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).
114 distinct verses where H7218 appears in the Absolute state, across 26 books. Filtered view — show all forms. 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.
Genesis 2 verses
- Genesis 2:10 רָאשִֽׁים n c mp A river went out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it was parted, and became four heads.
- Genesis 3:15 רֹ֔אשׁ n c ms I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel."
Exodus 1 verse
Leviticus 5 verses
- Leviticus 1:8 הָ/רֹ֖אשׁ ptcl def.art + n c ms and Aaron's sons, the priests, shall lay the pieces, the head, and the fat in order on the wood that is on the fire which is on the altar;
- Leviticus 8:20 הָ/רֹ֔אשׁ ptcl def.art + n c ms He cut the ram into its pieces; and Moses burned the head, and the pieces, and the fat.
- Leviticus 9:13 הָ/רֹ֑אשׁ ptcl def.art + n c ms They delivered the burnt offering to him, piece by piece, and the head: and he burned them upon the altar.
- Leviticus 13:29 בְּ/רֹ֖אשׁ prep + n c ms "When a man or woman has a plague on the head or on the beard,
- Leviticus 13:30 הָ/רֹ֛אשׁ ptcl def.art + n c ms then the priest shall examine the plague; and, behold, if the appearance of it is deeper than the skin, and the hair in it is yellow and thin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean: it is an itch, it is leprosy of the head or of the beard.
Numbers 2 verses
Deuteronomy 3 verses
- Deuteronomy 1:15 רָאשֵׁ֣י רָאשִׁ֖ים n c mp cs n c mp So I took the heads of your tribes, wise men, and known, and made them heads over you, captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds, and captains of fifties, and captains of tens, and officers, according to your tribes.
- Deuteronomy 28:13 לְ/רֹאשׁ֙ prep + n c ms Yahweh will make you the head, and not the tail; and you shall be above only, and you shall not be beneath; if you shall listen to the commandments of Yahweh your God, which I command you this day, to observe and to do [them],
- Deuteronomy 28:44 לְ/רֹ֔אשׁ prep + n c ms He shall lend to you, and you shall not lend to him: he shall be the head, and you shall be the tail.
Judges 10 verses
- Judges 7:16 רָאשִׁ֑ים n c mp He divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put into the hands of all of them trumpets, and empty pitchers, with torches within the pitchers.
- Judges 7:20 הָ/רָאשִׁ֥ים ptcl def.art + n c mp The three companies blew the trumpets, and broke the pitchers, and held the torches in their left hands, and the trumpets in their right hands with which to blow; and they cried, The sword of Yahweh and of Gideon.
- Judges 9:34 רָאשִֽׁים n c mp Abimelech rose up, and all the people who were with him, by night, and they laid wait against Shechem in four companies.
- Judges 9:37 וְ/רֹאשׁ conj + n c ms Gaal spoke again and said, Behold, there come people down by the middle of the land, and one company comes by the way of the oak of Meonenim.
- Judges 9:43 רָאשִׁ֔ים n c mp He took the people, and divided them into three companies, and laid wait in the field; and he looked, and, behold, the people came forth out of the city; He rose up against them, and struck them.
- Judges 9:44 וְ/הָ/רָאשִׁים֙ הָֽ/רָאשִׁ֗ים conj + ptcl def.art + n c mp ptcl def.art + n c mp Abimelech, and the companies that were with him, rushed forward, and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city: and the two companies rushed on all who were in the field, and struck them.
- Judges 10:18 לְ/רֹ֔אשׁ prep + n c ms The people, the princes of Gilead, said one to another, What man is he who will begin to fight against the children of Ammon? he shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.
- Judges 11:8 לְ/רֹ֔אשׁ prep + n c ms The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, Therefore are we turned again to you now, that you may go with us, and fight with the children of Ammon; and you shall be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead.
- Judges 11:9 לְ/רֹֽאשׁ prep + n c ms Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead, If you bring me home again to fight with the children of Ammon, and Yahweh deliver them before me, shall I be your head?
- Judges 11:11 לְ/רֹ֣אשׁ prep + n c ms Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and chief over them: and Jephthah spoke all his words before Yahweh in Mizpah.
1 Samuel 3 verses
- 1 Samuel 11:11 רָאשִׁים֒ n c mp It was so on the next day, that Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the camp in the morning watch, and struck the Ammonites until the heat of the day: and it happened, that those who remained were scattered, so that no two of them were left together.
- 1 Samuel 13:17 רָאשִׁ֑ים הָ/רֹ֨אשׁ n c mp ptcl def.art + n c ms The spoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned to the way that leads to Ophrah, to the land of Shual;
- 1 Samuel 13:18 וְ/הָ/רֹ֤אשׁ וְ/הָ/רֹ֨אשׁ conj + ptcl def.art + n c ms conj + ptcl def.art + n c ms and another company turned the way to Beth Horon; and another company turned the way of the border that looks down on the valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.
2 Samuel 4 verses
- 2 Samuel 15:30 וְ/רֹ֥אשׁ רֹאשׁ֔/וֹ conj + n c ms n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms David went up by the ascent of the [Mount of] Olives, and wept as he went up; and he had his head covered, and went barefoot: and all the people who were with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.
- 2 Samuel 15:32 הָ/רֹ֔אשׁ רֹאשֽׁ/וֹ ptcl def.art + n c ms n c ms cs + sfx pers 3ms It happened that when David had come to the top [of the ascent], where God was worshiped, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat torn, and earth on his head.
- 2 Samuel 16:1 מֵֽ/הָ/רֹ֔אשׁ prep + ptcl def.art + n c ms When David was a little past the top [of the ascent], behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of donkeys saddled, and on them two hundred loaves of bread, and one hundred clusters of raisins, and one hundred summer fruits, and a bottle of wine.
- 2 Samuel 23:13 רֹ֗אשׁ n c ms Three of the thirty chief men went down, and came to David in the harvest time to the cave of Adullam; and the troop of the Philistines was encamped in the valley of Rephaim.
1 Kings 1 verse
2 Kings 2 verses
- 2 Kings 19:21 רֹ֣אשׁ n c ms This is the word that 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.
- 2 Kings 25:18 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:
1 Chronicles 32 verses
- 1 Chronicles 5:7 הָ/רֹ֥אשׁ ptcl def.art + n c ms His brothers by their families, when the genealogy of their generations was reckoned: the chief, Jeiel, and Zechariah,
- 1 Chronicles 5:12 הָ/רֹ֔אשׁ ptcl def.art + n c ms Joel the chief, and Shapham the second, and Janai, and Shaphat in Bashan.
- 1 Chronicles 5:15 רֹ֖אשׁ n c ms Ahi the son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, chief of their fathers' houses.
- 1 Chronicles 5:24 רָאשֵׁ֣י רָאשִׁ֖ים n c mp cs n c mp These were the heads of their fathers' houses: even Epher, and Ishi, and Eliel, and Azriel, and Jeremiah, and Hodaviah, and Jahdiel, mighty men of valor, famous men, heads of their fathers' houses.
- 1 Chronicles 7:2 רָאשִׁ֤ים n c mp The sons of Tola: Uzzi, and Rephaiah, and Jeriel, and Jahmai, and Ibsam, and Shemuel, heads of their fathers' houses, [to wit], of Tola; mighty men of valor in their generations: their number in the days of David was twenty-two thousand six hundred.
- 1 Chronicles 7:3 רָאשִׁ֥ים n c mp The sons of Uzzi: Izrahiah. The sons of Izrahiah: Michael, and Obadiah, and Joel, Isshiah, five; all of them chief men.
- 1 Chronicles 8:28 רָאשֵׁ֥י רָאשִׁ֑ים n c mp cs n c mp These were heads of fathers' [houses] throughout their generations, chief men: these lived in Jerusalem.
- 1 Chronicles 9:13 רָאשִׁים֙ n c mp and their brothers, heads of their fathers' houses, one thousand seven hundred sixty; very able men for the work of the service of the house of God.
- 1 Chronicles 9:17 הָ/רֹֽאשׁ ptcl def.art + n c ms The porters: Shallum, and Akkub, and Talmon, and Ahiman, and their brothers (Shallum was the chief),
- 1 Chronicles 9:34 רָאשֵׁ֨י רָאשִׁ֑ים n c mp cs n c mp These were heads of fathers' [houses] of the Levites, throughout their generations, chief men: these lived at Jerusalem.
- 1 Chronicles 11:6 לְ/רֹ֖אשׁ לְ/רֹֽאשׁ prep + n c ms prep + n c ms David said, Whoever strikes the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain. Joab the son of Zeruiah went up first, and was made chief.
- 1 Chronicles 11:15 רֹ֤אשׁ n c ms Three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam; and the host of the Philistines were encamped in the valley of Rephaim.
- 1 Chronicles 11:42 רֹ֛אשׁ n c ms Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a chief of the Reubenites, and thirty with him,
- 1 Chronicles 12:3 הָ/רֹ֨אשׁ ptcl def.art + n c ms The chief was Ahiezer; then Joash, the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite, and Jeziel, and Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth, and Beracah, and Jehu the Anathothite,
- 1 Chronicles 12:9 הָ/רֹ֑אשׁ ptcl def.art + n c ms Ezer the chief, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third,
- 1 Chronicles 16:5 הָ/רֹ֖אשׁ ptcl def.art + n c ms Asaph the chief, and second to him Zechariah, Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obed-edom, and Jeiel, with psalteries and with harps; and Asaph with cymbals, sounding aloud;
- 1 Chronicles 16:7 בָּ/רֹ֔אשׁ prep det + n c ms Then on that day David first ordained to give thanks to Yahweh, by the hand of Asaph and his brothers.
- 1 Chronicles 23:8 הָ/רֹ֧אשׁ ptcl def.art + n c ms The sons of Ladan: Jehiel the chief, and Zetham, and Joel, three.
- 1 Chronicles 23:11 הָ/רֹ֔אשׁ ptcl def.art + n c ms Jahath was the chief, and Zizah the second: but Jeush and Beriah didn't have many sons; therefore they became a fathers' house in one reckoning.
- 1 Chronicles 23:16 הָ/רֹֽאשׁ ptcl def.art + n c ms The sons of Gershom: Shebuel the chief.
- 1 Chronicles 23:17 הָ/רֹ֑אשׁ ptcl def.art + n c ms The sons of Eliezer were: Rehabiah the chief; and Eliezer had no other sons; but the sons of Rehabiah were very many.
- 1 Chronicles 23:18 הָ/רֹֽאשׁ ptcl def.art + n c ms The sons of Izhar: Shelomith the chief.
- 1 Chronicles 23:19 הָ/רֹאשׁ֙ ptcl def.art + n c ms The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the chief, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.
- 1 Chronicles 23:20 הָ/רֹ֔אשׁ ptcl def.art + n c ms The sons of Uzziel: Micah the chief, and Isshiah the second.
- 1 Chronicles 24:4 לְ/רָאשֵׁ֧י רָאשִׁ֤ים prep + n c mp cs n c mp There were more chief men found of the sons of Eleazar than of the sons of Ithamar; and [thus] were they divided: of the sons of Eleazar there were sixteen, heads of fathers' houses; and of the sons of Ithamar, according to their fathers' houses, eight.
- 1 Chronicles 24:21 הָ/רֹ֖אשׁ ptcl def.art + n c ms Of Rehabiah: of the sons of Rehabiah, Isshiah the chief.
- 1 Chronicles 24:31 וְ/רָאשֵׁי֙ הָ/רֹ֔אשׁ conj + n c mp cs ptcl def.art + n c ms These likewise cast lots even as their brothers the sons of Aaron in the presence of David the king, and Zadok, and Ahimelech, and the heads of the fathers' [houses] of the priests and of the Levites; the fathers' [houses] of the chief even as those of his younger brother.
- 1 Chronicles 26:10 הָ/רֹאשׁ֙ לְ/רֹֽאשׁ ptcl def.art + n c ms prep + n c ms Also Hosah, of the children of Merari, had sons: Shimri the chief, (for though he was not the firstborn, yet his father made him chief),
- 1 Chronicles 26:31 הָ/רֹ֔אשׁ ptcl def.art + n c ms Of the Hebronites was Jerijah the chief, even of the Hebronites, according to their generations by fathers' [houses]. In the fortieth year of the reign of David they were sought for, and there were found among them mighty men of valor at Jazer of Gilead.
- 1 Chronicles 27:3 הָ/רֹ֛אשׁ ptcl def.art + n c ms [He was] of the children of Perez, the chief of all the captains of the host for the first month.
- 1 Chronicles 27:5 רֹ֑אשׁ n c ms The third captain of the host for the third month was Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada the priest, chief: and in his division were twenty-four thousand.
- 1 Chronicles 29:11 לְ/רֹֽאשׁ prep + n c ms Yours, Yahweh, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, Yahweh, and you are exalted as head above all.
2 Chronicles 7 verses
- 2 Chronicles 11:22 לָ/רֹ֧אשׁ prep det + n c ms Rehoboam appointed Abijah the son of Maacah to be chief, [even] the prince among his brothers; for [he was minded] to make him king.
- 2 Chronicles 13:12 בָ/רֹ֜אשׁ prep det + n c ms Behold, God is with us at our head, and his priests with the trumpets of alarm to sound an alarm against you. Children of Israel, don't you fight against Yahweh, the God of your fathers; for you shall not prosper.
- 2 Chronicles 19:11 הָ/רֹ֨אשׁ ptcl def.art + n c ms Behold, Amariah the chief priest is over you in all matters of Yahweh; and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, in all the king's matters: also the Levites shall be officers before you. Deal courageously, and Yahweh be with the good.
- 2 Chronicles 24:6 הָ/רֹאשׁ֒ ptcl def.art + n c ms The king called for Jehoiada the chief, and said to him, Why haven't you required of the Levites to bring in out of Judah and out of Jerusalem the tax of Moses the servant of Yahweh, and of the assembly of Israel, for the tent of the testimony?
- 2 Chronicles 24:11 הָ/רֹ֔אשׁ ptcl def.art + n c ms It was so, that whenever the chest was brought to the king's officers by the hand of the Levites, and when they saw that there was much money, the king's scribe and the chief priest's officer came and emptied the chest, and took it, and carried it to its place again. Thus they did day by day, and gathered money in abundance.
- 2 Chronicles 26:20 הָ/רֹ֜אשׁ ptcl def.art + n c ms Azariah the chief priest, and all the priests, looked on him, and, behold, he was leprous in his forehead, and they thrust him out quickly from there; yes, himself hurried also to go out, because Yahweh had struck him.
- 2 Chronicles 31:10 הָ/רֹ֖אשׁ ptcl def.art + n c ms Azariah the chief priest, of the house of Zadok, answered him and said, Since [the people] began to bring the offerings into the house of Yahweh, we have eaten and had enough, and have left plenty: for Yahweh has blessed his people; and that which is left is this great store.
Ezra 5 verses
- Ezra 7:5 הָ/רֹֽאשׁ ptcl def.art + n c ms the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest;
- Ezra 7:28 רָאשִׁ֖ים n c mp and has extended loving kindness to me before the king, and his counselors, and before all the king's mighty princes. I was strengthened according to the hand of Yahweh my God on me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.
- Ezra 8:16 רָאשִׁ֑ים n c mp Then sent I for Eliezer, for Ariel, for Shemaiah, and for Elnathan, and for Jarib, and for Elnathan, and for Nathan, and for Zechariah, and for Meshullam, chief men; also for Joiarib, and for Elnathan, who were teachers.
- Ezra 8:17 הָ/רֹ֔אשׁ ptcl def.art + n c ms I sent them forth to Iddo the chief at the place Casiphia; and I told them what they should tell Iddo, [and] his brothers the Nethinim, at the place Casiphia, that they should bring to us ministers for the house of our God.
- Ezra 9:6 רֹּ֔אשׁ n c ms and I said, my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to you, my God; for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our guiltiness is grown up to the heavens.
Nehemiah 2 verses
- Nehemiah 9:17 רֹ֛אשׁ n c ms and refused to obey, neither were mindful of your wonders that you did among them, but hardened their neck, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage. But you are a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness, and didn't forsake them.
- Nehemiah 11:13 רָאשִׁ֣ים n c mp and his brothers, chiefs of fathers' [houses], two hundred forty-two; and Amashsai the son of Azarel, the son of Ahzai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer,
Esther 1 verse
Job 2 verses
- Job 1:17 רָאשִׁ֗ים n c mp While he was still speaking, there came also another, and said, "The Chaldeans made three bands, and swept down on the camels, and have taken them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you."
- Job 29:25 רֹ֥אשׁ n c ms I chose out their way, and sat as chief. I lived as a king in the army, As one who comforts the mourners.
Psalms 7 verses
- Psalms 22:7 רֹֽאשׁ n c ms All those who see me mock me. They insult me with their lips. They shake their heads, saying,
- Psalms 44:14 רֹ֝֗אשׁ n c ms You make us a byword among the nations, A shaking of the head among the peoples.
- Psalms 83:2 רֹֽאשׁ n c ms For, behold, your enemies are stirred up. Those who hate you have lifted up their heads.
- 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 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 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 2 verses
Ecclesiastes 1 verse
Isaiah 11 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 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 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 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 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.
Jeremiah 3 verses
- 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 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:
Lamentations 1 verse
Ezekiel 3 verses
- 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 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 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.
Hosea 1 verse
Amos 2 verses
- 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.
Habakkuk 1 verse
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.
