רִקָּבוֹן
decay (by caries)
Definition
The Hebrew noun רִקָּבוֹן (riqqâbôwn) refers specifically to a state of decay or rottenness, particularly the kind of decay caused by caries or progressive internal corruption. It describes a process of deterioration that renders something unsound or worthless. In its single biblical occurrence in Job 41:27, it is used metaphorically to describe the absolute imperviousness of the leviathan's mighty scales, which are said to treat iron like straw and bronze like rotten wood. This highlights a contrast between supreme strength and utter weakness or corruption.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the entire Old Testament, in Job 41:27. In this context, it is employed in a poetic, metaphorical comparison. The verse states that the leviathan's scales are so impenetrable that they regard iron as straw and bronze as 'rotting wood' (רִקָּבוֹן). The usage is not about literal biological decay but serves to illustrate the concept of complete and absolute weakness or worthlessness in contrast to the creature's invulnerability.
Etymology
רִקָּבוֹן (riqqâbôwn) is a noun derived from the root רָקַב (rāqav, H7538), which means 'to rot,' 'decay,' or 'be rotten.' The noun form indicates the state or result of that rotting process. It is related to the adjective רָקָב (rāqāv, H7538), meaning 'rotten' or 'decayed.' The semantic field centers on internal corruption and the loss of structural integrity.
Semantic Range
Though used only once, this word carries theological weight in its context. It underscores a theme in the Book of Job: the vast, untamable power of God's creation (represented by leviathan) compared to human strength and perception. The metaphor of bronze becoming like rotten wood (רִקָּבוֹן) before leviathan's scales powerfully illustrates human tools and weapons as utterly futile against divine sovereignty. It enriches the reading by emphasizing that what humanity considers strong and durable is, from a divine perspective, susceptible to complete corruption and weakness, highlighting God's supreme authority.
In an ancient Near Eastern context, bronze and iron represented the pinnacle of military technology and durable materials. To compare bronze to rotten wood was to invoke the strongest possible contrast between resilience and absolute frailty. This metaphor would have been strikingly vivid to an ancient audience, for whom the failure of metal weapons or tools could mean vulnerability and defeat. The imagery draws on the universal human experience of watching wood or food decompose into uselessness.
רָקָב (rāqāv, H7538) — The adjectival form meaning 'rotten' or 'decayed,' describing the state rather than the process. שַׁחַת (shachath, H7845) — A broader term for corruption, destruction, or the pit, often with moral or physical connotations.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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