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רַעְיוֹן

𐤓𐤏𐤉𐤅𐤍

raʻyôwn

H7475 noun

SILEX Entry

Root רעה to tend, associate, care for, befriend

Definition

Mental striving, preoccupation, or thought, often with an undertone of anxiety or troubled focus—refers to a process of inner contemplation, reflection, or concern. Typically describes the activity or agitation of the mind as it engages with questions, desires, or troubling matters.

Semantic Range

mental striving, preoccupation, anxiety, inner concern, activity of the mind, reflection, vexation, inner turbulence

Root / Etymology

Derived from the root רעה (r-‘-h), which in various stems means 'to associate with, befriend, care for, tend, or pasture.' In this nominal form, the meaning develops toward an abstract sense of 'purpose,' 'preoccupation,' or 'striving of the mind,' likely by extension from more concrete meanings related to associating or tending—to the tending or wrestling that occurs mentally. However, the specific morphological path from רעה to רַעְיוֹן is not fully certain; a connection is also drawn to רְעוּת (re‘ut, meaning 'companionship' or 'friendship'), but here in a more abstract or psychological sense. The etymology remains somewhat uncertain beyond the association with the root.

Historical & Contextual Notes

רַעְיוֹן appears only in the book of Qohelet (Ecclesiastes), often paired with 'spirit' (רוּחַ) to describe mental striving or preoccupation (e.g., 'striving of spirit,' Ecclesiastes 1:14, 1:17, 2:22). The concept captures the existential or intellectual effort, inner turbulence, or endless pondering that characterizes much of Ecclesiastes' philosophical and skeptical tone. English translations vary widely, including 'vexation,' 'activity,' 'preoccupation,' or 'striving,' none of which fully expresses the term's sense of mental agitation or deep-seated concern. The absence of this term outside Qohelet suggests it may have been a later or specialized development within Hebrew, or a term reflecting particular linguistic stylings of the Persian/Hellenistic period. The use of רַעְיוֹן is distinct from related words such as רְעוּת (companionship), since it emphasizes mental or existential concern rather than interpersonal relationship.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from רָעָה in the sense of רְעוּת; desire; vexation.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

רעה (r-ʿ-h) — to tend, associate with, care for, befriend

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

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H7475-01 רַעְי֥וֹן raeyon HNcmsc inner striving of 1
H7475-02 וּ/בְ/רַעְי֖וֹן uveraeyon HC/R/Ncmsc mental striving of 1
H7475-03 וְ/רַעְי֥וֹן veraeyon HC/Ncmsc inner striving of 1

Occurrences in Scripture

3 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H7475-01 Ecclesiastes 1:17 רַעְי֥וֹן raeyon HNcmsc inner striving of
H7475-02 Ecclesiastes 2:22 וּ/בְ/רַעְי֖וֹן uveraeyon HC/R/Ncmsc mental striving of
H7475-03 Ecclesiastes 4:16 וְ/רַעְי֥וֹן veraeyon HC/Ncmsc inner striving of
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