רֹאשׁ
head
also: top, summit, upper part, chief fuller range ↓
Full lexicon entry — Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
From Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
Where this word appears
See every Construct-state word in the Hebrew Bible →
Grammar key — what these labels mean
Part of speech
- Noun
- A naming word — a person, place, thing, or idea.
Noun type
- Common
- A common noun — a general class of person, place, or thing (“king,” “city,” “water”), not a specific name.
State
- Construct
- A noun bound to a following noun in a possessive / “of” relationship (the construct chain).
- Absolute
- The independent form of a noun, not bound to a following word.
Gender
- Masculine
- Grammatically masculine.
Number
- Singular
- One.
- Plural
- More than one (in Hebrew, generally three or more).
Grammatical forms
- Noun, Common, Masculine, Singular, Construct 353 times (59%)
- Noun, Common, Masculine, Plural, Construct 128 times (21%)
- Noun, Common, Masculine, Singular, Absolute 97 times (16%)
- Noun, Common, Masculine, Plural, Absolute 22 times (4%)
Parsed forms decoded from the imported morphology (morphhb / Westminster Leningrad Codex — WLC text public domain, morphhb tagging CC BY 4.0), counted across 600 parsed occurrences — not distinct verses.
Page 3 of 3 — showing verses 401–547 of 547 distinct verses where H7218 appears, across 35 books. Click any verse to open its interlinear word-by-word view. Verse text shown in the World English Bible for context — . Each verse’s Hebrew form is shown with its reference; the English is not keyword-highlighted, since the data carries no word-level English alignment. Use “Compare translations” on any verse to read it across multiple English versions. This concordance covers the Hebrew Bible; Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) occurrences are not indexed here.
Psalms 32 verses
- Psalms 74:13 רָאשֵׁ֥י n c mp cs You divided the sea by your strength. You broke the heads of the sea monsters in the waters.
- Psalms 74:14 רָאשֵׁ֣י n c mp cs You broke the heads of Leviathan in pieces. You gave him as food to people and desert creatures.
- Psalms 83:2 רֹֽאשׁ n c ms For, behold, your enemies are stirred up. Those who hate you have lifted up their heads.
- Psalms 108:8 רֹאשִׁ֑/י n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cs Gilead is mine. Manasseh is mine. Ephraim also is my helmet. Judah is my scepter.
- Psalms 109:25 רֹאשָֽׁ/ם n c ms cs + sfx pers 3mp I have also become a reproach to them. When they see me, they shake their head.
- Psalms 110:6 רֹ֝֗אשׁ n c ms He will judge among the nations. He will heap up dead bodies. He will crush the ruler of the whole earth.
- Psalms 110:7 רֹֽאשׁ n c ms He will drink of the brook in the way; Therefore he will lift up his head.
- Psalms 118:22 לְ/רֹ֣אשׁ prep + n c ms cs The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner.
- Psalms 119:160 רֹאשׁ n c ms cs All of your words are truth. Every one of your righteous ordinances endures forever.
- Psalms 133:2 הָ/רֹ֗אשׁ ptcl def.art + n c ms It is like the precious oil on the head, That ran down on the beard, Even Aaron's beard; That came down on the edge of his robes;
- Psalms 137:6 רֹ֣אשׁ n c ms cs Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth if I don't remember you; If I don't prefer Jerusalem above my chief joy.
- Psalms 139:17 רָאשֵׁי/הֶֽם n c mp cs + sfx pers 3mp How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them!
- Psalms 140:7 לְ֝/רֹאשִׁ֗/י prep + n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cs Yahweh, the Lord, the strength of my salvation, You have covered my head in the day of battle.
- Psalms 140:9 רֹ֥אשׁ n c ms cs As for the head of those who surround me, Let the mischief of their own lips cover them.
- Psalms 141:5 רֹ֭אשׁ רֹאשִׁ֑/י n c ms n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cs Let the righteous strike me, it is kindness; Let him reprove me, it is like oil on the head; Don't let my head refuse it; Yet my prayer is always against evil deeds.
Proverbs 10 verses
- Proverbs 1:9 לְ/רֹאשֶׁ֑/ךָ prep + n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms For they will be a garland to grace your head, And chains around your neck.
- Proverbs 1:21 בְּ/רֹ֥אשׁ prep + n c ms cs She calls at the head of noisy places. At the entrance of the city gates, she utters her words:
- Proverbs 4:9 לְ֭/רֹאשְׁ/ךָ prep + n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms She will give to your head a garland of grace. She will deliver a crown of splendor to you."
- Proverbs 8:2 בְּ/רֹאשׁ prep + n c ms cs On the top of high places by the way, Where the paths meet, she stands.
- Proverbs 8:23 מֵ/רֹ֗אשׁ prep + n c ms I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, Before the earth existed.
- Proverbs 8:26 וְ֝/רֹ֗אשׁ conj + n c ms cs While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, Nor the beginning of the dust of the world.
- Proverbs 10:6 לְ/רֹ֣אשׁ prep + n c ms Blessings are on the head of the righteous, But violence covers the mouth of the wicked.
- Proverbs 11:26 לְ/רֹ֣אשׁ prep + n c ms cs People curse someone who withholds grain, But blessing will be on the head of him who sells it.
- Proverbs 23:34 בְּ/רֹ֣אשׁ prep + n c ms cs Yes, you will be as he who lies down in the midst of the sea, Or as he who lies on top of the rigging:
- Proverbs 25:22 רֹאשׁ֑/וֹ n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms For you will heap coals of fire on his head, And Yahweh will reward you.
Ecclesiastes 3 verses
- Ecclesiastes 2:14 בְּ/רֹאשׁ֔/וֹ prep + n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms The wise man's eyes are in his head, and the fool walks in darkness--and yet I perceived that one event happens to them all.
- Ecclesiastes 3:11 מֵ/רֹ֥אשׁ prep + n c ms He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in their hearts, yet so that man can't find out the work that God has done from the beginning even to the end.
- Ecclesiastes 9:8 רֹאשְׁ/ךָ֥ n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms Let your garments be always white, and don't let your head lack oil.
Song of Solomon 7 verses
- Song of Solomon 2:6 לְ/רֹאשִׁ֔/י prep + n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cs His left hand is under my head. His right hand embraces me.
- Song of Solomon 4:8 מֵ/רֹ֣אשׁ מֵ/רֹ֤אשׁ prep + n c ms cs prep + n c ms cs Come with me from Lebanon, my bride, With me from Lebanon. Look from the top of Amana, From the top of Senir and Hermon, From the lions' dens, From the mountains of the leopards.
- Song of Solomon 4:14 רָאשֵׁ֥י n c mp cs Spikenard and saffron, Calamus and cinnamon, with every kind of incense tree; Myrrh and aloes, with all the best spices,
- Song of Solomon 5:2 שֶׁ/רֹּאשִׁ/י֙ ptcl rel + n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cs I was asleep, but my heart was awake. It is the voice of my beloved who knocks: Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled; For my head is filled with dew, My hair with the dampness of the night.
- Song of Solomon 5:11 רֹאשׁ֖/וֹ n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms His head is like the purest gold. His hair is bushy, black as a raven.
- Song of Solomon 7:5 רֹאשֵׁ֤/ךְ רֹאשֵׁ֖/ךְ n c ms cs + sfx pers 2fs n c ms cs + sfx pers 2fs Your head on you is like Carmel, The hair of your head like purple; The king is held captive in its tresses.
- Song of Solomon 8:3 רֹאשִׁ֔/י n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cs His left hand would be under my head. His right hand would embrace me.
Isaiah 26 verses
- Isaiah 1:5 רֹ֣אשׁ n c ms Why should you be beaten more, That you revolt more and more? The whole head is sick, And the whole heart faint.
- Isaiah 1:6 רֹאשׁ֙ n c ms From the sole of the foot even to the head there is no soundness in it: Wounds, welts, and open sores. They haven't been closed, neither bandaged, neither soothed with oil.
- Isaiah 2:2 בְּ/רֹ֣אשׁ prep + n c ms cs It shall happen in the latter days, that the mountain of Yahweh's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be raised above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it.
- Isaiah 7:8 רֹ֤אשׁ וְ/רֹ֥אשׁ n c ms cs conj + n c ms cs For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within sixty-five years Ephraim shall be broken in pieces, so that it shall not be a people;
- Isaiah 7:9 וְ/רֹ֤אשׁ וְ/רֹ֥אשׁ conj + n c ms cs conj + n c ms cs and the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah's son. If you will not believe, surely you shall not be established.'"
- Isaiah 7:20 הָ/רֹ֖אשׁ ptcl def.art + n c ms In that day the Lord will shave with a razor that is hired in the parts beyond the River, even with the king of Assyria, the head and the hair of the feet; and it shall also consume the beard.
- Isaiah 9:14 רֹ֧אשׁ n c ms Therefore Yahweh will cut off from Israel head and tail, palm-branch and rush, in one day.
- Isaiah 9:15 הָ/רֹ֑אשׁ ptcl def.art + n c ms The elder and the honorable man, he is the head; and the prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail.
- Isaiah 15:2 רֹאשָׁ֣י/ו n c mp cs + sfx pers 3ms They are gone up to Bayith, and to Dibon, to the high places, to weep: Moab wails over Nebo, and over Medeba; on all their heads is baldness, every beard is cut off.
- Isaiah 17:6 בְּ/רֹ֣אשׁ prep + n c ms cs Yet there shall be left therein gleanings, as the shaking of an olive tree, two or three berries in the top of the uppermost bough, four or five in the outmost branches of a fruitful tree, says Yahweh, the God of Israel.
- Isaiah 19:15 רֹ֥אשׁ n c ms Neither shall there be for Egypt any work, which head or tail, palm-branch or rush, may do.
- Isaiah 28:1 רֹ֥אשׁ n c ms cs Woe to the crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim, and to the fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley of those who are overcome with wine!
- Isaiah 28:4 רֹ֖אשׁ n c ms cs and the fading flower of his glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be as the first-ripe fig before the summer; which when he who looks on it sees, while it is yet in his hand he eats it up.
- Isaiah 29:10 רָאשֵׁי/כֶ֥ם n c mp cs + sfx pers 2mp For Yahweh has poured out on you the spirit of deep sleep, and has closed your eyes, the prophets; and your heads, the seers, has he covered.
- Isaiah 30:17 רֹ֣אשׁ n c ms cs One thousand [shall flee] at the threat of one; at the threat of five shall you flee: until you be left as a beacon on the top of a mountain, and as an ensign on a hill.
- Isaiah 35:10 רֹאשָׁ֑/ם n c ms cs + sfx pers 3mp and the ransomed of Yahweh shall return, and come with singing to Zion; and everlasting joy shall be on their heads: they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
- Isaiah 37:22 רֹ֣אשׁ n c ms this is the word which Yahweh has spoken concerning him: The virgin daughter of Zion has despised you and ridiculed you; the daughter of Jerusalem has shaken her head at you.
- Isaiah 40:21 מֵ/רֹ֖אשׁ prep + n c ms Have you not known? have yet not heard? has it not been told you from the beginning? have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?
- Isaiah 41:4 מֵ/רֹ֑אשׁ prep + n c ms Who has worked and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I, Yahweh, the first, and with the last, I am he.
- Isaiah 41:26 מֵ/רֹאשׁ֙ prep + n c ms Who has declared it from the beginning, that we may know? and before, that we may say, [He is] right? yes, there is none who declares, yes, there is none who shows, yes, there is none who hears your words.
- Isaiah 42:11 מֵ/רֹ֥אשׁ prep + n c ms cs Let the wilderness and the cities of it lift up [their voice], the villages that Kedar does inhabit; let the inhabitants of Sela sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains.
- Isaiah 48:16 מֵ/רֹאשׁ֙ prep + n c ms Come you near to me, hear you this; from the beginning I have not spoken in secret; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord Yahweh has sent me, and his Spirit.
- Isaiah 51:11 רֹאשָׁ֑/ם n c ms cs + sfx pers 3mp The ransomed of Yahweh shall return, and come with singing to Zion; and everlasting joy shall be on their heads: they shall obtain gladness and joy; [and] sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
- Isaiah 51:20 בְּ/רֹ֥אשׁ prep + n c ms cs Your sons have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets, as an antelope in a net; they are full of the wrath of Yahweh, the rebuke of your God.
- Isaiah 58:5 רֹאשׁ֗/וֹ n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms Is such the fast that I have chosen? the day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head as a rush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? will you call this a fast, and an acceptable day to Yahweh?
- Isaiah 59:17 בְּ/רֹאשׁ֑/וֹ prep + n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head; and he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a mantle.
Jeremiah 13 verses
- Jeremiah 2:37 רֹאשֵׁ֑/ךְ n c ms cs + sfx pers 2fs From there also shall you go forth, with your hands on your head: for Yahweh has rejected those in whom you trust, and you shall not prosper with them.
- Jeremiah 9:1 רֹאשִׁ/י֙ n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cs Oh that my head were waters, and my eyes a spring of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!
- Jeremiah 13:21 לְ/רֹ֑אשׁ prep + n c ms What will you say, when he shall set over you as head those whom you have yourself taught to be friends to you? shall not sorrows take hold of you, as of a woman in travail?
- Jeremiah 14:3 רֹאשָֽׁ/ם n c ms cs + sfx pers 3mp Their nobles send their little ones to the waters: they come to the cisterns, and find no water; they return with their vessels empty; they are disappointed and confounded, and cover their heads.
- Jeremiah 14:4 רֹאשָֽׁ/ם n c ms cs + sfx pers 3mp Because of the ground which is cracked, because no rain has been in the land, the plowmen are disappointed, they cover their heads.
- Jeremiah 18:16 בְּ/רֹאשֽׁ/וֹ prep + n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms to make their land an astonishment, and a perpetual hissing; everyone who passes thereby shall be astonished, and shake his head.
- Jeremiah 22:6 רֹ֣אשׁ n c ms cs For thus says Yahweh concerning the house of the king of Judah: You are Gilead to me, [and] the head of Lebanon; [yet] surely I will make you a wilderness, [and] cities which are not inhabited.
- Jeremiah 23:19 רֹ֥אשׁ n c ms cs Behold, the tempest of Yahweh, [even his] wrath, is gone forth, yes, a whirling tempest: it shall burst on the head of the wicked.
- Jeremiah 30:23 רֹ֥אשׁ n c ms cs Behold, the tempest of Yahweh, [even his] wrath, is gone forth, a sweeping tempest: it shall burst on the head of the wicked.
- Jeremiah 31:7 בְּ/רֹ֣אשׁ prep + n c ms cs For thus says Yahweh, Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout for the chief of the nations: publish you, praise you, and say, Yahweh, save your people, the remnant of Israel.
- Jeremiah 48:37 רֹאשׁ֙ n c ms For every head is bald, and every beard clipped: on all the hands are cuttings, and on the loins sackcloth.
- Jeremiah 52:24 הָ/רֹ֔אשׁ ptcl def.art + n c ms The captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the threshold:
- Jeremiah 52:31 רֹאשׁ֙ n c ms cs It happened in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, in the five and twentieth day of the month, that Evilmerodach king of Babylon, in the [first] year of his reign, lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah, and brought him forth out of prison;
Lamentations 7 verses
- Lamentations 1:5 לְ/רֹאשׁ֙ prep + n c ms Her adversaries are become the head, her enemies prosper; For Yahweh has afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: Her young children are gone into captivity before the adversary.
- Lamentations 2:10 רֹאשָׁ֔/ם רֹאשָׁ֔/ן n c ms cs + sfx pers 3mp n c ms cs + sfx pers 3fp The elders of the daughter of Zion sit on the ground, they keep silence; They have cast up dust on their heads; they have girded themselves with sackcloth: The virgins of Jerusalem hang down their heads to the ground.
- Lamentations 2:15 רֹאשָׁ֔/ם n c ms cs + sfx pers 3mp All that pass by clap their hands at you; They hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem, [saying], Is this the city that men called The perfection of beauty, The joy of the whole earth?
- Lamentations 2:19 לְ/רֹאשׁ֙ בְּ/רֹ֥אשׁ prep + n c ms cs prep + n c ms cs Arise, cry out in the night, at the beginning of the watches; Pour out your heart like water before the face of the Lord: Lift up your hands toward him for the life of your young children, that faint for hunger at the head of every street.
- Lamentations 3:54 רֹאשִׁ֖/י n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cs Waters flowed over my head; I said, I am cut off.
- Lamentations 4:1 בְּ/רֹ֖אשׁ prep + n c ms cs How is the gold become dim! [how] is the most pure gold changed! The stones of the sanctuary are poured out at the head of every street.
- Lamentations 5:16 רֹאשֵׁ֔/נוּ n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cp The crown is fallen from our head: Woe to us! for we have sinned.
Ezekiel 38 verses
- Ezekiel 1:22 רָאשֵׁ֤י רָאשֵׁי/הֶ֖ם n c mp cs n c mp cs + sfx pers 3mp Over the head of the living creature there was the likeness of an expanse, like the awesome crystal to look on, stretched forth over their heads above.
- Ezekiel 1:25 רֹאשָׁ֑/ם n c ms cs + sfx pers 3mp There was a voice above the expanse that was over their heads: when they stood, they let down their wings.
- Ezekiel 1:26 רֹאשָׁ֔/ם n c ms cs + sfx pers 3mp Above the expanse that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone; and on the likeness of the throne was a likeness as the appearance of a man on it above.
- Ezekiel 5:1 רֹאשְׁ/ךָ֖ n c ms cs + sfx pers 2ms You, son of man, take a sharp sword; [as] a barber's razor shall you take it to you, and shall cause it to pass on your head and on your beard: then take balances to weigh, and divide the hair.
- Ezekiel 6:13 רָאשֵׁ֣י n c mp cs You shall know that I am Yahweh, when their slain men shall be among their idols round about their altars, on every high hill, on all the tops of the mountains, and under every green tree, and under every thick oak, the places where they offered sweet savor to all their idols.
- Ezekiel 7:18 רָאשֵׁי/הֶ֖ם n c mp cs + sfx pers 3mp They shall also gird themselves with sackcloth, and horror shall cover them; and shame shall be on all faces, and baldness on all their heads.
- Ezekiel 8:3 רֹאשִׁ֑/י n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cs He put forth the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of my head; and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and the sky, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the gate of the inner [court] that looks toward the north; where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provokes to jealousy.
- Ezekiel 9:10 בְּ/רֹאשָׁ֥/ם prep + n c ms cs + sfx pers 3mp As for me also, my eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will bring their way on their head.
- Ezekiel 10:1 רֹ֣אשׁ n c ms cs Then I looked, and see, in the expanse that was over the head of the cherubim there appeared above them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance of the likeness of a throne.
- Ezekiel 10:11 הָ/רֹאשׁ֙ ptcl def.art + n c ms When they went, they went in their four directions: they didn't turn as they went, but to the place where the head looked they followed it; they didn't turn as they went.
- Ezekiel 11:21 בְּ/רֹאשָׁ֣/ם prep + n c ms cs + sfx pers 3mp But as for them whose heart walks after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their way on their own heads, says the Lord Yahweh.
- Ezekiel 13:18 רֹ֥אשׁ n c ms cs and say, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Woe to the women who sew pillows on all elbows, and make kerchiefs for the head of [persons of] every stature to hunt souls! Will you hunt the souls of my people, and save souls alive for yourselves?
- Ezekiel 16:12 בְּ/רֹאשֵֽׁ/ךְ prep + n c ms cs + sfx pers 2fs I put a ring on your nose, and ear-rings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head.
- Ezekiel 16:25 רֹ֣אשׁ n c ms cs You have built your lofty place at the head of every way, and have made your beauty an abomination, and have opened your feet to everyone who passed by, and multiplied your prostitution.
- Ezekiel 16:31 בְּ/רֹ֣אשׁ prep + n c ms cs in that you build your vaulted place at the head of every way, and make your lofty place in every street, and have not been as a prostitute, in that you scorn pay.
- Ezekiel 16:43 בְּ/רֹ֣אשׁ prep + n c ms Because you have not remembered the days of your youth, but have raged against me in all these things; therefore, behold, I also will bring your way on your head, says the Lord Yahweh: and you shall not commit this lewdness with all your abominations.
- Ezekiel 17:4 רֹ֥אשׁ n c ms cs he cropped off the topmost of the young twigs of it, and carried it to a land of traffic; he set it in a city of merchants.
- Ezekiel 17:19 בְּ/רֹאשֽׁ/וֹ prep + n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: As I live, surely my oath that he has despised, and my covenant that he has broken, I will even bring it on his own head.
- Ezekiel 17:22 מֵ/רֹ֤אשׁ prep + n c ms cs Thus says the Lord Yahweh: I will also take of the lofty top of the cedar, and will set it; I will crop off from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one, and I will plant it on a high and lofty mountain:
- Ezekiel 21:19 בְּ/רֹ֥אשׁ prep + n c ms cs Also, you son of man, appoint two ways, that the sword of the king of Babylon may come; they both shall come forth out of one land: and mark out a place, mark it out at the head of the way to the city.
- Ezekiel 21:21 בְּ/רֹ֛אשׁ prep + n c ms cs For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he shook the arrows back and forth, he consulted the teraphim, he looked in the liver.
- Ezekiel 22:31 בְּ/רֹאשָׁ֣/ם prep + n c ms cs + sfx pers 3mp Therefore have I poured out my indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I brought on their heads, says the Lord Yahweh.
- Ezekiel 23:15 בְּ/רָ֣אשֵׁי/הֶ֔ם prep + n c mp cs + sfx pers 3mp girded with girdles on their loins, with flowing turbans on their heads, all of them princes to look on, after the likeness of the Babylonians in Chaldea, the land of their birth.
- Ezekiel 23:42 רָאשֵׁי/הֶֽן n c mp cs + sfx pers 3fp The voice of a multitude being at ease was with her: and with men of the common sort were brought drunkards from the wilderness; and they put bracelets on the hands of them [twain], and beautiful crowns on their heads.
- Ezekiel 24:23 רָאשֵׁי/כֶ֗ם n c mp cs + sfx pers 2mp Your tires shall be on your heads, and your shoes on your feet: you shall not mourn nor weep; but you shall pine away in your iniquities, and moan one toward another.
- Ezekiel 27:22 בְּ/רֹ֨אשׁ prep + n c ms cs The traffickers of Sheba and Raamah, they were your traffickers; they traded for your wares with the chief of all spices, and with all precious stones, and gold.
- Ezekiel 27:30 רָ֣אשֵׁי/הֶ֔ם n c mp cs + sfx pers 3mp and shall cause their voice to be heard over you, and shall cry bitterly, and shall cast up dust on their heads, they shall wallow themselves in the ashes:
- Ezekiel 29:18 רֹ֣אשׁ n c ms Son of man, Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon caused his army to serve a great service against Tyre: every head was made bald, and every shoulder was worn; yet had he no wages, nor his army, from Tyre, for the service that he had served against it.
- Ezekiel 32:27 רָאשֵׁי/הֶ֗ם n c mp cs + sfx pers 3mp They shall not lie with the mighty who are fallen of the uncircumcised, who are gone down to Sheol with their weapons of war, and have laid their swords under their heads, and their iniquities are on their bones; for [they were] the terror of the mighty in the land of the living.
- Ezekiel 33:4 בְ/רֹאשׁ֖/וֹ prep + n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet, and doesn't take warning, if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be on his own head.
- Ezekiel 38:2 רֹ֖אשׁ n c ms cs Son of man, set your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him,
- Ezekiel 38:3 רֹ֖אשׁ n c ms cs and say, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold, I am against you, Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal:
- Ezekiel 39:1 רֹ֖אשׁ n c ms cs You, son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Behold, I am against you, Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal:
- Ezekiel 40:1 בְּ/רֹ֨אשׁ prep + n c ms cs In the five and twentieth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, in the tenth [day] of the month, in the fourteenth year after that the city was struck, in the same day, the hand of Yahweh was on me, and he brought me there.
- Ezekiel 42:12 בְּ/רֹ֣אשׁ prep + n c ms cs According to the doors of the chambers that were toward the south was a door at the head of the way, even the way directly before the wall toward the east, as one enters into them.
- Ezekiel 43:12 רֹ֣אשׁ n c ms cs This is the law of the house: on the top of the mountain the whole limit of it round about shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house.
- Ezekiel 44:18 רֹאשָׁ֔/ם n c ms cs + sfx pers 3mp They shall have linen tires on their heads, and shall have linen breeches on their loins; they shall not gird themselves with [anything that causes] sweat.
- Ezekiel 44:20 וְ/רֹאשָׁ/ם֙ רָאשֵׁי/הֶֽם conj + n c ms cs + sfx pers 3mp n c mp cs + sfx pers 3mp Neither shall they shave their heads, nor allow their locks to grow long; they shall only cut off the hair of their heads.
Daniel 1 verse
Hosea 2 verses
- Hosea 1:11 רֹ֥אשׁ n c ms The children of Judah and the children of Israel will be gathered together, and they will appoint themselves one head, and will go up from the land; for great will be the day of Jezreel.
- Hosea 4:13 רָאשֵׁ֨י n c mp cs They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains, And burn incense on the hills, under oaks and poplars and terebinths, Because its shade is good. Therefore your daughters play the prostitute, And your brides commit adultery.
Joel 3 verses
- Joel 2:5 רָאשֵׁ֤י n c mp cs Like the noise of chariots on the tops of the mountains do they leap, Like the noise of a flame of fire that devours the stubble, As a strong people set in battle array.
- Joel 3:4 בְּ/רֹאשְׁ/כֶֽם prep + n c ms cs + sfx pers 2mp "Yes, and what are you to me, Tyre, and Sidon, And all the regions of Philistia? Will you repay me? And if you repay me, I will swiftly and speedily return your repayment on your own head.
- Joel 3:7 בְּ/רֹאשְׁ/כֶֽם prep + n c ms cs + sfx pers 2mp Behold, I will stir them up out of the place where you have sold them, And will return your repayment on your own head;
Amos 6 verses
- Amos 1:2 רֹ֥אשׁ n c ms cs He said: "Yahweh will roar from Zion, And utter his voice from Jerusalem; And the pastures of the shepherds will mourn, And the top of Carmel will wither."
- Amos 2:7 בְּ/רֹ֣אשׁ prep + n c ms cs They trample on the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, And deny justice to the oppressed; And a man and his father use the same maiden, to profane my holy name;
- Amos 6:7 בְּ/רֹ֣אשׁ prep + n c ms Therefore they will now go captive with the first who go captive; And the feasting and lounging will end.
- Amos 8:10 רֹ֖אשׁ n c ms I will turn your feasts into mourning, And all your songs into lamentation; And I will make you wear sackcloth on all your bodies, And baldness on every head. I will make it like the mourning for an only son, And the end of it like a bitter day.
- Amos 9:1 בְּ/רֹ֣אשׁ prep + n c ms cs I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and he said, "Strike the tops of the pillars, that the thresholds may shake; and break them in pieces on the head of all of them; and I will kill the last of them with the sword: there shall not one of them flee away, and there shall not one of them escape.
- Amos 9:3 בְּ/רֹ֣אשׁ prep + n c ms cs Though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out there; and though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, there I will command the serpent, and it will bite them.
Obadiah 1 verse
Jonah 3 verses
- Jonah 2:5 לְ/רֹאשִֽׁ/י prep + n c ms cs + sfx pers 1cs The waters surrounded me, Even to the soul. The deep was around me. The weeds were wrapped around my head.
- Jonah 4:6 רֹאשׁ֔/וֹ n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms Yahweh God prepared a vine, and made it to come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to deliver him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the vine.
- Jonah 4:8 רֹ֥אשׁ n c ms cs It happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a sultry east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah's head, so that he fainted, and requested for himself that he might die, and said, "It is better for me to die than to live."
Micah 5 verses
- Micah 2:13 בְּ/רֹאשָֽׁ/ם prep + n c ms cs + sfx pers 3mp He who breaks open the way goes up before them. They break through the gate, and go out. And their king passes on before them, With Yahweh at their head."
- Micah 3:1 רָאשֵׁ֣י n c mp cs I said, "Please listen, you heads of Jacob, And rulers of the house of Israel: Isn't it for you to know justice?
- Micah 3:9 רָאשֵׁי֙ n c mp cs Please listen to this, you heads of the house of Jacob, And rulers of the house of Israel, Who abhor justice, And pervert all equity.
- Micah 3:11 רָאשֶׁ֣י/הָ n c mp cs + sfx pers 3fs Her leaders judge for bribes, And her priests teach for a price, And her prophets of it tell forturnes for money: Yet they lean on Yahweh, and say, Isn't Yahweh in the midst of us? No disaster will come on us.
- Micah 4:1 בְּ/רֹ֣אשׁ prep + n c ms cs But in the latter days, It will happen that the mountain of Yahweh's temple will be established on the top of the mountains, And it will be exalted above the hills; And peoples will stream to it.
Nahum 1 verse
Habakkuk 2 verses
- Habakkuk 3:13 רֹּאשׁ֙ n c ms You went forth for the salvation of your people, For the salvation of your anointed. You crushed the head of the land of wickedness. You stripped them head to foot. Selah.
- Habakkuk 3:14 רֹ֣אשׁ n c ms cs You pierced the heads of his warriors with their own spears. They came as a whirlwind to scatter me, Gloating as if to devour the wretched in secret.
Zechariah 4 verses
- Zechariah 1:21 רֹאשׁ֔/וֹ n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms Then I asked, "What are these coming to do?" He said, "These are the horns which scattered Judah, so that no man lifted up his head; but these have come to terrify them, to cast down the horns of the nations, which lifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it."
- Zechariah 3:5 רֹאשׁ֑/וֹ רֹאשׁ֗/וֹ n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms I said, "Let them set a clean turban on his head." So they set a clean turban on his head, and clothed him; and the angel of Yahweh was standing by.
- Zechariah 4:2 רֹאשָׁ֗/הּ רֹאשָֽׁ/הּ n c ms cs + sfx pers 3fs n c ms cs + sfx pers 3fs He said to me, "What do you see?" I said, "I have seen, and, behold, a lampstand all of gold, with its bowl on the top of it, and its seven lamps thereon; there are seven pipes to each of the lamps, which are on the top of it;
- Zechariah 6:11 בְּ/רֹ֛אשׁ prep + n c ms cs Yes, take silver and gold, and make crowns, and set them on the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest;
About this entry
At a glance — auto-summarized from this page’s data, not written by a person. Every figure links to its source below. This summary describes the numbers; it doesn’t interpret them.
The Hebrew noun ראש centers on the idea of “head.” Beyond “head” it also covers “top”, “summit”, and “upper part” — see its full sense range. The Hebrew Bible uses it across 547 verses — among the most common. First canonically at Genesis 2:10, it enters the text early. Related forms include מראשה, ראש and ראש. For the data behind this summary, explore the sense tree and the renderings breakdown below.
Gloss history
Strong's 1890 vs modern scholarship
About this word
Strong's H7218 catalogs a Hebrew word from the Hebrew Old Testament.
These counts are not copied from any lexicon or concordance. They are computed here, from the morphology-tagged Hebrew Old Testament. What Lemma adds →
- 547
- distinct verses
- The word appears in 547 distinct verses.
- 35 / 39
- OT books
- The word appears in 35 of 39 Old Testament books.
- #80
- by frequency
- Top 100 most frequent Hebrew words (rank 80 of 8,640 Hebrew words by occurrence).
View all 547 occurrences in the concordance →
Most concentrated in
- 1 Chronicles 63 verses 12%
- Leviticus 38 verses 7%
- Ezekiel 38 verses 7%
By section of the Old Testament
By traditional corpus
Conventional, traditional groupings — biblical authorship is debated, so this is a traditional corpus grouping, not an authorship claim. Each share is this word’s portion of its verses in that division of the Hebrew canon. Each figure is a share of the word’s 547 distinct verses.
- Prophets (Nevi'im) 226 verses · 41%
- Writings (Ketuvim) 190 verses · 35%
- Torah (Pentateuch) 131 verses · 24%
How translations render this word
Counts come from each version’s own published word-to-Strong’s tagging or interlinear alignment — an approximate guide to how each version renders this word, not a word-level alignment the data otherwise carries. Because each total is that version’s own tagged count, the per-version totals vary from one another and need not match the appearance or distinct-verse counts above. These counts may also differ from a printed concordance because Lemma counts each distinctly tagged rendering and does not collapse phrase taggings into a single head-word total. This is a fixed set of word-tagged versions (KJV, ASV, BSB, ULT) and does not change with the reading translation you choose elsewhere. Each version’s license is shown beside its name below (and on Sources).
BDB lists this Strong’s number as 4 distinct words (homographs). Each count above pools all of them and is not split by sense — see the Senses section below. A low-frequency rendering may belong to a different one of those words, not the primary meaning.
- King James Version†: Head 201×, Chief 63×, Heads 60×
- American Standard Version†: Head 174×, Heads 81×, Top 44×
- Berean Standard Bible†: Head 186×, Heads 92×, Top 28×
- unfoldingWord Literal Text†: Head 222×, Head of 120×, Heads of 81×
King James Version Public Domain
Renders H7218 across 598† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 94 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
American Standard Version Public Domain
Renders H7218 across 601† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 128 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
Berean Standard Bible Public Domain
Renders H7218 across 570† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 79 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings. Not rendered by a distinct English word in 28 further occurrences.
unfoldingWord Literal Text CC BY-SA 4.0
Renders H7218 across 617† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 36 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
18 senses and sub-senses in the full BDB
What do BDB’s symbols mean?
BDB uses these scholarly abbreviations:
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 𝔊 | the Septuagint (the ancient Greek translation, LXX) |
| 𝔙 | the Vulgate (the Latin translation) |
| 𝔖 | the Syriac version (the Peshitta) |
| 𝔗 | the Targum (the Aramaic translation) |
| ψ | the Psalms |
| √ | root (the underlying root or stem) |
| ‖ | parallel passage (a synonymous or contrasted parallel) |
| † | the dagger: every passage where the word occurs is cited |
The 18 senses and sub-senses the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon distinguishes for this word, in lexicon order (not ranked by frequency), with BDB’s own verbatim wording and sub-sense lettering. Shown in Hebrew script with BDB’s own scholarly abbreviations. The condensed entry is in the Lexicon Entry tab. See also the Forms in the corpus table below.
ראש I
- 1.
- a. (c. 230 times) head, of human being; man Gn 40:16, 17 + often, לְר׳ גֶּבֶר Ju 5:30 for the head of a man, i.e. for each man, per capita; woman 2 K 9:30; Dt 21:12; Nu 5:18; Est 2:17; boy 2 K 4:19(×2); Gn 48:14(×2) +; of י׳, under fig. of armed man ψ 60:9 = 108:9; of idol 1 S 5:4; of gates, personif. ψ 24:7, 9. e.g. Genesis 40:16
- b. head, of animals: of serpent Gn 3:15, dog 2 S 3:8, ass 2 K 6:25, of הַחַיָּה in Ez 1:22 cf. v 22, 26, of הַכְּרֻבִים 10:1 cf. v 11; of sea-monsters, לִוְיָתָן Jb 40:31 ψ 74:14, תַּנִּינִים v 13; especially of animals for sacrifice Ex 12:9; 29:15, 19 Lv 1:4, 8, 12, 15; 3:2, 8 + 18 times P; in phr. ר׳ וְזָנָב Is 9:13 (fig. of noble and commoner) cf. v 14; 19:15, so (fig. of relative dignity, power, influence) Dt 28:13, 44. e.g. Genesis 3:15
- 2.
- a. top (88 times): of mt., הַר, Gn 8:5; Ex 19:20(×2); 24:17; 34:2 + 34 times; hill, גִּבְעָה, Ex 17:9, 10 (E), 2 S 8:25; ר׳ מְרוֹמִים Pr 8:2 + 1:21 Toy (for MT הֹמִיּוֹת), ר׳ גֵּיא שְׁמָנִים Is 28:1, 4; of rocks, צֻרִים, Nu 23:9 (JE), crag, סֶלַע, 2 Ch 25:12(×2); tower Gn 11:4 (J), stronghold Ju 6:26, ladder Gn 28:12 (E), tree 2 S 5:24 = 1 Ch 14:15, bough Is 17:6 cf. Ez 17:4, 22, mast (?; חִבֵּל) Pr 23:34 (otherwise Toy); of ears of grain, שִׁבֹּלֶת Jb 24:24, of stone Gn 28:18 (E), bed, מִטָּה, 47:31 (J), throne, ר׳ עָגוֹל לַכִּסֵּה 1 K 10:19, tabern., or its wall, Ex 26:24 = 36:29 (P); pillar (= capital) 1 K 7:16, 17 + 13 times, מְכוֹנָה v 35(×2), lampstand Zc 4:2(×2), h.p.’s robe, מְעִיל, Ex 28:32(P), ר׳ פִּנָּה ψ 118:22 top of (the) corner, i.e. most conspicuous stone (fig.); = tip, end, of staves 1 K 8:8=2 Ch 5:9, of sceptre Est 5:2. e.g. Genesis 8:5
- b. height of stars Jb 22:12 (‖ גֹּבַהּ שָׁמַיִם). e.g. Job 22:12
- 3.
- a. head = chief (man) Ju 10:18; 11:8, 9, 11; Ex 18:25 (E), Nu 1:16 (P), Dt 1:15; Ho 2:2; Mi 3:1 + often; appar. combined with idea of first in a series 1 Ch 12:10 (van d. H. v 9, series of 11); of God 2 Ch 13:12. e.g. Judges 10:18
- b. = chief (city) Jos 11:10 (D), cf. (of city and king) Is 7:8(×2), 9(×2). e.g. Joshua 11:10
- c. chief nation Je 31:7. e.g. Jeremiah 31:7
- d. = chief (place, position) 1 S 9:22; 1 K 21:9, 12; Dt 20:9; 1 Ch 4:42 (cf. also 5). e.g. 1 Samuel 9:22
- e. כֹּהֵן הָרֹאשׁ chief priest 2 K 25:18 = Je 52:24; 2 Ch 19:11; 24:11; 26:20, הַכֹּהֵן רֹאשׁ 1 Ch 27:5, הַכּ׳ הָר׳ 2 Ch 31:10; Ezr 7:5; ר׳ alone 2 Ch 24:6; רָאשֵׁי הַכֹּהֲנִים Ne 12:7. e.g. 2 Kings 25:18
- f. especially = head of a family (P Chr); רָאשֵׁי בֵּית (rare רֹאשׁ) אֲבוֹתָ(ם) Ex 6:14; Nu 7:2; 17:18; Jos 22:14; 1 Ch 5:24; 7:7, 9; ר׳ בֵּית הָאָבוֹת v 40; ר׳ לְבֵית אֲבֹתָיו Nu 1:4, cf. 1 Ch 5:15, 24; 7:2; 9:13; 24:4; ר׳ אֻמּוֹת בֵּית־אָב Nu 25:15; ר׳ אֲבוֹת הָעֵדָה 31:26 cf. 32:28 Jos 14:1; 21:1; ר׳ אֲבוֹת הַלְוִיִּם Ex 6:25; Jos 21:1; ר׳ (הָ)אָבוֹת לַלְּוִיִּם 1 Ch 9:33, 34; 15:12, cf. Nu 36:1; Jos 19:51; 1 Ch 8:6, 13; 23:9, 24 + 10 times Chr.; abs. ר׳ (הָ)אָבוֹת 1 Ch 8:10, 28; 9:9; 26:32; 27:1; 2 Ch 1:2 + 8 times Ezr Ne (Chr); ר׳ אֲבֹתֵיהֶם Ezr 8:1; רָאשִׁים לְאָבוֹת Ne 11:13; so also ר׳ alone 1 Ch 5:7, 12; 7:3; 8:28 +; appar. combined with idea of first in a series 23:8 (series of 3), v 11 (of 4), v 19 (of 3), v 20 (of 2). e.g. Exodus 6:14
- 4.
- a. head = front, leader’s place Mi 2:13; 2 Ch 20:27, cf. Am 6:7. e.g. Micah 2:13
- b. of time, beginning, of night-watch Ju 7:19; La 2:19; abs. מֵרֹאשׁ from the beginning Is 40:21; 41:4, 26 (‖ מִלְּפָנִים), 48:16; Pr 8:23 (‖ מֵעוֹלָם), Ec 3:11 (‖ עַד־סוֹף); first of months Ex 12:2 (‖ רִאשׁוֹן), Nu 10:10; 28:11 (all P); בָּרֹאשׁ 1 Ch 16:7 at first. e.g. Judges 7:19
- c. of things, river-heads Gn 2:10 (J); ר׳ עַפְרוֹת תֵּבֵל Pr 8:26. e.g. Genesis 2:10
- 5. chief, choicest, best, of spices, בשׂמ(ים), Ez 27:22; Ex 30:23 (P), Ct 4:14; ר׳ שִׂמְחָתִי ψ 137:6 the choicest of my joy. e.g. Ezekiel 27:22
- 6. head = division of army, company, band: Ju 7:16, 20; 9:34, 37, 43, 44(×2); 1 S 11:11; 13:17(×2), 18(×2); Jb 1:17. e.g. Judges 7:16
- 7. = sum, especially in phr. נָשָׂא אֶת־ר׳ בְּנֵי־יִשׂ׳ Ex 30:12 take the sum of, enumerate, cf. Nu 1:2, 49; 4:2, 22; 26:2; 31:26, 49; בְּרֹאשׁוֹ Lv 5:24 in its sum, i.e. in full, so Nu 5:7 (all P); of י׳’s thoughts ψ 139:17; cf. רֹאשׁ דְּבָֽרְךָ אֱמֶת 119:160. 8. other phr. are: נָשָׂא אֶת־רֹאשׁ פ׳ v. נָשָׂא Qal 1 b (2); יָרוּם רֹאשִׁי עַל־אֹיְבַי ψ 27:6, י׳ מֵרִים רֹאשִׁי 3:4 (ψ 110:7; 140:10 v. רום); shake the head, v. נוּעַ Hiph., cf. יָנִיד בְּרֹאשׁוֹ Je 8:16, מְנוֹד רֹאשׁ ψ 44:15; נָתַן דֶּרֶךְ בְּרֹאשׁ, i.e. requite, v. נתן Qal 2 b ad fin.; יָשׁוּב גְּמֻלְךָ בְּר׳ Ob 15, cf. ψ 7:17 1 K 2:33 (sub דָּם 2 i), and (c. עַל־ר׳) Est 9:25, הֵשִׁיב רָעָה בְּרֹאשׁ Ju 9:57; 1 S 25:39; 1 K 2:44, cf. Jo 4:4, 7; 1 K 2:32 (sub דָּם 2 i), cf. Ne 3:36 (אֶל־רֹאשָׁם), v. also 2 S 3:29 sub I. חוּל 3; see, further, דָּם 2 i; Dn 1:10 v. חוּב Pi. e.g. Exodus 30:12
ראש II and (†Dt 32
- 1. a bitter and poisonous herb, + (or ‖) לַעֲנָה Dt 29:17; La 3:19, so (מֵי רֹאשׁ) Je 9:14; 23:15; מֵי ר׳ (without ל׳) 8:14; עִנְּבֵי־רוֹשׁ Dt 32:32 (‖ מְרֹרֹת); רֹאשׁ וּתְלָאָה La 3:5; ר׳ alone ψ 69:22; וּפָרַח כָּרֹאשׁ מִשְׁפָּט Ho 10:4, הֲפַכְתֶּם לְר׳ מִשְׁפָּט Am 6:12. e.g. Deuteronomy 29:17
- 2. venom, of serpents, ר׳ פְּתָנִים Dt 32:33; Jb 20:16. e.g. Deuteronomy 32:33
ראש III son of Benj.
ראש IV Rôsh (so 𝔊 and most
Senses from the full Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon (Brown, Driver, Briggs; Oxford 1906 — public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). Full attribution on Sources.
Word origin
I. n.m. Lv 13:45 head (common Sem. word; earliest form *ra’š, Arabic رَأْسٌ, Sab. ראס PräZMG xxix (1875), 425 MordtmHim. Inschr. 31; Ethiopic ርእስ: Amh. ራስ: hence (a heightened) Assyrian rêšu (rarely râšu), Aramaic רֵישָׁא (Egyptian Aramaic ראשׁ CookeNorth-Sem. Inscr. 404), ܪܺܝܫܳܐ, mod. raïša, HuartJAs xii (1878), 491 Duvalid. xiii (1879), 464; Palm. רשׁא, Lzb366, cf. BH רִישׁוֹן, רֵאשִׁית; from *ra’š, also BH *רָאשׁ, רֹאשׁ (LagSymm. i. 113), TelAm. rušu(nu) Wkl 189, 18 (gloss to ḳaḳḳadunu), NH = BH; SI6 ראש, Ph. רש, ראש (in n.pr.), Pun. rus (in n.pr.loc.) SchrödPh. Spr. 133, ראשת choicest, chief; on MI20 (sf.) רשה, l.28 ש[ר], cf. Sm. u. So14 NöLCB Jan. 8, 1887, 60);—ר׳ abs. Gn 3:15 +, cstr. 40:20 +; sf. רֹאשִׁי v 16 +, etc.; pl. *רָאשִׁים (for רְאָשִׁם NöGGA 1884, 1019) Ex 18:25 +; cstr. רָאשֵׁי Ho 7:13 + [מֵרַאֲשֹׁתֵי 1 S 26:12 v. מְרַאֲשׁוֹת infr.]; sf. רָאשֵׁינוּ 1 Ch 12:19, רָאשֵׁיכֶם Is 29:10 +, etc.;—
II. and (†Dt 32:32) רוֹשׁ n.m. Dt 32:33 a bitter and poisonous herb, then venom, always fig.;—
III. n.m. son of Benj.;—Gn 46:21, Ρως.
IV. n.pr.gent. Rôsh (so 𝔊 and most; > chief Ew Sm al. (𝔙 principem capitis) Mosoch);—only in phr. נְשִׂיא רֹאשׁ (אֶרֶץ מָגוֹג) גּוֹג מֶשֶׁךְ וְתֻבָ֑ל Ez 38:2, 3; 39:1, Ρως; not identified.
— Brown-Driver-Briggs (Oxford 1906, public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). See Sources.
Origin: from an unused root apparently meaning to shake
Jastrow Dictionary
A second Hebrew/Aramaic lexicon for comparison, covering Aramaic and post-biblical (Talmudic, Targumic, Midrashic) usage that the biblical-Hebrew BDB does not. Matched by lemma rather than by Strong’s number, so a lemma may carry more than one Jastrow headword (shown separately below), and the entries cover usage well beyond the Bible.
רָאשׁ
- poor, v. רָשׁ.
רֹאשׁ
- (b. h.) head, point; beginning, heading; main thing, principal. Ḥull. IV, 1 הוציא את רֹאשׁוֹ וכ׳ if the embryo put forth its head, although it withdrew it again. Gen. R. s. 71, beg., v. סוֹף. Midr. Prov. to I, 7 ר׳ הפרק ר׳ המסכתא ר׳ הפרשה the heading of a chapter, of a treatise, of a section.—ר׳ החדש, ר׳ השנה &c., v. respective determinants.—Meg. 12ᵇ קופץ בר׳, v. הֶדְיוֹט.—בת ר׳, v. בַּת II.—Sifra B’ḥuck., Par. 2, ch. VIII (ref. to יען וביען, Lev. XXVI, 43) וכי ר׳ בר׳ פרעתי מהם וכ׳ did I collect from them full amount for full amount? did I not collect only one hundredth of their sins before me? Snh. 3ᵃ sq. ממון שאינו משתלם בר׳ הוא an indemnity not for the exact amount (more or less). B. Kam. 65ᵇ (ref. to Lev. V, 24) ממון … בר׳ מוסיף חומש וכ׳ where the indemnity is for the full amount (and no more), the fine of a fifth is added, but where it is not for the exact amount (but more) &c.; a. v. fr.—מֵר׳ from the beginning, over again. Ab. Zar. 3ᵃ תנה לנו מר׳ וכ׳ give us it (the Law) over again, and we will observe it.—Pl. רָאשִׁים, רָאשִׁין. Ḥull. II, 2 השוחט שני ר׳ כאחד if one cuts two heads at one time. Ḥag. 13ᵃ רָאשֵׁי פרקים, v. פֶּרֶק; a. fr.—Trnsf. a) chief, magistrate, leader, president. Y. R. Hash. I, 57ᵇ bot. ר׳ גדר היה וכ׳ it was the chief magistrate of Gadara &c., v. רֵאשִׁית; Bab. R. Hash. 22ᵃ שזפר ראשָׁהּ וכ׳ Sh. the chief &c. Sabb. 33ᵇ; Ber. 63ᵇ, v. מְדַבֵּר. Ib. 57ᵇ, v. יְשִׁיבָה. Y. Hor. III, 48ᵇ bot. ר׳ משמר the chief of the Temple guard; ר׳ בית אב the chief of a priestly family. Ib. [read:] ר׳ וזקן ר׳ קודם שאינו ר׳ וכ׳ as between the chief (the Nasi, of the academy) and an elder (scholar), the chief has the precedence, for none can be chief unless he has been an elder; a. v. fr.—Pl. as ab. Ib. משה הקדים ר׳ לזקנים Moses placed the chiefs before the elders (Deut. XXIX, 9). Gen. R. s. 61 כולהון ראשי אומות הן they are all (names derived from) tribal chiefs (v. לוּפָר, a. correct citation acc.); a. fr.—b) crossbeam. Neg. XIII, 2, v. פָּתִין.—Pl. as ab. Ib. נראה בר׳ Bab. ed. (Mish. ed. sing.) if the leprous spot appeared on the crossbeams.—c) ר׳ תּוֹר (Chaldaism) [ox-head,] triangle, wedge. Kel. XVIII, 2 כיצד … ר׳ ת׳ how is a piece of furniture with an arched top-piece measured? By drawing an equilateral triangle circumscribing the curve. Kil. II, 7 היה ר׳ ת׳ חטים וכ׳ if a triangular point of a wheat field is wedged in a barley field. Ib. III, 3. B. Bath. 62ᵃ (if the seller defined the limits of his field by describing one long side and one short side) ויקנה כנגד ר׳ ת׳ why not let the buyer have possession of an ‘ox-head’, i.e. draw a trapezoid with the two unequal sides?—Pl. רָאשֵׁי תוֹרִין. Y. Erub. I, 19ᶜ bot. e.g. Leviticus 26:43
רֹאשׁ ²
- ch., v. רֵישׁ II
A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature (Marcus Jastrow; London, Luzac, 1903) — Public Domain. Digitized via Sefaria. Digitized via Sefaria. Full attribution on Sources.
Forms in the corpus
The 203 distinct written forms H7218 takes in the Hebrew Bible, most frequent first — each parse links to that state’s occurrences in the concordance. Hebrew forms include their vowel points and cantillation, so a single lemma takes many written forms.
The 60 most common forms are shown; 143 rarer forms follow in the full concordance.
Same root — word family
Other BDB entries built from the same root as H7218, grouped by Strong’s listed origin. These share a root / origin per the lexicon — not necessarily a shared meaning. Each links to that word’s own entry.
Derived from this word
- מראשה marʼâshâh H4761 dominion
- ראש rêʼsh H7217 chief
- ראש rôʼsh H7219 gall
- ראשה riʼshâh H7221 early time
- ראשה rôʼshâh H7222 top
- ראשית rêʼshîyth H7225 beginning
- ראשת raʼăshôth H7226 head place
Proper names from this root
People and places named from this root — a name, not an additional meaning of the word.
Compare all same-root words → Showing 4 of 9 — not the complete family. 1 of the same-root words is a proper name (a person or place). They share a root, not necessarily a meaning.
Septuagint verse parallels
This word appears in 511 verses that also exist in the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint), out of the 547 Hebrew verses it occurs in. You can read those verses in Greek by switching the Old Testament edition to the Septuagint.
Read these verses in the Septuagint
- Genesis 2:10
- Exodus 6:14
- Leviticus 1:4
- Numbers 1:2
- Deuteronomy 1:13
- Joshua 2:19
- Judges 5:26
- 1 Samuel 1:11
- 2 Samuel 1:2
- 1 Kings 2:32
- 2 Kings 1:9
- 1 Chronicles 4:42
This is a verse-level parallel only — the same verses exist in both the Hebrew and Greek Old Testaments. No word-level Hebrew↔Greek correspondence is claimed: the data carries no such alignment, so no Greek word is shown as this Hebrew word’s translation. Coverage is not total — the Septuagint omits the deuterocanon and renumbers the Psalms, so some Hebrew verses have no direct Greek parallel.
