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רָעָה

𐤓𐤏𐤄

Raah

H7462 verb

SILEX Entry

Root רעה to tend, to graze, to pasture, to care for, to guide

Definition

To act as a shepherd, to tend, pasture, or care for a flock; by extension, to guide, lead, or rule over people (especially in a leadership or governance role); also to graze (of animals) or to be in the role of a provider. The verb is applied both literally to livestock and metaphorically to persons entrusted with leadership or oversight. The semantic range includes contexts of providing for, protecting, and guiding.

Semantic Range

to tend a flock, to pasture, to herd (animals), to guide or lead (a group, especially people), to provide, to govern, to rule, to keep company; by extension, to associate with, to act as a companion or friend

Root / Etymology

From the Hebrew root רעה (resh-ayin-he), meaning 'to feed, pasture, tend'. The root signifies actions related to the care and management of livestock, particularly sheep, and through metaphorical usage expands to leadership and governance over people.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, רָעָה is commonly used to denote shepherding sheep or livestock (e.g., Genesis 29:9), as well as in a social or political metaphorical sense for leaders, such as kings (e.g., 2 Samuel 5:2, 'to shepherd My people Israel'). The term thus transitions from the concrete occupation of a shepherd to the broader concept of guidance and oversight. In later prophetic and poetic literature, 'shepherd' becomes a metaphor for both good and bad leadership (Ezekiel 34), highlighting responsibilities and failures of rulers. The verb is also used reflexively or in negative contexts (e.g., Ezekiel 34:2, for those who 'shepherd themselves' to the detriment of others). In contrast to nouns for friend or companion (רֵעַ), the verbal root רָעָה focuses on the activity of tending, guiding, or keeping company, rather than relational mutuality. Standard English versions sometimes translate רָעָה as 'pastor', 'rule', or 'companion', but such renderings may underplay the caretaking nuance of the Hebrew term.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to tend a flock; i.e. pasture it; intransitively, to graze (literally or figuratively); generally to rule; by extension, to associate with (as a friend); [idiom] break, companion, keep company with, devour, eat up, evil entreat, feed, use as a friend, make friendship with, herdman, keep (sheep) (-er), pastor, [phrase] shearing house, shepherd, wander, waste.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

רעה (r-ʿ-h) — to tend, to pasture, to shepherd, to guide, to care for

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4829 מִרְעֶה in a grazing-place
H4830 מִרְעִית as their pasturage
H7200 רָאָה shepherds of
H7453 רֵעַ with his associate
H7454 רֵעַ to my intention

Word Forms

50 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H7462-19 רֹ֣עֵה roeh HVqrmsc shepherd shepherding one of 26
H7462-05 הָ/רֹעִ֖ים haroim HTd/Vqrmpa the shepherds the tending-ones 23
H7462-24 רֹעִ֣ים roim HVqrmpa shepherds shepherding ones 16
H7462-48 יִרְע֔וּ yireu HVqj3mp feed they will shepherd 9
H7462-09 לִ/רְע֛וֹת lireot HR/Vqc to shepherd to shepherd 6
H7462-04 הָ/רֹעֶ֣ה haroeh HTd/Vqrmsa the shepherd the shepherding one 6
H7462-40 וְ/רָע֥וּ verau HC/Vqq3cp and feed and they shepherded 5
H7462-45 יִרְעֶ֥ה yireeh HVqi3ms feeds he will see 5
H7462-20 רֹ֣עֵי roey HVqrmpc the shepherds shepherding ones of 4
H7462-02 אֶרְעֶ֥ה ereeh HVqi1cs feed let me shepherd 4

Occurrences in Scripture

164 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H7462-19 Genesis 4:2 רֹ֣עֵה roeh HVqrmsc keeper shepherding one of
H7462-15 Genesis 29:7 רְעֽוּ reu HVqv2mp pasture them Tend!
H7462-16 Genesis 29:9 רֹעָ֖ה roah HVqrfsa she was a shepherdess shepherding woman
H7462-02 Genesis 30:31 אֶרְעֶ֥ה ereeh HVqi1cs I will pasture let me shepherd
H7462-19 Genesis 30:36 רֹעֶ֛ה roeh HVqrmsa fed shepherding one of
H7462-01 Genesis 36:24 בִּ/רְעֹת֥/וֹ bireoto HR/Vqc/Sp3ms as he pastured in his shepherding
H7462-19 Genesis 37:2 רֹעֶ֤ה roeh HVqrmsa shepherding shepherding one of
H7462-09 Genesis 37:12 לִ/רְע֛וֹת lireot HR/Vqc to pasture to shepherd
H7462-24 Genesis 37:13 רֹעִ֣ים roim HVqrmpa pasturing shepherding ones
H7462-24 Genesis 37:16 רֹעִֽים roim HVqrmpa are feeding shepherding ones
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