H7497a H7497a
Ha-Raphah; the eponymous giant ancestor of Philistine warrior-champions slain by David's men.
Always appears with the definite article (הָרָפָה, 'the Raphah'), identifying a legendary progenitor of the Rephaim giant-clan. The phrase 'born to the Raphah' (2 Sam 21:16, 18, 20, 22) designates Philistine champions of extraordinary stature whom David's warriors defeated in single combat. The parallel account in 1 Chronicles 20:6, 8 uses the variant form הָרָפָא. Spanish 'el Rafa' and French 'le Raphah' both preserve the article, reflecting the Hebrew construction that treats this as a dynastic title rather than a mere personal name.
Senses
1. the Raphah (giant clan ancestor) — A proper noun with the definite article designating the ancestral figure of the Rephaim giant-clan. All six occurrences appear in the narrative cycle of 2 Samuel 21 and its parallel in 1 Chronicles 20, where Philistine warriors of extraordinary size are identified as 'born to the Raphah' (יְלִידֵי הָרָפָה). The construction functions as a clan patronymic rather than an individual biography. The Spanish rendering 'al Rafa / el Rafa' and the French 'le Raphah / à le Raphah' both mirror the articled Hebrew, while English translations render it 'the Rapha(h),' emphasizing its role as a collective ancestor-title. 6×
AR["الرَّفَا", "لِلرَّفَا"]·ben["রফার", "রফার-কাছে", "রফার-থেকে"]·DE["[להרפא]", "der-Raphah", "zu-der-Raphah"]·EN["the-Raphah", "to-the-Rapha", "to-the-Raphah"]·FR["[להרפא]", "le-Raphah", "à-le-Raphah"]·heb["ה-רפה", "ל-ה-רפא", "ל-ה-רפה"]·HI["रपाह-से", "रापा-के", "रापा-से"]·ID["-orang-Rafa", "bagi-orang-Rafa", "bagi-orang-Refa"]·IT["[להרפא]", "a-il-Raphah", "il-Raphah"]·jav["Rafa", "dhateng-Rafa"]·KO["-에게-그-라파", "그-라파", "에게-그-르바"]·PT["a-ha-Rafah", "ha-Rafah", "para-o-refaíta"]·RU["Рефаимов", "для-·-Рефая", "у-Рефаима"]·ES["al-Rafa", "el-Rafa", "para-el-rafa"]·SW["Rafa", "kwa-Harafa", "na-Rafa"]·TR["Rafa'nın", "Rafa'ya"]·urd["رفائیم-سے", "رفاہ-کے", "رفاہ-کے-لیے"]
Related Senses
H0376 1. man, person, human male (2130×)H0251 1. brother (blood sibling) (573×)H0120 1. man, human being (individual/generic) (527×)H0802 1. woman, female person (519×)H0802 2. wife, spouse (255×)H0517 1. mother, female parent (217×)G0435 1. man, male person (202×)G1135 1. woman, adult female (190×)H2233 1. offspring, descendants (172×)H0001 2. ancestor, forefather (146×)H5288 1. Youth, young man (122×)H0269 1. sister (female sibling) (113×)H1755 1. generation, contemporaries (96×)G5043 1. child, offspring (89×)G0444 2. people, humankind (86×)H3206 1. child, boy, youth (86×)H2145 1. male (human being) (79×)G3384 1. mother (77×)H6485a 1. Qal passive participle: numbered ones, enrollment (76×)H1397 1. man (strong/mighty) (65×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† II. רָפָה II. רָפָא as n.pr.m., always c. art. Hā-Rāphā (perhaps der. from n.pr.gent. II. רְפָאִים, q.v.);—הָֽרָפָה 2 S 21:16, 18, c. prep. לְהָ׳ v 20:22 = לְהָרָפָא 1 Ch 20:6, 8;—only as parent, בִּילִידֵי הָר׳ 2 S 21:16, 18 (= מִילִידֵי הָֽרְפָאִים 1 Ch 20:4); יֻלַּד לְהָר׳ v 20, 22 ‖ I Ch 20:6, 8.—1. רָפָה v. sub רָפָא.