Yahuah Rapha: The Healer at Marah (Exodus 15:26)
Dishon Francis | Yasharun the Scribe
Three days after Israel walked through the sea on dry ground, they were thirsty. The songs of Exodus 15 were still fresh in their mouths when they reached a spring they could not drink. It is there, at a place called Bitter, that Yahuah first tells His people one of His names: I am Yahuah that heals you.
This word study in our Names of Yahuah series looks at Exodus 15:22 to 27, the Hebrew word rapha, and how the rest of Scripture speaks of the One who heals. Scripture is quoted from the King James Version with the Name and titles restored as Yahuah and Elohim. If you learned this name as "Jehovah Rapha," it is the same name. Our article on Jehovah names and Yahuah names explains why the same titles appear two ways.
Bitter Water After a Great Victory
The setting matters. Israel had just watched the sea close over Pharaoh's army. Then the road turned hard:
"So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water. And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah." (Exodus 15:22 to 23)
Marah simply means bitter. The people did what thirsty people often do: "the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?" (Exodus 15:24). Many of us know that moment. A great answer to prayer is followed by a dry stretch, and the joy of yesterday turns into a hard question today.
A Tree in the Water
Moses did not argue with the people. He brought the problem to Yahuah:
"And he cried unto Yahuah; and Yahuah shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them," (Exodus 15:25)
Scripture does not explain how the tree worked, and we do not need to guess. The point of the story is who provided it. The water was healed because Yahuah showed Moses what to do.
The Name Spoken at Marah
Then comes the promise, and the name:
"And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of Yahuah thy Elohim, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am Yahuah that healeth thee." (Exodus 15:26)
In Hebrew the last words are ani YHWH rophekha (אֲנִי יְהוָה רֹפְאֶךָ), "I am Yahuah, your healer." Rophe is a form of the verb rapha (רָפָא). Unlike Yahuah Nissi or Yahuah Shalom, this is not the name of an altar or a place. It is how Yahuah describes Himself.
Notice that the healing name comes wrapped in a covenant call: hearken, do what is right, give ear, keep His statutes. The healer is also the One who teaches. Proverbs says something similar about His words: "For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh" (Proverbs 4:22).
What the Word Rapha Means
Rapha is a common Hebrew verb, used about 67 times in the Hebrew Scriptures according to Strong's concordance (H7495). Strong's describes its root sense as to mend, and the KJV translates it as heal, cure, repair, physician, and make whole.
That range is beautiful. The same word that describes Yahuah healing bodies also describes mending what is broken:
- Water: Elisha cast salt into a spring at Jericho and said, "Thus saith Yahuah, I have healed these waters" (2 Kings 2:21).
- An altar: On Mount Carmel, Elijah "repaired the altar of Yahuah that was broken down" (1 Kings 18:30). The word for repaired is rapha.
- A heart: "He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds" (Psalm 147:3).
- A people: "Come, and let us return unto Yahuah: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up" (Hosea 6:1).
Yahuah Rapha is the One who mends whatever is broken, whether a body, a spring, an altar, a heart, or a nation.
The Healer Across Scripture
The psalmists prayed to Him by this character again and again. "O Yahuah my Elohim, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me" (Psalm 30:2). David taught his soul to remember it:
"Bless Yahuah, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;" (Psalm 103:2 to 3)
Jeremiah turned it into a simple prayer anyone can pray: "Heal me, O Yahuah, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise" (Jeremiah 17:14). And to a people who felt forgotten, Yahuah said, "For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith Yahuah" (Jeremiah 30:17).
The prophets also linked healing to the coming Redeemer. Isaiah wrote, "and with his stripes we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5). Matthew records that Yahusha "healed all that were sick: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses" (Matthew 8:16 to 17). Malachi looked ahead to the day when "unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings" (Malachi 4:2).
Scripture ends where Marah began, with water and a tree. Revelation shows "a pure river of water of life" and "the tree of life," and "the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations" (Revelation 22:1 to 2).
What Yahuah Rapha Means for a Household
A few ways to carry this name into daily life, without adding anything Scripture does not say:
- Bring the bitter water to Him first. Moses cried to Yahuah before he did anything else (Exodus 15:25).
- Pray Jeremiah 17:14 by name. It is short enough for a child to learn and strong enough for a hospital room.
- Remember what is broken besides bodies. A relationship, a spirit, or a household altar of prayer can be mended too (1 Kings 18:30).
- Do not let the name become a weight. Scripture honors those who care for the sick; Paul called Luke "the beloved physician" (Colossians 4:14). Trusting Yahuah Rapha and receiving care are not opposites.
- Keep walking to Elim. The very next verse says Israel came "to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees" (Exodus 15:27). Marah was not the end of the road.
Keep the Name Close
Our Names of Yahuah Vellum Bible Inserts include Rapha (Heals) in the Names of Comfort set, so you can lay the name right over Exodus 15 in your own Bible. If you learned these names as "Jehovah," the Jehovah Series insert cards carry eight compound names, including Rapha with Exodus 15:26, in that familiar form. During the fall feast season, our free Fall Feasts guide is also available for any household getting started.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Yahuah Rapha mean?
It means "Yahuah who heals." In Exodus 15:26 Yahuah says, "I am Yahuah that healeth thee," in Hebrew ani YHWH rophekha. Rapha is the Hebrew verb for heal, mend, or make whole.
Where is Yahuah Rapha in the Bible?
Exodus 15:26, at the bitter waters of Marah, three days after Israel crossed the sea.
May your household find in every Marah the One who makes bitter water sweet: Yahuah Rapha, Yahuah who heals.