Genesis 15:20:3Gen.15.20.W3TAB
וְאֶת־הָרְפָאִֽים׃
veetharefaim
“and the Rephaim”
- Transliteration
- ve-et-ha-re-fa-IM
- Extended
- veh-eht-hah-reh-fah-EEM
- IPA
- /wə.ʔɛt.haː.rə.faː.ˈʔiːm/
Meaning by language
- English
- and the Rephaim
Hebrew · tap a syllable to hear it
Alphabet Analysis
| Vav | v as in vine; marks long ō / ū | |
| Sheva | vocal sheva — a short 'e' (ə), begins a syllable | |
| Aleph | silent — a glottal stop; holds vowel points | |
| Seghol | short 'eh' as in met | |
| Tav | t as in top | |
| He | h as in house; silent at word end | |
| Qamets | long 'ah' | |
| Resh | r guttural, like the French r | |
| Sheva | vocal sheva — a short 'e' (ə), begins a syllable | |
| Pe | p with dagesh; f without | |
| Qamets | long 'ah' | |
| Aleph | silent — a glottal stop; holds vowel points | |
| Hireq | 'ee' as in machine | |
| Yod | y as in yes; marks long ī | |
| Mem Sofit | final form of Mem — at word end |
Tap any letter to hear its name and sound
Now you try — trace the word:
The word
Word in context
- word
ve-et-ha-re-fa-IM
- sentence
ve-et-ha-khit-TI ve-et-ha-pe-riz-ZI ve-et-ha-re-fa-IM
Exegesis
The verse continues a coordinated list of peoples using the repeated sequence ve’et {וְאֶת־ | wə-ʾeṯ} ‘and also the’, where the conjunction vav is prefixed to the direct object marker ʾet.
Each ve’et introduces another gentilic noun phrase—hachitti {הַחִתִּי | ha-ḥit-tî} ‘the Hittite’, happerizzi {הַפְּרִזִּי | hap-pə-riz-zî} ‘the Perizzite’, and harefa’im {הָרְפָאִים | hā-rə-fā-ʾîm} ‘the Rephaim’. The definite article on each gentilic highlights these as specific, recognized ethnic groups. Syntactically, every group functions as a coordinated direct object of the governing verb from the surrounding promise context, with the paratactic repetition of ve’et creating a rhythmic catalog that gives equal weight to each nation. The direct object marker ʾet has no direct English equivalent, so English translations omit it while reproducing its discourse effect by maintaining a clear list structure, using repeated “and” or the phrase “as well as … and” to signal that all three peoples are included together in the same promised territory.
Root and etymology
r-p-ʾ
“to heal, restore”
In context — Genesis 15:20
And the Hittite , and the Perizzite, and the Rephaim ,
About this coordinate
Genesis 15:20:3 is a BCV:P reference — Book · Chapter · Verse · Word Position. It addresses word 3 of Genesis 15:20, so the Hebrew word וְאֶת־הָרְפָאִֽים׃ (veetharefaim) can be cited, linked and studied at exactly this position rather than somewhere in the verse. In the Biblical Knowledge Coordinate System the same position is written Gen.15.20.W3, which extends further down to each syllable (Gen.15.20.W3.S1) and character.