-tembung-alus?"]·KO["부드러운","부드러운-것들을"]·PT["branda","branduras?","suave"]·RU["кроткий","мягкий","мягкое"]·ES["suave","suavemente"]·SW["laini","maneno-laini"]·TR["yumuşak","yumuşaklar"]·urd["نرم","نرم-باتیں"]
3. fainthearted, timid — Fainthearted, timid, or lacking courage — the emotional dimension of softness applied to a warrior's resolve. A single occurrence in Deuteronomy 20:8 instructs Israel's officers to dismiss any soldier who is 'fearful and fainthearted' (rakh ha-levav, literally 'soft of heart') before battle, lest his cowardice spread. Spanish blando, German schwach, and Arabic al-layyinu all render this with vocabulary of weakness rather than gentleness. The compound construction with levav ('heart') makes the metaphor transparent: a 'soft heart' in the context of warfare is not compassion but debilitating fear. 1×
AR["وَاللَّيِّنُ"]·ben["এবং-দুর্বল"]·DE["und-schwach"]·EN["and-faint"]·FR["et-faint"]·heb["ו-רך"]·HI["और-कोमल"]·ID["dan-lemah"]·IT["e-debole"]·jav["lan-lemes"]·KO["그리고-부드러운"]·PT["e-fraco-de"]·RU["и-слабый"]·ES["y-blando"]·SW["na-mwenye-moyo-laini"]·TR["ve-yumuşak"]·urd["اور-نرم"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† רַךְ adj. tender, delicate, soft;—ר׳ abs. Gn 18:7 +, cstr. Dt 20:8; 2 Ch 13:7; fs. רַכָּה Dt 28:56 +; mpl. רַכִּים Gn 33:13; fpl. abs. רַכּוֹת 29:17 Jb 40:27;— 1. tender of flesh Gn 18:7 (J; בֶּן־בָּקָר); tender, delicate, especially in body, of children 33:13 (J), cf. (implying weakness of undeveloped character) 2 S 3:39, נַעַר וָרָ֑ךְ 1 Ch 22:5; 29:1, (וְיָחִיד) רַךְ Pr 4:3 (‘of tender age,’…