rekam · empty-handed; without cause

What it means

rekam (רֵיקָם) is a Hebrew word of the Bible that means “empty-handed; without cause”.

Empty-handed, with nothing; also in vain, without cause.

How to say it

Approximate pronunciation. Vowels sound as in Spanish (a as in father, e as in bed, i as in machine, o as in note, u as in rule); the syllable in bold is stressed. The voice is your device's.

Its senses in the Bible

1. With nothing: return bringing nothing.
2. Without reason, with no cause to justify it.

From Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906)

How it is translated

The words this translation uses for it, most frequent first.

• empty ×14
• without cause ×2

Related words

Words of the same family, by Strong’s numbering.

Where it appears

• Genesis×1
• Exodus×3
• Deuteronomy×2
• Ruth×2
• 1 Samuel×1
• 2 Samuel×1
• Job×1
• Psalms×2
• Isaiah×1
• Jeremiah×2

• Genesis 31:42

  Had not the Elohim of my father, the Elohim of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, been with me, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. Elohim has seen my affliction and the toil of my hands, and he rebuked you last night.”

• Exodus 3:21

  And I will give this people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians, and it will be that when you go, you will not go empty-handed.

• Exodus 23:15

  The feast of Unleavened Bread you shall keep: seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the appointed time of the month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. And none shall appear before me empty-handed.

• Exodus 34:20

  And the firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you do not redeem it, you shall break its neck. All the firstborn of your sons you shall redeem. And none shall appear before me empty-handed.

• Deuteronomy 15:13

  And when you let him go free from you, you shall not let him go empty-handed.

• Deuteronomy 16:16

  Three times in the year all your males shall appear before YHWH your Elohim in the place that he chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Booths. And none shall appear before YHWH empty-handed;

• Ruth 1:21

  I went away full, and empty YHWH has brought me back. Why do you call me Naomi, when YHWH has testified against me and Shaddai has done me harm?”

• Ruth 3:17

  And she said, “These six measures of barley he gave me, for he said to me, ‘Do not go empty to your mother-in-law.’”

• 1 Samuel 6:3

  And they said, “If you send away the ark of the Elohim of Israel, do not send it empty, but be sure to restore to him a guilt offering; then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why his hand does not turn away from you.”

• 2 Samuel 1:22

  From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan did not turn back, and the sword of Saul did not return empty.

• Job 22:9

  Widows you sent away empty, and the arms of the orphans were crushed.

• Psalms 7:4

  if I have repaid with evil the one at peace with me, I who delivered my adversary without cause,

• Psalms 25:3

  Also all who wait for you will not be ashamed; they will be ashamed who act treacherously without cause.

• Isaiah 55:11

  so will be my word that goes out from my mouth; it will not return to me empty, but it will do what pleases me, and it will prosper in that for which I sent it.

• Jeremiah 14:3

  And their nobles send their little ones for water; they come to the pools, they do not find water; they return, their vessels empty; they are ashamed and humiliated, and they cover their heads.

• Jeremiah 50:9

  For look, I am stirring up and bringing up against Babylon an assembly of great nations from the land of the north; and they will set themselves in array against her; from there she will be captured. Its arrows are like those of a skilled mighty man who does not return empty-handed.