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רָעַל

𐤓𐤏𐤋

râʻal

H7477 verb

SILEX Entry

Root רעל to stagger, to reel, to tremble, to sway

Definition

A verb meaning 'to quiver, stagger, tremble, sway.' In context, it can denote physical trembling or unsteadiness (from fear, drunkenness, terror, or judgment), as well as figurative staggering or reeling (from emotion, divine judgment, or calamity). The term is often used to describe both animate subjects (people, armies, even the earth) experiencing overwhelming disturbance.

Semantic Range

to reel, to stagger (from drunkenness, fear, or judgment), to tremble (from terror), to sway unsteadily, to be thrown into disorder (literal/figurative), to brandish (in some poetic contexts)

Root / Etymology

Root רעל; the root meaning is 'to stagger, totter, tremble.' The verb derives directly from the root and expresses the act of staggering or trembling, whether literally or metaphorically. The root is distinct from רעל ('poison') despite the identical consonantal spelling, as the senses are contextually and semantically separate in the Hebrew lexicon.

Historical & Contextual Notes

רָעַל is found primarily in poetic and prophetic contexts (e.g., Job, Isaiah, Psalms) and is typically used to convey the powerful effects of divine judgment or extreme distress, whether personal or collective. In some passages, the term describes drunken staggering, but it may also refer to the shaking of nations, armies, or the earth itself, emphasizing an overwhelming force or instability. In contrast to verbs like נוע ('to shake/move') or רגש ('to quake/tremble'), רָעַל often carries an element of unsteady movement akin to reeling or shambling, and it can be used both for animate and inanimate subjects. English translations vary—often 'reel,' 'tremble,' or 'stagger'—but sometimes fail to convey the sense of loss of equilibrium or control. The semantic field overlaps with imagery of disorientation and collapse in times of crisis. Not to be confused with the noun רַעַל (Strong's H7476), 'veil' or 'headband,' nor with רעל ('poison').

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

a primitive root; to reel, i.e. (figuratively) to brandish; terribly shake.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

רעל (r-ʿ-l) — to stagger, to reel, to tremble, to sway

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H4831 מַרְעֲלָה and Maralah
H7478 רַעַל reeling state
H7479 רַעֲלָה and the fluttering veils
H7480 רְעֵלָיָה Yahweh Has Shaken
H8634 תַּרְאֲלָה and Taralah

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H7477-01 הָרְעָֽלוּ harealu HVHp3cp rushed they were caused to stagger 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H7477-01 Nahum 2:4 הָרְעָֽלוּ harealu HVHp3cp rushed they were caused to stagger
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