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רוּעַ

𐤓𐤅𐤏

rûwaʻ

H7321 verb

SILEX Entry

Definition

To raise a loud noise by shouting or blowing an instrument; to cry out vocally, especially as a communal or ritual expression, signaling alarm, triumph, joy, or distress. The verb is used for both shouted warnings (such as in military or cultic contexts), celebratory cries, and at times to denote a destructive outcry or menacing shout.

Semantic Range

to shout aloud; to raise a public, loud cry; to sound an alarm (vocally or with instruments); to acclaim (in ritual, celebration, or public proclamation); to give a war cry; (rare) to break or destroy (metaphorically or literally)

Root / Etymology

Root רוע, likely related to the sense 'to break, split, disrupt' (core meaning: to break/disrupt). רוּעַ as a verb takes on the sense of making a loud or disruptive sound. The semantic evolution connects the root's physical sense of breaking/disruption to the loud, piercing quality of shouted noise or sounded instruments.

Historical & Contextual Notes

רוּעַ appears throughout the Hebrew Bible in contexts including military alarm signals (Num 10:7; Josh 6:5), communal acclamation (Ps 47:2; 98:4), and ritual or cultic proclamation. It is frequently used for the shouts of Israelites in battle, the blast and accompanying shout at Jericho, as well as for liturgical exultation or invocation of YHWH's kingship. The sense can be positive (joyful, triumphant—especially in Psalms) or negative (alarm, wailing). English translations often specialize the term ("shout for joy," "raise a cry," "sound an alarm"), but do not always capture the public and often ritual character of the word. In later texts, related nouns retain the sense of noise, but the verb primarily conveys a public, communal vocal or instrumental outburst. There are also less common senses relating to "breaking" or "destroying" (cf. some prophetic passages), but these are rare and often debated. רוּעַ is distinct from צָעַק (ṣāʿaq), which is a personal outcry for help or in distress, while רוּעַ is more often associated with communal, ritual, or formal acclamation—whether of alarm or celebration.

Translation Consistency

primary "shout" 39 occurrences

This verb best captures the primary, typical sense of רוּעַ — to cry out loudly in alarm, triumph, ritual acclaim or war. "Shout" is natural English for vocal outcries and can idiomatically cover communal/ritual shouting; instrument-sounding uses (e.g. trumpets) can be rendered idiomatically as a "shout" or handled as contextual variants. Choosing "shout" ensures clear, consistent, and natural translations across all forms.

Alternatives (5 occurrences):
"sound an alarm" (2x) "sound" (1x) "do you raise a loud cry" (1x) "sound a loud alarm" (1x)

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to mar (especially by breaking); figuratively, to split the ears (with sound), i.e. shout (for alarm or joy); blow an alarm, cry (alarm, aloud, out), destroy, make a joyful noise, smart, shout (for joy), sound an alarm, triumph.

Bantu Hebrew

No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.

Root Family

רוע (rûwaʻ) — to break, disrupt, make a loud noise

Root רוע to break, disrupt, make a loud noise
Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H7452 רֵעַ in his resounding shout
H7465 רֹעָה shattering one
H8643 תְּרוּעָה with a shout-blast

Word Forms

22 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H7321-04 הָרִ֨יעוּ֙ hariu HVhv2mp shout raise a loud shout shout a loud shout! (pl.) 12
H7321-16 וַ/יָּרִ֥עוּ vayariu HC/Vhw3mp and they shouted and they raised a loud shout and they shouted loudly 7
H7321-20 יָרִ֔יעוּ yariu HVhi3mp cry out they raise loud cries they shall shout 3
H7321-05 הֵרִיעוּ֩ heriu HVhp3cp shouted they raised a loud shout they raised a loud shout 2
H7321-12 תָרִ֨יעוּ֙ tariu HVhi2mp you-shall-shout you shall raise a loud shout you shall raise a loud shout 2
H7321-19 יָרִ֨יעַ֙ yaria HVhi3ms he-will-cry-out he will raise a loud shout he will raise a loud shout 2
H7321-01 בְּ/הָרִ֨יעַ֙ beharia HR/Vhc in the shouting in raising a shout in raising a shout 1
H7321-02 אֶתְרוֹעָֽע eteroa HVri1cs I will shout in triumph I will raise a loud cry I will shout in triumph 1
H7321-03 הָרִ֨יעִי֙ harii HVhv2fs Shout Raise a loud shout! Raise a loud shout 1
H7321-06 הִתְרֹעָֽעִֽי hiteroai HVrv2fs shout in triumph Break out in loud cry! Shout in triumph 1

Occurrences in Scripture

44 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H7321-12 Numbers 10:7 תָרִֽיעוּ tariu HVhi2mp you shall sound an alarm you shall raise a loud shout you shall sound an alarm
H7321-13 Numbers 10:9 וַ/הֲרֵעֹתֶ֖ם vahareotem HC/Vhq2mp then you shall sound and you sounded an alarm then you shall sound
H7321-20 Joshua 6:5 יָרִ֥יעוּ yariu HVhi3mp shall shout they raise loud cries they shall shout
H7321-12 Joshua 6:10 תָרִ֨יעוּ֙ tariu HVhi2mp you-shall-shout you shall raise a loud shout you shall raise a loud shout
H7321-04 Joshua 6:10 הָרִ֖יעוּ hariu HVhv2mp Shout! raise a loud shout shout a loud shout! (pl.)
H7321-14 Joshua 6:10 וַ/הֲרִיעֹתֶֽם vahariotem HC/Vhq2mp then-you-shall-shout and you raised a shout and you raised a shout
H7321-04 Joshua 6:16 הָרִ֔יעוּ hariu HVhv2mp Shout raise a loud shout shout a loud shout! (pl.)
H7321-15 Joshua 6:20 וַ/יָּ֣רַע vayara HC/Vhw3ms and the people shouted and he raised a loud shout and they raised a loud shout
H7321-16 Joshua 6:20 וַ/יָּרִ֤יעוּ vayariu HC/Vhw3mp and the people shouted and they raised a loud shout and they shouted loudly
H7321-16 Judges 7:21 וַ/יָּרִ֖יעוּ vayariu HC/Vhw3mp and cried out and they raised a loud shout and they shouted loudly
H7321-05 Judges 15:14 הֵרִ֣יעוּ heriu HVhp3cp shouted they raised a loud shout they raised a loud shout
H7321-16 1 Samuel 4:5 וַ/יָּרִ֥עוּ vayariu HC/Vhw3mp and they shouted and they raised a loud shout and they shouted loudly
H7321-16 1 Samuel 10:24 וַ/יָּרִ֧עוּ vayariu HC/Vhw3mp And all the people shouted and they raised a loud shout and they shouted loudly
H7321-18 1 Samuel 17:20 וְ/הֵרֵ֖עוּ vehereu HC/Vhp3cp shouting they raised a loud shout they raised a loud shout
H7321-16 1 Samuel 17:52 וַ/יָּרִ֗עוּ vayariu HC/Vhw3mp and shouted and they raised a loud shout and they shouted loudly
H7321-20 Isaiah 15:4 יָרִ֔יעוּ yariu HVhi3mp cry out they raise loud cries they shall shout
H7321-21 Isaiah 16:10 יְרֹעָ֑ע yeroa HVOi3ms will be shouted he will be loudly acclaimed will be shouted
H7321-19 Isaiah 42:13 יָרִ֨יעַ֙ yaria HVhi3ms he-will-cry-out he will raise a loud shout he will raise a loud shout
H7321-04 Isaiah 44:23 הָרִ֨יעוּ֙ hariu HVhv2mp shout raise a loud shout shout a loud shout! (pl.)
H7321-04 Jeremiah 50:15 הָרִ֨יעוּ hariu HVhv2mp Shout raise a loud shout shout a loud shout! (pl.)
H7321-04 Hosea 5:8 הָרִ֨יעוּ֙ hariu HVhv2mp sound an alarm raise a loud shout shout a loud shout! (pl.)
H7321-17 Joel 2:1 וְ/הָרִ֨יעוּ֙ vehariu HC/Vhv2mp and-sound-an-alarm and raise a loud shout! and sound an alarm
H7321-11 Micah 4:9 תָרִ֖יעִי tarii HVhi2fs do you cry out you will raise a loud cry do you raise a loud cry
H7321-04 Zephaniah 3:14 הָרִ֖יעוּ hariu HVhv2mp shout raise a loud shout shout a loud shout! (pl.)
H7321-03 Zechariah 9:9 הָרִ֨יעִי֙ harii HVhv2fs Shout Raise a loud shout! Raise a loud shout
H7321-19 Psalms 41:12 יָרִ֖יעַ yaria HVhi3ms will shout in triumph he will raise a loud shout he will raise a loud shout
H7321-04 Psalms 47:2 הָרִ֥יעוּ hariu HVhv2mp shout raise a loud shout shout a loud shout! (pl.)
H7321-06 Psalms 60:10 הִתְרֹעָֽעִֽי hiteroai HVrv2fs shout in triumph Break out in loud cry! Shout in triumph
H7321-22 Psalms 65:14 יִ֝תְרוֹעֲע֗וּ yiteroau HVri3mp they shout for joy they break out in loud cries they shout for joy
H7321-04 Psalms 66:1 הָרִ֥יעוּ hariu HVhv2mp Shout for joy raise a loud shout shout a loud shout! (pl.)
H7321-04 Psalms 81:2 הָ֝רִ֗יעוּ hariu HVhv2mp shout raise a loud shout shout a loud shout! (pl.)
H7321-10 Psalms 95:1 נָ֝רִ֗יעָה nariah HVhh1cp let us shout joyfully let us raise a loud shout let us raise a loud shout
H7321-09 Psalms 95:2 נָרִ֥יעַֽ naria HVhh1cp let us shout joyfully let us raise a shout let us raise a shout
H7321-04 Psalms 98:4 הָרִ֣יעוּ hariu HVhv2mp Shout joyfully raise a loud shout shout a loud shout! (pl.)
H7321-04 Psalms 98:6 הָ֝רִ֗יעוּ hariu HVhv2mp shout joyfully raise a loud shout shout a loud shout! (pl.)
H7321-04 Psalms 100:1 הָרִ֥יעוּ hariu HVhv2mp Shout joyfully raise a loud shout shout a loud shout! (pl.)
H7321-02 Psalms 108:10 אֶתְרוֹעָֽע eteroa HVri1cs I will shout in triumph I will raise a loud cry I will shout in triumph
H7321-20 Job 30:5 יָרִ֥יעוּ yariu HVhi3mp they cry out they raise loud cries they shall shout
H7321-16 Job 38:7 וַ֝/יָּרִ֗יעוּ vayariu HC/Vhw3mp shouted for joy and they raised a loud shout and they shouted loudly
H7321-05 Ezra 3:11 הֵרִיעוּ֩ heriu HVhp3cp shouted they raised a loud shout they raised a loud shout
H7321-08 Ezra 3:13 מְרִיעִים֙ meriim HVhrmpa shouting those sounding a loud cry shouting
H7321-07 2 Chronicles 13:12 לְ/הָרִ֣יעַ leharia HR/Vhc to sound to sound a loud alarm to sound a loud alarm
H7321-16 2 Chronicles 13:15 וַ/יָּרִ֖יעוּ vayariu HC/Vhw3mp and they shouted and they raised a loud shout and they shouted loudly
H7321-01 2 Chronicles 13:15 בְּ/הָרִ֨יעַ֙ beharia HR/Vhc in the shouting in raising a shout in raising a shout
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