Original Word: רַעְיָה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: ra`yah
Pronunciation: ray-ah
Phonetic Spelling: (rah-yaw')
KJV: fellow, love
NASB: darling
Word Origin: [feminine of H7453 (רֵַע רֵיַע - neighbor)]

1. a female associate

fellow, love

Feminine of rea'; a female associate -- fellow, love.

see HEBREW rea'

Word Origin
from raah
Definition
a companion
NASB Translation
darling (9).

[רַעְיָה] noun feminine companion; — of beloved bride, suffix רַעְיָתִי Songs 1:9,15; Songs 2:2,10,13; Songs 4:1,7; Songs 5:2; Songs 6:4; so of attendant maidens Judges 11:37 Kt, but see foregoing.

Meaning and Biblical Context

רַעְיָה designates a close companion whose bond is marked by affection, loyalty, and shared life. While it can describe ordinary friendship, Scripture most prominently employs it for covenantal love between bridegroom and bride, thereby providing a lens through which believers may contemplate the steadfast devotion of the Lord toward His people.

Occurrences and Literary Setting

1. Judges 11:37 – The daughter of Jephthah asks, “Let me roam the hills and weep with my companions”. Here the term points to communal solidarity in grief, highlighting that Israel’s fate is experienced not in isolation but in fellowship.

2-10. Song of Songs 1:9; 1:15; 2:2; 2:10; 2:13; 4:1; 4:7; 5:2; 6:4 – In every instance the bridegroom addresses the bride: “Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, come away” (Song of Songs 2:10). The repeated use establishes an atmosphere of exclusive devotion and mutual delight.

Covenantal Imagery in Song of Songs

• Exclusivity: The bride is singled out, “Like a lily among thorns, so is my darling among the maidens” (Song of Songs 2:2).
• Beauty without blemish: “You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you” (Song of Songs 4:7). This foreshadows the New Testament vision of the Church presented “without spot or wrinkle” (Ephesians 5:27).
• Initiative of love: The bridegroom twice summons the bride to arise and come away (2:10, 2:13), prefiguring the Lord’s gracious call to salvation and sanctification.

Narrative Overtones from Judges 11

Jephthah’s unnamed daughter walks with her “companions” to mourn her forthcoming sacrifice. The episode underscores how covenant vows, even when rash, draw the wider community into corporate lament or joy. It warns against hasty speech before God while simultaneously reflecting the depth of fellowship God intends among His people.

Theological Themes

• Covenant Faithfulness – The constancy implied by רַעְיָה mirrors the Lord’s unwavering commitment to Israel and, by extension, the Church.
• Corporate Identity – Whether rejoicing in bridal love or mourning national sin, believers are bound together; individual experience is framed within the body.
• Anticipation of Christ – The affectionate address prepares readers for the incarnate Bridegroom who calls His own by name (John 10:3) and lays down His life for His friends (John 15:13).

Ministry Implications

1. Discipleship: Spiritual leaders are to cultivate communities where believers relate as loyal companions, reflecting the Song’s relational warmth.
2. Marriage Enrichment: Couples may model their vows on the exclusive, self-giving love depicted through רַעְיָה, seeing their union as a living parable of Christ and the Church.
3. Pastoral Care: Jephthah’s account encourages the church to accompany the suffering, validating lament while steering hearts toward the hope secured in covenant mercy.

Prophetic Resonance

The bridal language of רַעְיָה anticipates the final marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7-9). The present fellowship of believers, therefore, is both a foretaste and a testimony, declaring that the Lord who calls His people “My darling” will perfect that relationship in glory.

Summary

רַעְיָה threads through Scripture as an emblem of deep, covenantal companionship—whether in shared sorrow on Israel’s hillsides or in the intimate rejoicing of the royal wedding song. It calls the faithful to experience and embody the steadfast love that originates in God, is revealed supremely in Christ, and is nurtured within the fellowship of the saints until the consummation of all things.

וְרֵעֹותָֽי׃ ורעותי׃ רַעְיָתִ֔י רַעְיָתִ֖י רַעְיָתִ֥י רַעְיָתִֽי׃ רַעְיָתִי֙ רעיתי רעיתי׃ ra‘·yā·ṯî ra‘yāṯî rayaTi vereoTai wə·rê·‘ō·w·ṯāy wərê‘ōwṯāyInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts