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רֹעַ

𐤓𐤏

rôaʻ

H7455 noun

SILEX Entry

Root רָעַע to be bad, spoil, do evil, act wickedly

Definition

A state or condition of being bad, evil, or harmful, referring generally to moral, ethical, or physical distress or wickedness. The term can denote negative moral character, harmful deeds, calamity or adversity befalling an individual or people, and sometimes grief or sorrow resulting from such adversity. It functions as both an abstract and concrete noun in various contexts, expressing everything from immoral behavior to general misfortune or suffering.

Semantic Range

badness, evil, wickedness, misfortune, calamity, moral depravity, sorrow, sadness, distress, adversity

Root / Etymology

From the root רָעַע (to be bad, to spoil, to act wickedly). רֹעַ is a masculine noun deriving from this root, encapsulating the abstract concept derived from the root's action of causing harm or being evil. The root's core meaning covers general 'badness' but the noun form encompasses the result or state of that badness.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, רֹעַ frequently appears in contexts indicating moral perversity or violence (e.g., Micah 7:3), but is also used more generally for adversity or suffering (e.g., Genesis 48:16). The term stands in contrast with טוֹב (goodness, benefit, well-being) and is used alongside other terms for evil or calamity, such as רָעָה (calamity, disaster) and אָוֶן (iniquity, misfortune), though רֹעַ has a broader range, sometimes including sorrow or degradation. Later Jewish interpretive traditions often read רֹעַ in moral or theological terms, but in biblical contexts it can be simply the absence of well-being or presence of distress. English translations often render רֹעַ as 'wickedness' or 'evil,' but this sometimes narrows the term's breadth, which can refer as much to calamity or sadness as to explicit moral failure. Usage in exilic or post-exilic texts sometimes leans more toward abstract evil as a spiritual force, but the core remains concrete harm, disaster, or wicked act.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from רָעַע; badness (as marring), physically or morally; [idiom] be so bad, badness, ([idiom] be so) evil, naughtiness, sadness, sorrow, wickedness.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

רעע (r-ʿ-ʿ) — to be bad, spoil, do evil, act wickedly

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H1251 בַּר bad
H1254 בָּרָא bad
H1262 בָּרָה bad
H1283 בְּרִיעָה Beriyyah
H4828 מֵרֵעַ to his associate

Word Forms

6 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H7455-03 רֹ֥עַ roa HNcmsc evil badness of 10
H7455-02 מֵ/רֹֽעַ meroa HR/Ncmsa because-of-badness from badness 4
H7455-05 וּ/מֵ/רֹ֖עַ umeroa HC/R/Ncmsc and from and from badness 2
H7455-04 וּ/כְ/רֹ֪עַ ukheroa HC/R/Ncmsc and according to their evil and according to badness-of 1
H7455-06 בְ/רֹ֥עַ veroa HR/Ncmsc in badness-of 1
H7455-01 לָ/רֹֽעַ laroa HRd/Ncmsa for badness to badness 1

Occurrences in Scripture

19 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H7455-01 Genesis 41:19 לָ/רֹֽעַ laroa HRd/Ncmsa for badness to badness
H7455-03 Deuteronomy 28:20 רֹ֥עַ roa HNcmsc the evil badness of
H7455-03 1 Samuel 17:28 רֹ֣עַ roa HNcmsc evil badness of
H7455-03 Isaiah 1:16 רֹ֥עַ roa HNcmsc the evil badness of
H7455-03 Jeremiah 4:4 רֹ֥עַ roa HNcmsc evil badness of
H7455-03 Jeremiah 21:12 רֹ֥עַ roa HNcmsc evil badness of
H7455-03 Jeremiah 23:2 רֹ֥עַ roa HNcmsc the evil badness of
H7455-05 Jeremiah 23:22 וּ/מֵ/רֹ֖עַ umeroa HC/R/Ncmsc and-from-evil and from badness
H7455-02 Jeremiah 24:2 מֵ/רֹֽעַ meroa HR/Ncmsa because-of-badness from badness
H7455-02 Jeremiah 24:3 מֵ/רֹֽעַ meroa HR/Ncmsa because-of-badness from badness
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