רֹעָה
𐤓𐤏𐤄
rôʻâh
H7465 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
State of being broken, rupture, fracture, especially in a physical sense. The word denotes a breaking or act of being broken, typically of an object, vessel, or structure, and can also carry the connotation of ruin or destruction resulting from the act of breaking. Occasionally extended metaphorically to refer to a condition of disaster or collapse.
Semantic Range
breakage, fracture, shattered condition, ruin, physical destruction, collapse (literal or metaphorical)
Root / Etymology
From the root ר-ו-ע (רוע), meaning 'to break, to shatter, to destroy.' The noun רֹעָה is formed from this root and denotes the result or the state produced by breaking.
Historical & Contextual Notes
רֹעָה is a relatively rare word, occurring in poetic or prophetic passages. It often describes the condition of objects after violent action, such as pottery shattered by force, or a metaphorical state of devastation following calamity. The word is distinct from שָׁבָר (shever, H7667), which also means 'breaking, fracture' but is more commonly used and can refer to brokenness in a broader range of situations, including famine (figurative breaking). English translations often render רֹעָה as 'brokenness' or 'ruin'—terms that capture only part of the word’s nuance. Occurrences in the Hebrew Bible are concentrated in exilic or later prophetic contexts, reflecting themes of judgment or destruction. No theological or cultic connotations are inherent in the word; its use is descriptive rather than value-laden. In post-biblical Hebrew, this root and its cognates fade in favor of more common terms for breakage.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
for רֹעַ; breakage; broken, utterly.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
רוע (r-w-ʿ) — break, shatter, ruin
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H7321 | רוּעַ | in raising a shout |
| H7452 | רֵעַ | in his resounding shout |
| H8643 | תְּרוּעָה | with a shout-blast |
Word Forms
1 distinct form
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7465-01 |
רֹ֭עָה | roah | HVqrfsa |
bad | shattering one | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
1 total occurrence
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7465-01 |
Proverbs 25:19 | רֹ֭עָה | roah | HVqrfsa |
bad | shattering one |