רַע
evil
‘evil’ is one of 3 main senses fuller range ↓
H7451
Strong's Hebrew
raʻ
Transliteration
/rah/
Pronunciation
Usage in the Hebrew Bible
666
appearances
Full lexicon entry — Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
From Brown-Driver-Briggs (BDB)
BDB Definition
bad, evil (adjective)
- bad, disagreeable, malignant
- bad, unpleasant, evil (giving pain, unhappiness, misery)
- evil, displeasing
- bad (of its kind - land, water, etc)
- bad (of value)
- worse than, worst (comparison)
- sad, unhappy
- evil (hurtful)
- bad, unkind (vicious in disposition)
- bad, evil, wicked (ethically)
- in general, of persons, of thoughts
- deeds, actions
- evil, distress, misery, injury, calamity (noun masculine)
- evil, distress, adversity
- evil, injury, wrong
- evil (ethical)
- evil, misery, distress, injury (noun feminine)
- evil, misery, distress
- evil, injury, wrong
- evil (ethical)
Where this word appears
See every Absolute-state word in the Hebrew Bible →
Grammar key — what these labels mean
Part of speech
- Adjective
- A word that describes or qualifies a noun.
- Noun
- A naming word — a person, place, thing, or idea.
- Verb
- An action or state-of-being word.
Noun type
- Common
- A common noun — a general class of person, place, or thing (“king,” “city,” “water”), not a specific name.
Stem
- Qal
- The basic, simple active stem — the plain form of the verb (“he wrote”). Here: ‘trans.’
Form
- Perfect
- A completed action or state — Hebrew marks aspect (completeness) more than strict tense (“he wrote”).
State
- Absolute
- The independent form of a noun, not bound to a following word.
- Construct
- A noun bound to a following noun in a possessive / “of” relationship (the construct chain).
Person
- 3rd Person
- The one spoken about (“he / she / it / they”).
Gender
- Masculine
- Grammatically masculine.
- Feminine
- Grammatically feminine.
Number
- Singular
- One.
- Plural
- More than one (in Hebrew, generally three or more).
Grammatical forms 14 distinct
- Adjective, Adjective, Masculine, Singular, Absolute 259 times (39%)
- Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Absolute 212 times (32%)
- Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Construct 69 times (10%)
- Adjective, Adjective, Feminine, Singular, Absolute 44 times (7%)
- Adjective, Adjective, Masculine, Plural, Absolute 34 times (5%)
- Noun, Common, Feminine, Plural, Absolute 15 times (2%)
- Noun, Common, Feminine, Plural, Construct 10 times (2%)
- Adjective, Adjective, Feminine, Plural, Absolute 9 times (1%)
+6 more forms (14 occurrences)
Parsed forms decoded from the imported morphology (morphhb / Westminster Leningrad Codex — WLC text public domain, morphhb tagging CC BY 4.0), counted across 666 parsed occurrences — not distinct verses.
Page 1 of 4 — showing verses 1–200 of 623 distinct verses where H7451 appears, across 36 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.
Genesis 34 verses
- Genesis 2:9 וָ/רָֽע conj + Adjective Adjective ms Out of the ground Yahweh God made every tree to grow that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
- Genesis 2:17 וָ/רָ֔ע conj + Adjective Adjective ms but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it: for in the day that you eat of it you will surely die."
- Genesis 3:5 וָ/רָֽע conj + Adjective Adjective ms for God knows that in the day you eat it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
- Genesis 3:22 וָ/רָ֑ע conj + Adjective Adjective ms Yahweh God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. Now, lest he put forth his hand, and also take of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever..."
- Genesis 6:5 רָעַ֥ת רַ֖ע n c fs cs adj Adjective ms Yahweh saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
- Genesis 8:21 רַ֖ע adj Adjective ms Yahweh smelled the sweet savor. Yahweh said in his heart, "I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake, because the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I ever again strike everything living, as I have done.
- Genesis 13:13 רָעִ֖ים adj Adjective mp Now the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinners against Yahweh.
- Genesis 19:19 הָ/רָעָ֖ה ptcl def.art + n c fs See now, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have magnified your loving kindness, which you have shown to me in saving my life. I can't escape to the mountain, lest evil overtake me, and I die.
- Genesis 24:50 רַ֥ע adj Adjective ms Then Laban and Bethuel answered, "The thing proceeds from Yahweh. We can't speak to you bad or good.
- Genesis 26:29 רָעָ֗ה n c fs that you will do us no harm, as we have not touched you, and as we have done to you nothing but good, and have sent you away in peace.' You are now the blessed of Yahweh."
- Genesis 28:8 רָע֖וֹת adj Adjective fp Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan didn't please Isaac, his father.
- Genesis 31:24 רָֽע adj Adjective ms God came to Laban, the Syrian, in a dream of the night, and said to him, "Take heed to yourself that you don't speak to Jacob either good or bad."
- Genesis 31:29 רָ֑ע רָֽע adj Adjective ms adj Adjective ms It is in the power of my hand to hurt you, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, 'Take heed to yourself that you don't speak to Jacob either good or bad.'
- Genesis 31:52 לְ/רָעָֽה prep + n c fs May this heap be a witness, and the pillar be a witness, that I will not pass over this heap to you, and that you will not pass over this heap and this pillar to me, for harm.
- Genesis 37:2 רָעָ֖ה adj Adjective fs This is the history of the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brothers. He was a boy with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's wives. Joseph brought an evil report of them to their father.
- Genesis 37:20 רָעָ֖ה adj Adjective fs Come now therefore, and let's kill him, and cast him into one of the pits, and we will say, 'An evil animal has devoured him.' We will see what will become of his dreams."
- Genesis 37:33 רָעָ֖ה adj Adjective fs He recognized it, and said, "It is my son's coat. An evil animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn in pieces."
- Genesis 38:7 רַ֖ע adj Adjective ms Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of Yahweh. Yahweh killed him.
- Genesis 39:9 הָ/רָעָ֤ה ptcl def.art + n c fs He isn't greater in this house than I, neither has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?"
- Genesis 40:7 רָעִ֖ים adj Adjective mp He asked Pharaoh's officers who were with him in custody in his master's house, saying, "Why do you look so sad today?"
- Genesis 41:3 רָע֥וֹת adj Adjective fp cs Behold, seven other cattle came up after them out of the river, ill-favored and lean-fleshed, and stood by the other cattle on the brink of the river.
- Genesis 41:4 רָע֤וֹת adj Adjective fp cs The ill-favored and lean-fleshed cattle ate up the seven well-favored and fat cattle. So Pharaoh awoke.
- Genesis 41:19 וְ/רָע֥וֹת conj + Adjective Adjective fp cs and, behold, seven other cattle came up after them, poor and very ill-favored and lean-fleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for ugliness.
- Genesis 41:20 וְ/הָ/רָע֑וֹת conj + ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective fp The lean and ill-favored cattle ate up the first seven fat cattle,
- Genesis 41:21 רַ֔ע adj Adjective ms and when they had eaten them up, it couldn't be known that they had eaten them, but they were still ill-favored, as at the beginning. So I awoke.
- Genesis 41:27 וְ/הָ/רָעֹ֜ת conj + ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective fp The seven lean and ill-favored cattle that came up after them are seven years, and also the seven empty heads of grain blasted with the east wind; they will be seven years of famine.
- Genesis 44:4 רָעָ֖ה n c fs When they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, "Up, follow after the men. When you overtake them, ask them, 'Why have you rewarded evil for good?
- Genesis 44:29 בְּ/רָעָ֖ה prep + n c fs If you take this one also from me, and harm happens to him, you will bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to Sheol.'
- Genesis 44:34 בָ/רָ֔ע prep det + Adjective Adjective ms For how will I go up to my father, if the boy isn't with me? Lest I see the evil that will come on my father."
- Genesis 47:9 וְ/רָעִ֗ים conj + Adjective Adjective mp Jacob said to Pharaoh, "The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred thirty years. Few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage."
- Genesis 48:16 רָ֗ע adj Adjective ms the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads, and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac. Let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth."
- Genesis 50:15 הָ֣/רָעָ֔ה ptcl def.art + n c fs When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "It may be that Joseph will hate us, and will fully pay us back for all of the evil which we did to him.
- Genesis 50:17 רָעָ֣ה n c fs "So you shall tell Joseph, 'Now please forgive the disobedience of your brothers, and their sin, because they did evil to you.' Now, please forgive the disobedience of the servants of the God of your father." Joseph wept when they spoke to him.
- Genesis 50:20 רָעָ֑ה n c fs As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save many people alive.
Exodus 8 verses
- Exodus 5:19 בְּ/רָ֣ע prep + Adjective Adjective ms The officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in trouble, when it was said, "You shall not diminish anything from your daily quota of bricks!"
- Exodus 10:10 רָעָ֖ה n c fs He said to them, "Yahweh be with you if I will let you go with your little ones! See, evil is clearly before your faces.
- Exodus 21:8 רָעָ֞ה adj Adjective fs If she doesn't please her master, who has married her to himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, seeing he has dealt deceitfully with her.
- Exodus 23:2 לְ/רָעֹ֑ת prep + n c fp You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; neither shall you testify in court to side with a multitude to pervert justice;
- Exodus 32:12 בְּ/רָעָ֤ה הָ/רָעָ֖ה prep + n c fs ptcl def.art + n c fs Why should the Egyptians speak, saying, 'He brought them forth for evil, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the surface of the earth?' Turn from your fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against your people.
- Exodus 32:14 הָ֣/רָעָ֔ה ptcl def.art + n c fs Yahweh repented of the evil which he said he would do to his people.
- Exodus 32:22 בְ/רָ֖ע prep + Adjective Adjective ms Aaron said, "Don't let the anger of my lord grow hot. You know the people, that they are set on evil.
- Exodus 33:4 הָ/רָ֛ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms When the people heard this evil news, they mourned: and no one put on his jewelry.
Leviticus 5 verses
- Leviticus 26:6 רָעָה֙ adj Adjective fs "'I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and no one will make you afraid; and I will remove evil animals out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land.
- Leviticus 27:10 בְּ/רָ֖ע רַ֣ע prep + Adjective Adjective ms adj Adjective ms He shall not alter it, nor change it, a good for a bad, or a bad for a good: and if he shall at all change animal for animal, then both it and that for which it is changed shall be holy.
- Leviticus 27:12 רָ֑ע adj Adjective ms and the priest shall value it, whether it is good or bad. As you the priest values it, so shall it be.
- Leviticus 27:14 רָ֑ע adj Adjective ms "'When a man dedicates his house to be holy to Yahweh, then the priest shall evaluate it, whether it is good or bad: as the priest shall evaluate it, so shall it stand.
- Leviticus 27:33 לָ/רַ֖ע prep + Adjective Adjective ms He shall not search whether it is good or bad, neither shall he change it: and if he changes it at all, then both it and that for which it is changed shall be holy. It shall not be redeemed.'"
Numbers 10 verses
- Numbers 11:1 רַ֖ע adj Adjective ms The people were as murmurers, [speaking] evil in the ears of Yahweh: and when Yahweh heard it, his anger was kindled; and the fire of Yahweh burnt among them, and devoured in the uttermost part of the camp.
- Numbers 11:15 בְּ/רָעָתִֽ/י prep + n c fs cs + sfx pers 1cs If you deal thus with me, please kill me out of hand, if I have found favor in your sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.
- Numbers 13:19 רָעָ֑ה adj Adjective fs and what the land is that they dwell in, whether it is good or bad; and what cities they are that they dwell in, whether in camps, or in strongholds;
- Numbers 14:27 הָֽ/רָעָה֙ ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective fs How long [shall I bear] with this evil congregation, that murmur against me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against me.
- Numbers 14:35 הָֽ/רָעָה֙ ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective fs I, Yahweh, have spoken, surely this will I do to all this evil congregation, who are gathered together against me: in this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.
- Numbers 14:37 רָעָ֑ה adj Adjective fs even those men who did bring up an evil report of the land, died by the plague before Yahweh.
- Numbers 20:5 הָ/רָ֖ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms Why have you made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in to this evil place? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink.
- Numbers 24:13 רָעָ֖ה n c fs If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I can't go beyond the word of Yahweh, to do either good or bad of my own mind; what Yahweh speaks, that will I speak?
- Numbers 32:13 הָ/רַ֖ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms Yahweh's anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander back and forth in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, who had done evil in the sight of Yahweh, was consumed.
- Numbers 35:23 רָעָתֽ/וֹ n c fs cs + sfx pers 3ms or with any stone, by which a man may die, not seeing him, and cast it on him, so that he died, and he was not his enemy, neither sought his harm;
Deuteronomy 33 verses
- Deuteronomy 1:35 הָ/רָ֖ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see the good land, which I swore to give to your fathers,
- Deuteronomy 1:39 וָ/רָ֔ע conj + Adjective Adjective ms Moreover your little ones, whom you said should be a prey, and your children, who this day have no knowledge of good or evil, they shall go in there, and to them will I give it, and they shall possess it.
- Deuteronomy 4:25 הָ/רַ֛ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms When you shall father children, and children's children, and you shall have been long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make an engraved image in the form of anything, and shall do that which is evil in the sight of Yahweh your God, to provoke him to anger;
- Deuteronomy 6:22 וְ/רָעִ֧ים conj + Adjective Adjective mp and Yahweh shown signs and wonders, great and sore, on Egypt, on Pharaoh, and on all his house, before our eyes;
- Deuteronomy 7:15 הָ/רָעִ֜ים ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective mp Yahweh will take away from you all sickness; and none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which you know, will he put on you, but will lay them on all those who hate you.
- Deuteronomy 9:18 הָ/רַ֛ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms I fell down before Yahweh, as at the first, forty days and forty nights; I did neither eat bread nor drink water; because of all your sin which you sinned, in doing that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, to provoke him to anger.
- Deuteronomy 13:5 הָ/רָ֖ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms That prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death, because he has spoken rebellion against Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to draw you aside out of the way which Yahweh your God commanded you to walk in. So shall you put away the evil from the midst of you.
- Deuteronomy 13:11 הָ/רָ֛ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms All Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall not do any more such wickedness as this is in the midst of you.
- Deuteronomy 15:21 רָ֑ע adj Adjective ms If it have any blemish, [as if it be] lame or blind, any ill blemish whatever, you shall not sacrifice it to Yahweh your God.
- Deuteronomy 17:1 רָ֑ע adj Adjective ms You shall not sacrifice to Yahweh your God an ox, or a sheep, in which is a blemish, [or] anything evil; for that is an abomination to Yahweh your God.
- Deuteronomy 17:2 הָ/רַ֛ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms If there be found in the midst of you, within any of your gates which Yahweh your God gives you, man or woman, who does that which is evil in the sight of Yahweh your God, in transgressing his covenant,
- Deuteronomy 17:5 הָ/רָ֤ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms then shall you bring forth that man or that woman, who has done this evil thing, to your gates, even the man or the woman; and you shall stone them to death with stones.
- Deuteronomy 17:7 הָ/רָ֖ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms The hand of the witnesses shall be first on him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. So you shall put away the evil from the midst of you.
- Deuteronomy 17:12 הָ/רָ֖ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms The man who does presumptuously, in not listening to the priest who stands to minister there before Yahweh your God, or to the judge, even that man shall die: and you shall put away the evil from Israel.
- Deuteronomy 19:19 הָ/רָ֖ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms then shall you do to him, as he had thought to do to his brother: so shall you put away the evil from the midst of you.
- Deuteronomy 19:20 הָ/רָ֛ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms Those who remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil in the midst of you.
- Deuteronomy 21:21 הָ/רָ֖ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms All the men of his city shall stone him to death with stones: so shall you put away the evil from the midst of you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.
- Deuteronomy 22:14 רָ֑ע adj Adjective ms and lay shameful things to her charge, and bring up an evil name on her, and say, I took this woman, and when I came near to her, I didn't find in her the tokens of virginity;
- Deuteronomy 22:19 רָ֔ע adj Adjective ms and they shall fine him one hundred [shekels] of silver, and give them to the father of the young lady, because he has brought up an evil name on a virgin of Israel: and she shall be his wife; he may not put her away all his days.
- Deuteronomy 22:21 הָ/רָ֖ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms then they shall bring out the young lady to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her to death with stones, because she has done folly in Israel, to play the prostitute in her father's house: so shall you put away the evil from the midst of you.
- Deuteronomy 22:22 הָ/רָ֖ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms If a man be found lying with a woman married to a husband, then they shall both of them die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman: so shall you put away the evil from Israel.
- Deuteronomy 22:24 הָ/רָ֖ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city, and you shall stone them to death with stones; the lady, because she didn't cry, being in the city; and the man, because he has humbled his neighbor's wife: so you shall put away the evil from the midst of you.
- Deuteronomy 23:9 רָֽע adj Adjective ms When you go forth in camp against your enemies, then you shall keep you from every evil thing.
- Deuteronomy 24:7 הָ/רָ֖ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms If a man be found stealing any of his brothers of the children of Israel, and he deal with him as a slave, or sell him; then that thief shall die: so shall you put away the evil from the midst of you.
- Deuteronomy 28:35 רָ֗ע adj Adjective ms Yahweh will strike you in the knees, and in the legs, with a sore boil, of which you can not be healed, from the sole of your foot to the crown of your head.
- Deuteronomy 28:59 רָעִ֖ים adj Adjective mp then Yahweh will make your plagues wonderful, and the plagues of your seed, even great plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance.
- Deuteronomy 29:21 לְ/רָעָ֔ה prep + n c fs Yahweh will set him apart to evil out of all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant that is written in this book of the law.
- Deuteronomy 30:15 הָ/רָֽע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms Behold, I have set before you this day life and good, and death and evil;
- Deuteronomy 31:17 רָע֥וֹת הָ/רָע֥וֹת n c fp ptcl def.art + n c fp Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall come on them; so that they will say in that day, Haven't these evils come on us because our God is not among us?
- Deuteronomy 31:18 הָ/רָעָ֖ה ptcl def.art + n c fs I will surely hide my face in that day for all the evil which they shall have worked, in that they are turned to other gods.
- Deuteronomy 31:21 רָע֣וֹת n c fp It shall happen, when many evils and troubles are come on them, that this song shall testify before them as a witness; for it shall not be forgotten out of the mouths of their seed: for I know their imagination which they frame this day, before I have brought them into the land which I swore.
- Deuteronomy 31:29 הָֽ/רָעָה֙ הָ/רַע֙ ptcl def.art + n c fs ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms For I know that after my death you will utterly corrupt yourselves, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will happen to you in the latter days; because you will do that which is evil in the sight of Yahweh, to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands.
- Deuteronomy 32:23 רָע֑וֹת n c fp I will heap evils on them; I will spend my arrows on them:
Joshua 2 verses
- Joshua 23:15 הָ/רָ֔ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms It shall happen, that as all the good things are come on you of which Yahweh your God spoke to you, so will Yahweh bring on you all the evil things, until he have destroyed you from off this good land which Yahweh your God has given you.
- Joshua 24:15 רַ֨ע adj Adjective ms If it seem evil to you to serve Yahweh, choose you this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve Yahweh.
Judges 18 verses
- Judges 2:11 הָ/רַ֖ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms The children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and served the Baals;
- Judges 2:15 לְ/רָעָ֔ה prep + n c fs Wherever they went out, the hand of Yahweh was against them for evil, as Yahweh had spoken, and as Yahweh had sworn to them: and they were sore distressed.
- Judges 3:7 הָ/רַע֙ ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms The children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and forgot Yahweh their God, and served the Baals and the Asheroth.
- Judges 3:12 הָ/רַ֖ע הָ/רַ֖ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms The children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh: and Yahweh strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh.
- Judges 4:1 הָ/רַ֖ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms The children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, when Ehud was dead.
- Judges 6:1 הָ/רַ֖ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms The children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh: and Yahweh delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.
- Judges 9:23 רָעָ֔ה adj Adjective fs God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:
- Judges 9:56 רָעַ֣ת n c fs cs Thus God requited the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did to his father, in killing his seventy brothers;
- Judges 9:57 רָעַת֙ n c fs cs and all the wickedness of the men of Shechem did God requite on their heads: and on them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.
- Judges 10:6 הָ/רַע֮ ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms The children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and served the Baals, and the Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Sidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines; and they forsook Yahweh, and didn't serve him.
- Judges 11:27 רָעָ֖ה n c fs I therefore have not sinned against you, but you do me wrong to war against me: Yahweh, the Judge, be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon.
- Judges 13:1 הָ/רַ֖ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms The children of Israel again did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh; and Yahweh delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.
- Judges 15:3 רָעָֽה n c fs Samson said to them, This time shall I be blameless in regard of the Philistines, when I do them a mischief.
- Judges 20:3 הָ/רָעָ֥ה ptcl def.art + n c fs (Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel had gone up to Mizpah.) The children of Israel said, Tell us, how was this wickedness brought to pass?
- Judges 20:12 הָ/רָעָ֣ה ptcl def.art + n c fs The tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, What wickedness is this that is happen among you?
- Judges 20:13 רָעָ֖ה n c fs Now therefore deliver up the men, the base fellows, who are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Israel. But Benjamin would not listen to the voice of their brothers the children of Israel.
- Judges 20:34 הָ/רָעָֽה ptcl def.art + n c fs There came over against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was sore; but they didn't know that evil was close on them.
- Judges 20:41 הָ/רָעָֽה ptcl def.art + n c fs The men of Israel turned, and the men of Benjamin were dismayed; for they saw that evil had come on them.
1 Samuel 30 verses
- 1 Samuel 2:23 רָעִ֔ים adj Adjective mp He said to them, Why do you such things? for I hear of your evil dealings from all this people.
- 1 Samuel 6:9 הָ/רָעָ֥ה ptcl def.art + n c fs Behold; if it goes up by the way of its own border to Beth-shemesh, then he has done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that struck us; it was a chance that happened to us."
- 1 Samuel 10:19 רָעוֹתֵי/כֶ֣ם n c fp cs + sfx pers 2mp but you have this day rejected your God, who himself saves you out of all your calamities and your distresses; and you have said to him, [No], but set a king over us. Now therefore present yourselves before Yahweh by your tribes, and by your thousands.
- 1 Samuel 12:17 רָעַתְ/כֶ֤ם n c fs cs + sfx pers 2mp Isn't it wheat harvest today? I will call to Yahweh, that he may send thunder and rain; and you shall know and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of Yahweh, in asking you a king.
- 1 Samuel 12:19 רָעָ֔ה n c fs All the people said to Samuel, Pray for your servants to Yahweh your God, that we not die; for we have added to all our sins [this] evil, to ask us a king.
- 1 Samuel 12:20 הָ/רָעָ֖ה ptcl def.art + n c fs Samuel said to the people, "Don't be afraid; you have indeed done all this evil; yet don't turn aside from following Yahweh, but serve Yahweh with all your heart:
- 1 Samuel 15:19 הָ/רַ֖ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms Why then didn't you obey the voice of Yahweh, but flew on the spoil, and did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh?"
- 1 Samuel 16:14 רָעָ֖ה adj Adjective fs Now the Spirit of Yahweh departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from Yahweh troubled him.
- 1 Samuel 16:15 רָעָ֖ה adj Adjective fs Saul's servants said to him, See now, an evil spirit from God troubles you.
- 1 Samuel 16:16 רָעָ֔ה adj Adjective fs Let our lord now command your servants who are before you, to seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp: and it shall happen, when the evil spirit from God is on you, that he shall play with his hand, and you shall be well.
- 1 Samuel 16:23 הָ/רָעָֽה ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective fs It happened, when the [evil] spirit from God was on Saul, that David took the harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.
- 1 Samuel 18:10 רָעָ֤ה adj Adjective fs It happened on the next day, that an evil spirit from God came mightily on Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played with his hand, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand;
- 1 Samuel 19:9 רָעָה֙ adj Adjective fs An evil spirit from Yahweh was on Saul, as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand; and David was playing with his hand.
- 1 Samuel 20:7 הָ/רָעָ֖ה ptcl def.art + n c fs If he says, 'It is well;' your servant shall have peace: but if he be angry, then know that evil is determined by him.
- 1 Samuel 20:9 הָ/רָעָ֜ה ptcl def.art + n c fs Jonathan said, Far be it from you; for if I should at all know that evil were determined by my father to come on you, then wouldn't I tell you that?
- 1 Samuel 20:13 הָֽ/רָעָה֙ ptcl def.art + n c fs Yahweh do so to Jonathan, and more also, should it please my father to do you evil, if I don't disclose it to you, and send you away, that you may go in peace: and Yahweh be with you, as he has been with my father.
- 1 Samuel 23:9 הָ/רָעָ֑ה ptcl def.art + n c fs David knew that Saul was devising mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring here the ephod.
- 1 Samuel 24:9 רָעָתֶֽ/ךָ n c fs cs + sfx pers 2ms David said to Saul, Why listen you to men's words, saying, Behold, David seeks your hurt?
- 1 Samuel 24:11 רָעָ֤ה n c fs Moreover, my father, behold, yes, see the skirt of your robe in my hand; for in that I cut off the skirt of your robe, and didn't kill you, know you and see that there is neither evil nor disobedience in my hand, and I have not sinned against you, though you hunt after my life to take it.
- 1 Samuel 24:17 הָ/רָעָֽה ptcl def.art + n c fs He said to David, You are more righteous than I; for you have rendered to me good, whereas I have rendered to you evil.
- 1 Samuel 25:3 וְ/רַ֥ע conj + Adjective Adjective ms cs Now the name of the man was Nabal; and the name of his wife Abigail; and the woman was of good understanding, and of a beautiful face: but the man was churlish and evil in his doings; and he was of the house of Caleb.
- 1 Samuel 25:17 הָ/רָעָ֛ה ptcl def.art + n c fs Now therefore know and consider what you will do; for evil is determined against our master, and against all his house: for he is such a worthless fellow that one can't speak to him.
- 1 Samuel 25:21 רָעָ֖ה n c fs Now David had said, Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained to him: and he has returned me evil for good.
- 1 Samuel 25:26 רָעָֽה n c fs Now therefore, my lord, as Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, seeing Yahweh has withheld you from blood guiltiness, and from avenging yourself with your own hand, now therefore let your enemies, and those who seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.
- 1 Samuel 25:28 וְ/רָעָ֛ה conj + n c fs Please forgive the trespass of your handmaid: for Yahweh will certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord fights the battles of Yahweh; and evil shall not be found in you all your days.
- 1 Samuel 25:39 מֵֽ/רָעָ֔ה רָעַ֣ת prep + n c fs n c fs cs When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, Blessed be Yahweh, who has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and has kept back his servant from evil: and the evil-doing of Nabal has Yahweh returned on his own head. David sent and spoke concerning Abigail, to take her to him as wife.
- 1 Samuel 26:18 רָעָֽה n c fs He said, Why does my lord pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in my hand?
- 1 Samuel 29:6 רָעָ֔ה n c fs Then Achish called David, and said to him, As Yahweh lives, you have been upright, and your going out and your coming in with me in the host is good in my sight; for I have not found evil in you since the day of your coming to me to this day: nevertheless the lords don't favor you.
- 1 Samuel 29:7 רָ֔ע adj Adjective ms Therefore now return, and go in peace, that you not displease the lords of the Philistines.
- 1 Samuel 30:22 רָ֣ע adj Adjective ms Then answered all the wicked men and base fellows, of those who went with David, and said, Because they didn't go with us, we will not give them anything of the spoil that we have recovered, except to every man his wife and his children, that he may lead them away, and depart.
2 Samuel 14 verses
- 2 Samuel 3:39 הָ/רָעָ֖ה כְּ/רָעָתֽ/וֹ ptcl def.art + n c fs prep + n c fs cs + sfx pers 3ms I am this day weak, though anointed king; and these men the sons of Zeruiah are too hard for me. May Yahweh reward the evil-doer according to his wickedness."
- 2 Samuel 12:9 הָ/רַע֮ ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms Why have you despised the word of Yahweh, to do that which is evil in his sight? You have struck Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife, and have slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.
- 2 Samuel 12:11 רָעָה֙ n c fs This is what Yahweh says: 'Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes, and give them to your neighbor, and he will lie with your wives in the sight of this sun.
- 2 Samuel 12:18 רָעָֽה n c fs It happened on the seventh day, that the child died. The servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead; for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spoke to him, and he didn't listen to our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead!
- 2 Samuel 13:16 הָ/רָעָ֤ה ptcl def.art + n c fs She said to him, Not so, because this great wrong in putting me forth is [worse] than the other that you did to me. But he would not listen to her.
- 2 Samuel 13:22 לְ/מֵ/רָ֣ע prep + prep + Adjective Adjective ms Absalom spoke to Amnon neither good nor bad; for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar.
- 2 Samuel 14:17 וְ/הָ/רָ֔ע conj + ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms Then your handmaid said, Please let the word of my lord the king be comfortable; for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad: and Yahweh your God be with you.
- 2 Samuel 15:14 הָ֣/רָעָ֔ה ptcl def.art + n c fs David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee; for else none of us shall escape from Absalom: make speed to depart, lest he overtake us quickly, and bring down evil on us, and strike the city with the edge of the sword.
- 2 Samuel 16:8 בְּ/רָ֣עָתֶ֔/ךָ prep + n c fs cs + sfx pers 2ms Yahweh has returned on you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned; and Yahweh has delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom your son; and, behold, you are [taken] in your own mischief, because you are a man of blood.
- 2 Samuel 17:14 הָ/רָעָֽה ptcl def.art + n c fs Absalom and all the men of Israel said, The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel. For Yahweh had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, to the intent that Yahweh might bring evil on Absalom.
- 2 Samuel 18:32 לְ/רָעָֽה prep + n c fs The king said to the Cushite, Is it well with the young man Absalom? The Cushite answered, The enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise up against you to do you hurt, be as that young man is.
- 2 Samuel 19:7 הָ/רָעָה֙ ptcl def.art + n c fs Now therefore arise, go forth, and speak comfortably to your servants; for I swear by Yahweh, if you don't go forth, there will not stay a man with you this night: and that will be worse to you than all the evil that has happened to you from your youth until now.
- 2 Samuel 19:35 לְ/רָ֗ע prep + Adjective Adjective ms I am this day eighty years old: can I discern between good and bad? can your servant taste what I eat or what I drink? can I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? why then should your servant be yet a burden to my lord the king?
- 2 Samuel 24:16 הָ֣/רָעָ֔ה ptcl def.art + n c fs When the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, Yahweh repented him of the evil, and said to the angel who destroyed the people, It is enough; now stay your hand. The angel of Yahweh was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
1 Kings 25 verses
- 1 Kings 1:52 רָעָ֥ה n c fs Solomon said, If he shall show himself a worthy man, there shall not a hair of him fall to the earth; but if wickedness be found in him, he shall die.
- 1 Kings 2:44 הָ/רָעָ֗ה רָעָתְ/ךָ֖ ptcl def.art + n c fs n c fs cs + sfx pers 2ms The king said moreover to Shimei, You know all the wickedness which your heart is privy to, that you did to David my father: therefore Yahweh shall return your wickedness on your own head.
- 1 Kings 3:9 לְ/רָ֑ע prep + Adjective Adjective ms Give your servant therefore an understanding heart to judge your people, that I may discern between good and evil; for who is able to judge this your great people?
- 1 Kings 5:4 רָֽע adj Adjective ms But now Yahweh my God has given me rest on every side; there is neither adversary, nor evil occurrence.
- 1 Kings 9:9 הָ/רָעָ֖ה ptcl def.art + n c fs and they shall answer, Because they forsook Yahweh their God, who brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and worshiped them, and served them: therefore has Yahweh brought all this evil on them.
- 1 Kings 11:6 הָ/רַ֖ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms Solomon did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and didn't go fully after Yahweh, as did David his father.
- 1 Kings 11:25 הָ/רָעָ֖ה ptcl def.art + n c fs He was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon, besides the mischief that Hadad [did]: and he abhorred Israel, and reigned over Syria.
- 1 Kings 13:33 הָ/רָעָ֑ה ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective fs After this thing Jeroboam didn't return from his evil way, but made again from among all the people priests of the high places: whoever would, he consecrated him, that there might be priests of the high places.
- 1 Kings 14:10 רָעָה֙ n c fs therefore, behold, I will bring evil on the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam every man-child, him who is shut up and him who is left at large in Israel, and will utterly sweep away the house of Jeroboam, as a man sweeps away dung, until it be all gone.
- 1 Kings 14:22 הָ/רַ֖ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms Judah did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they committed, above all that their fathers had done.
- 1 Kings 15:26 הָ/רַ֖ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin with which he made Israel to sin.
- 1 Kings 15:34 הָ/רַ֖ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and walked in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin with which he made Israel to sin.
- 1 Kings 16:7 הָ/רָעָ֣ה ptcl def.art + n c fs Moreover by the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani came the word of Yahweh against Baasha, and against his house, both because of all the evil that he did in the sight of Yahweh, to provoke him to anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam, and because he struck him.
- 1 Kings 16:19 הָ/רַ֖ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms for his sins which he sinned in doing that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, in walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin which he did, to make Israel to sin.
- 1 Kings 16:25 הָ/רַ֖ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms Omri did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and dealt wickedly above all who were before him.
- 1 Kings 16:30 הָ/רַ֖ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms Ahab the son of Omri did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh above all that were before him.
- 1 Kings 20:7 רָעָ֖ה n c fs Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, Please notice how this man seeks mischief: for he sent to me for my wives, and for my children, and for my silver, and for my gold; and I didn't deny him.
- 1 Kings 21:20 הָ/רַ֖ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms Ahab said to Elijah, Have you found me, my enemy? He answered, I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do that which is evil in the sight of Yahweh.
- 1 Kings 21:21 רָעָ֔ה n c fs Behold, I will bring evil on you, and will utterly sweep you away and will cut off from Ahab every man-child, and him who is shut up and him who is left at large in Israel:
- 1 Kings 21:25 הָ/רַ֖ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms (But there was none like Ahab, who did sell himself to do that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.
- 1 Kings 21:29 הָֽ/רָעָה֙ הָ/רָעָ֖ה ptcl def.art + n c fs ptcl def.art + n c fs See you how Ahab humbles himself before me? because he humbles himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days; but in his son's days will I bring the evil on his house.
- 1 Kings 22:8 רָ֔ע adj Adjective ms The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, there is yet one man by whom we may inquire of Yahweh, Micaiah the son of Imlah: but I hate him; for he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil. Jehoshaphat said, "Don't let the king say so."
- 1 Kings 22:18 רָֽע adj Adjective ms The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Didn't I tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?
- 1 Kings 22:23 רָעָֽה n c fs Now therefore, behold, Yahweh has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; and Yahweh has spoken evil concerning you.
- 1 Kings 22:52 הָ/רַ֖ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, in which he made Israel to sin.
2 Kings 32 verses
- 2 Kings 2:19 רָעִ֖ים adj Adjective mp The men of the city said to Elisha, Behold, we pray you, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord sees: but the water is bad, and the land miscarries.
- 2 Kings 3:2 הָ/רַע֙ ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, but not like his father, and like his mother; for he put away the pillar of Baal that his father had made.
- 2 Kings 4:41 רָ֖ע adj Adjective ms But he said, Then bring meal. He cast it into the pot; and he said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. There was no harm in the pot.
- 2 Kings 6:33 הָֽ/רָעָה֙ ptcl def.art + n c fs While he was yet talking with them, behold, the messenger came down to him: and he said, Behold, this evil is of Yahweh; why should I wait for Yahweh any longer?
- 2 Kings 8:12 רָעָ֗ה n c fs Hazael said, Why weeps my lord? He answered, Because I know the evil that you will do to the children of Israel: their strongholds will you set on fire, and their young men will you kill with the sword, and will dash in pieces their little ones, and rip up their women with child.
- 2 Kings 8:18 הָ/רַ֖ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms He walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab: for he had the daughter of Ahab as wife; and he did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh.
- 2 Kings 8:27 הָ/רַ֛ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms He walked in the way of the house of Ahab, and did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, as did the house of Ahab; for he was the son-in-law of the house of Ahab.
- 2 Kings 13:2 הָ/רַ֖ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin; he didn't depart from it.
- 2 Kings 13:11 הָ/רַ֖ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh; he didn't depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin; but he walked therein.
- 2 Kings 14:10 בְּ/רָעָ֔ה prep + n c fs You have indeed struck Edom, and your heart has lifted you up: glory of it, and abide at home; for why should you meddle to [your] hurt, that you should fall, even you, and Judah with you?
- 2 Kings 14:24 הָ/רַ֖ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh: he didn't depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin.
- 2 Kings 15:9 הָ/רַע֙ ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, as his fathers had done: he didn't depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin.
- 2 Kings 15:18 הָ/רַ֖ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh: he didn't depart all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin.
- 2 Kings 15:24 הָ/רַ֖ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh: he didn't depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin.
- 2 Kings 15:28 הָ/רַ֖ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh: he didn't depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin.
- 2 Kings 17:2 הָ/רַ֖ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, yet not as the kings of Israel who were before him.
- 2 Kings 17:11 רָעִ֔ים adj Adjective mp and there they burnt incense in all the high places, as did the nations whom Yahweh carried away before them; and they worked wicked things to provoke Yahweh to anger;
- 2 Kings 17:13 הָֽ/רָעִים֙ ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective mp Yet Yahweh testified to Israel, and to Judah, by every prophet, and every seer, saying, Turn you from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets.
- 2 Kings 17:17 הָ/רַ֛ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms They caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, to provoke him to anger.
- 2 Kings 21:2 הָ/רַ֖ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, after the abominations of the nations whom Yahweh cast out before the children of Israel.
- 2 Kings 21:6 הָ/רַ֛ע ptcl def.art + Adjective Adjective ms He made his son to pass through the fire, and practiced sorcery, and used enchantments, and dealt with those who had familiar spirits, and with wizards: he worked much evil in the sight of Yahweh, to provoke him to anger.
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 word רע centers on the idea of “evil.” Its earliest occurrence is Genesis 2:9. It appears 623 verses across 36 books of the Hebrew Bible, among its most common vocabulary. Its meaning spans more than one sense — see its full sense range. It clusters with רעע, מרע and רע under a shared root. Dig into 623-verse concordance and the renderings breakdown below.
Gloss history
Strong's 1890 vs modern scholarship
Strong's · 1890
adversity
Modern gloss
evil
Strong's 1890 sometimes compressed multiple senses — or homonymous roots — under one number, and used 19th-century English phrasing that no longer carries the same connotation. The modern gloss reflects current BDB scholarship; open the Lexicon Entry tab for the full sense breakdown.
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About this word
Strong's H7451 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 →
- 623
- distinct verses
- The word appears in 623 distinct verses.
- 36 / 39
- OT books
- The word appears in 36 of 39 Old Testament books.
- #73
- by frequency
- Top 100 most frequent Hebrew words (rank 73 of 8,640 Hebrew words by occurrence).
View all 623 occurrences in the concordance →
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 623 distinct verses.
- Prophets (Nevi'im) 312 verses · 50%
- Writings (Ketuvim) 221 verses · 35%
- Torah (Pentateuch) 90 verses · 14%
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 6 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†: Evil 308×, Wickedness 39×, Was evil 26×
- American Standard Version†: Evil 241×, Was evil 51×, Wickedness 32×
- Berean Standard Bible†: Evil 247×, Disaster 72×, Harm 28×
- unfoldingWord Literal Text†: Evil 341×, Harm 49×, Bad 34×
King James Version Public Domain
Renders H7451 across 657† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 118 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 6 further occurrences.
American Standard Version Public Domain
Renders H7451 across 655† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 165 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 H7451 across 651† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 98 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 13 further occurrences.
unfoldingWord Literal Text CC BY-SA 4.0
Renders H7451 across 644† tagged occurrences — most commonly:
Plus other, less common renderings. Plus 46 renderings that appear only once — usually multi-word phrases or single function words the recovered tagging swept in, not distinct renderings.
36 senses and sub-senses in the full BDB
Hebrew verbs can shift meaning by stem (binyan): Qal is the basic action, Niphal is often passive or reflexive, Piel often intensifies or makes it factitive, and Hiphil is typically causative. The senses below are grouped under the stem BDB assigns to each. This entry also uses Hithpael (reflexive or reciprocal).
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 36 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.
רע I pasture, tend, graze (Assyrian rêʾû vb. pasture, n. ruler, TelAm. ruh̬i (as Canaanism) WklNo. 181, 11
Qal
- Pf. 3 ms. consec. וְרָעָה Mi 5:3 +, 1 s. sf. consec. וּרְעִיתִים Ez 34:13, 3 pl. sf. consec. וְרָעוּם Je 23:4, etc.; Impf. 3 ms. יִרְעֶה Is 27:10 +, juss. יֵרַע Jb 20:26, sf. יִעֶנָּה ψ 80:14, וַיִּרְעֵם ψ 78:72 (וַיִּר׳ Hiph. van d. H.), etc.; Imv. ms. רְעֵה Mi 7:14 +, sf. רְעֵם ψ 28:9; fs. רְעִי Ct 1:8; mpl. רְעוּ Gn 29:7; Inf. cstr. לִרְעוֹת 37:12 +, etc.; Pt. רֹעֶה 30:36 +, sf. רֹעִי ψ 23:1 +; fs. רֹעָה Gn 29:9 Pr 25:19, etc.;— e.g. Micah 5:3
- 1. trans.
- a. pasture, tend (pascere), lit., c. acc. צֹאן Gn 30:31, 36; 37:12 (all J), Ex 3:1 (E), 1 S 17:15; 25:16 Is 61:5, acc. of asses Gn 36:24 (P), kids Ct 1:8; acc. (צפּאן) om. Gn 29:7; 37:13 (ב loc.) v 16 (all J), Ct 1:7 (‖ חִרְבִּיץ), Jb 24:2 (𝔊 Me Siegf Bu וְרֹעוֹ);—metaph. גֹּרֶן וָיֶקֶב לֹא יִרְעֵם Ho 9:2, but read יֵדָעֵם 𝔊 We Now GASm; מָוֶת יִרְעֵם ψ 49:15. e.g. Genesis 30:31
- b. fig. of י׳, acc. pers., Gn 48:15 (E) God, who shepherded me; c. acc. of people, as flock Ho 4:16 Is 40:11 Mi 7:14 (בְּשִׁבְטֶ֑ן), Ez 34:13 (pregn., c. אֶל loc.), v 14, 15 (+ הִרְבִּיץ), v 16 ψ 28:9. e.g. Genesis 48:15
- c. fig. of ruler, and teacher, acc. of people, as flock, 2 S 5:2 = 1 Ch 11:2; 2 S 7:7 = 1 Ch 17:6, ψ 78:72 Je 3:15; 23:2, 4; Ez 34:2, 3, 8, 10, 23(×2); Zc 11:4, 7(×2), 9; of guiding, שִׂפְתֵי צַדִּיק יִרְעוּ רַבִּים Pr 10:21; c. ב of people ψ 78:71; abs. Mi 5:3; c. acc. pers. reflex. pastured (fed, enriched) themselves Ez 34:2, 8, 10 e.g. 2 Samuel 5:2
- d. especially pt. רֹעֶח, etc., as subst. = shepherd, herdsman: (1) lit., רֹעֵה צֹאן Gn 4:2; 46:32, 34; 47:3 (all J), רֹעֶח בַּצּ׳ 37:2 (E), 1 S 16:11; 17:34; רֹעֵי מִקְנֶה Gn 13:7(×2) (J); (ה)ר׳ alone, sg. Am 3:12 + 7 times (all in sim.); רֹעָה shepherdess, Gn 29:9 (J); כִּלִי רֹעֶה אֱוִילִי Zc 11:15 (v. כְּלִי 2 c), as symbol; pl. (הָ)רֹעִים Am 1:2; Ex 2:17, 19 (J), 1 S 21:8 (אַבִּיר הָר׳; Gr Dr Bu Kit Löhr א׳ הָרָצִים; 𝔊 LagBN 45 HPS אֹבִּיל הָעֲיָרִים, but cf. We) + 8 times + Is 31:4 (sim.), 38:12 (read רֹעִים for רֹעִי Perles29 Du CheHpt cf. Di), cf. (sf.) Gn 13:8(×2) (J); כְּלִי הָרֹעִים 1 S 17:40 (v. כְּלִי 3);—בֵּית־עֵקֶד הָרֹעִים, v. p. 112. (2) fig. of ruler (as often Assyrian; cf. Gk. (Homer) ποιμένα λαῶν), abs. sg. Je 17:16 fig. of prophet (but Aq Symm 𝔖 Gie Du Co מֵרָעָה). Zc 10:2; 11:16; 13:7b + 8 times Je Ez; sf. of י׳, דֹעִי Is 44:28 (of Cyrus), Zc 13:7a (read רֹעִי הָאֱוִילִי We Now GASm); abs. pl. Is 56:11; Je 2:8; 3:15; Mi 5:4 Zc 10:3; 11:5, 8 + 18 times Je Ez 34, + (of Assyrian leaders) Na 3:18; רֹעֵי יִשׂ׳ Ez 34:2; רֹעֵי צֹאנוֹ Is 63:11 (but read רֹעֵה [of Moses] 𝔊 𝔗 Di Du al.). (3) epith. of י׳: י׳ רֹעִי ψ 23:1, רֹעֵה יִשׂ׳ 80:2, רֹעֶה אֶבֶן יִשׂ׳, Gn 49:24 (poem in J; read cstr. רֹעֵה, cf. Comm.); מֵרֹעֶה אֶחָד Ec 12:11 DeWild, president of assembly of sages Siegf SS e.g. Genesis 4:2
- 2. intrans. feed, graze:
- a. lit. of cows, sheep, etc.: c. ב loc. Gn 41:2, 18 (E), 1 Ch 27:29; c. acc. of pasture Is 30:23; c. עַל loc. Zp 2:7 (עֲלֵי הַיָּם for MT עֲלֵיהֶם, v. Now); אֶל־מוּל loc. Ex 34:3 (J); abs. Is 5:17; 11:7 (‖ רבץ; but v. II. רעה infr.) 27:10 (‖ id.), 65:25 Jon 3:7; Jb 1:14. e.g. Genesis 41:2
- b. fig. of idolater, Is 44:20 he feedeth on ashes (acc.); cf. Ho 12:2 Ephr. feedeth on wind (acc.); פִּי כְסִילִים יִר׳ אִוֶּלֶת Pr 15:14 (so Vrss Qr; Kt פני for פי) the mouth of fools feeds on folly (Toy; Buhl √ II. רעה, Gerber 162 sub III. רעה); in Ct, c. ב loc., fig. of lover Ct 2:16; 6:2, 3; of breasts (like gazelles) 4:5. e.g. Isaiah 44:20
- c. fig., of Isr. as flock Is 14:30 (‖ רבץ), read (י—ַ)בְּכָרִי in my pasture(s), for MT בְּכוֹרֵי, Koppe Ew Di Du (otherwise CheHpt., cf. Marti); Zp 3:13 (‖ id.); c. עַל־דְּרָכִים Is 49:9; c. acc. of pasture-land Je 50:19; Mi 7:14; Ez 34:14b (+ אֶל loc.), v 18, 19; hence crop, strip, i.e. devastate, of conqueror, c. acc. of land Mi 5:5, cf. אֶת־יָדוֹ Je 6:3; so יִרְעוּךְ קָדְקֹד 2:16; acc. of Isr. under fig. of vine (subj. foes, as beasts) ψ 80:14. e.g. Isaiah 14:30
- d. subj. wind, c. acc. pers. Je 22:22, i.e. drive them away; subj. fire, c. acc. rei, יֵרַע Jb 20:26, but read perhaps יֵרָע, Niph. (Ol Di Hoffm Siegf Bu; otherwise Du).—רֹעֶה עֲקָרָה 24:21 is difficult; Bu הֵרַע for ר׳; more radical conj. in Du. e.g. Jeremiah 22:22
Niphal
- poss. Jb 20:26, v. 2 d supr. e.g. Job 20:26
Hiphil
- ψ 78:72 van d. H., v. 1 c supr. e.g. Psalms 78:72
רע II ob. associate with (cf. Schulthess69 ff. but also NöZMG liv (1900), 154 f.
Qal
- Imv. ms. וּרְעֵה אֱמוּנָה ψ 37:3 cherish faithfulness (Hup-Now RV Che Du Dr); > feed securely (Bae; i. רעה; feed on (his) faithfulness Am RV); Pt. רֹעֶה כְסִילִים Pr 13:20 one associating with fools, so ר׳ זֹלְלִים 28:7, ר׳ זוֹנוֹת 29:3 (Thes al. think these fig. from I. רעה, v. 2 b). e.g. Psalms 37:3
Hithpael
- 2 ms. אַל־תִּתְרַע אֶת־בַּעַל אָ֑ף Pr 22:24 do not make companionship with a bad-tempered man; perhaps also 3 fpl. תִּתְרָעֶינָה Is 11:7 (LagOr i. 21; Deceased Wife’s Sister 399 Brd Du CheHpt) cow and bear shall be each other’s companions; + Inf. cstr. הִתְרָעֹת Pr 18:24 (Toy, for MT הִתְרֹעֵעַ) there are [יֵשׁ for אִישׁ] friends (merely) to be companions (v. II. רעע ad fin.). e.g. Proverbs 22:24
רע III denom.
Piel
- be a special friend;—Pf. 3 ms. מֵרֵעֵהוּ אֲשֶׁר רֵעָה לוֹ Ju 14:20 his comrade who had been ‘best man’ (GFM) to him. e.g. Judges 14:20
רע IV I. רַע226 adj. bad, evil (distinction from n., and vb. Pf. 3 ms., is sometimes not easy, and opinions differ)
- 1. bad, disagreeable, malignant: of a woman, רָעָה בְּעֵינֵי Ex 21:8 (E; perhaps, with changed accent, vb. 3 fs. רָ֫עָה) disagreeable, unpleasing in the eyes of, pl. Gn 28:8 (P); of poisionous herb 2 K 4:41, malignant boils Dt 28:35; Jb 2:7, diseases Dt 7:15; 28:59; 2 Ch 21:19 Ec 6:2, deadly sword ψ 144:10, arrows Ez 5:16, severe judgments 14:21, wonders Dt 6:22; מַלְאֲכֵי רָעִים ψ 78:49 = fierce messengers (of God; Ew§ 287 a Ges§ 130 e), wild beasts Gn 37:20, 33 (JE) Lv 26:6 (H) Ez 5:17; 14:15, 21; 34:25; unclean thing Dt 23:10. e.g. Exodus 21:8
- 2. bad, unpleasant, giving pain, unhappiness, misery: ימים רעים evil days (of trial and hardship) Gn 47:9 (P) Pr 15:15; עִנְיָן רע Ec 1:13; 5:13; עִנְיַן 4:8, cf. 2:17; 9:3; הַמַּעֲשֶׂה הָרָע 4:3; הדבר הרע evil report Ex 33:4 (J), so דִּבָּה רָעָה Gn 37:2 (JE) Nu 14:37 (P), שׁם רע Dt 22:14, 19; Ne 6:13, שְׁמוּעָה רָעָה Je 49:23 ψ 112:7; of things: painful discipline Pr 15:10, evil occurrence 1 K 5:18, evil(-bringing) net Ec 9:12, instruments Is 32:7: כל הדבר הרע Jos 23:15 (D) all evil (injurious) things; רַע it is bad, harmful Is 3:11; Je 2:19; of speech, דבּר, רע או טוב Gn 24:50 (J) in prov., speak bad or good = anything at all, טטוב עד רע 31:24, 29 (E), לְמֵרָע ועד טוב 2 S 13:22, of the divine spirit as producing an ecstatic state of frenzy and violence 1 S 16:14, 15, 16, 23; 18:10; 19:9 (see רוּחַ 9). e.g. Genesis 47:9
- 3. evil, displeasing עָשָׂה רָ֔ע בְּעֵינֵי סַרְנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים 1 S 29:7. e.g. 1 Samuel 29:7
- 4. bad of its kind, land Nu 13:19 (J), place 20:5 (JE), waters 2 K 2:19, figs Je 24:2, 3(×2), 8, kine Gn 41:3, 4, 19, 20, 21, 27 (E), מוּם רע Dt 15:21, cf. 17:1. e.g. Numbers 13:19
- 5. bad, i. e. of low value Lv 27:10(×2), 12, 14, 33 (H), cf. Mal 1:8(×2); רַע רַע יֹאמַר הַקּוֹנֶה Pr 20:14(×2). e.g. Leviticus 27:10
- 6. + מִן comp., worse than, 2 S 19:8; as superl., רָעֵי גוֹיִם Ez 7:24 worst of nations (del. Co). e.g. 2 Samuel 19:8
- 7. sad, unhappy: לֶב־רָ֑ע sad heart (cf. opp. טוב, יטב) Pr 25:20; of face Gn 40:7 (E) Ne 2:2; רע לְפָנָין v 1. e.g. Proverbs 25:20
- 8. הָשַׁב מַחֲשֶׁבֶת(ה)רָעָה devise evil (hurtful) device Ez 38:10; Est 9:25. e.g. Ezekiel 38:10
- 9. bad, unkind, vicious in disposition or temper: וְלֵב־רָ֑ע when the mind is vicious, harmful Pr 26:23; רַע עָ֑יִן one evil of eye Pr 23:6; 28:22; רוּחַ רָעָה Ju 9:23 bad temper. e.g. Proverbs 26:23
- 10. ethically bad, evil, wicked:
- a. in gen., אם טוב ואם רע Ec 12:14 whether good or bad. e.g. Ecclesiastes 12:14
- b. of persons, אישׁ רע 1 S 30:22; אדם רע ψ 140:2; המן הרע הזה Est 7:6 this wicked Haman, so רָ֑ע = evil man ψ 10:15, Jb 21:30; Pr 11:21; 12:13; 24:20, רָעִים = evil men Gn 13:13 (J) Je 6:29; 15:21; Ez 30:12 Jb 35:12; Pr 4:14; 12:12; 14:19; 15:3; רָעוֹת evil women Je 2:33; שׁכנים רעים 12:14 evil neighbours; of הַדּוֹר Dt 1:35, הָעָם Je 13:10; הָעֵדָה Nu 14:27, 35 (P), המשׁפחה Je 8:3; רַע כְּעֵינֵי י׳ wicked in the eyes of י׳ Gn 38:7 (JE) = 1 Ch 2:3; עָשָׂה הָרָע בְּעֵינֵי י׳ Nu 32:13 (R) Dt 4:25; 9:18; 17:2; 31:29; Ju 2:11 + 48 times, + (c. sf. of God) 2 K 21:15 Is 65:12; 66:4; Je 7:30; 32:30 ψ 51:6; 2 S 12:9, prob. also Je 18:10 (read הָרָע for הָרָעָה). e.g. 1 Samuel 30:22
- c. of thoughts, יֵצֶר Gn 6:5; 8:21 (J), הַלֵּב הָרָע Je 3:17; 7:24; 11:8; 16:12; 18:12; words, רעות Pr 15:28. e.g. Genesis 6:5
- d. deeds, actions, עשׂה (כ)דבר הרע Dt 13:12; 17:5; 19:20; Ne 13:17; עשׂה הרעות Je 3:5; דבר רע ψ 64:6; 141:4 Ec 8:3, 5; דברים 1 S 2:23; 2 K 17:11; דֶּרֶךְ 1 K 13:33; Je 18:11; 23:22 + 11 times; דרכים 2 K 17:13; 2 Ch 7:14; Ez 20:44; 33:11; 36:31; Zc 1:4; מעשׂינוּ Ezr 9:13; מעללים Zc 1:4 Ne 9:35 (cf. רֹעַ 4); בֶּצַע רע Hb 2:9; מרוצתם Je 23:10; (ה)תועבות (ה)רעות Ez 6:11; 8:9 (del. Co); כִּי רָעוֹת בִּמְגוּרָם ψ 55:16 for evil deeds are in their dwelling. e.g. Deuteronomy 13:12
רע V
- 1. evil, distress, adversity: יָרֵא רַע fear evil ψ 23:4 Zp 3:15; בּוֹרֵא רָ֑ע Is 45:7 (of God), הביא רע 31:2; מתאננים רַע Nu 11:1 (J) murmuring respecting distress (see Di); אם טוב ואם רע Je 42:6 whether prosperity or adversity; יוֹם רע Am 6:3 day of calamity; יְמֵי רע ψ 49:6; 94:13; כי טוב קויתי ויבא רע Jb 30:26; בְּרָע in adversity Ex 5:19 (E) ψ 10:6; יִפֹּל בְּרָ֑ע Pr 13:17; אֶרְאֶה בָרָ֑ע Gn 44:34 (J); בכל־רע Pr 5:14, מכל רע Gn 48:16 (E) ψ 121:7; v. also Mi 1:12 ψ 140:12 Jb 5:19; 31:29; Pr 12:21; 19:23. e.g. Psalms 23:4
- 2. evil, injury, wrong: Hb 2:9; Jb 2:10; Pr 21:10; עשׂה רע, + עִם pers. Gn 31:29 (E); ל pers. Je 39:12; as obj. of חשּׁב Ho 7:15, חרשׁ Pr 6:14; 12:20; 14:22, השׁיב ψ 54:7, גמל 7:5 Pr 31:12, בקּשׁ 17:11, שׁלּם 20:22, אמר ψ 41:6, דבּר 109:20; דבּר בְּרָע 73:8 speak about injury; לֹא יִתְנַכֵּא טוֹב כִּי אִם רָ֑ע 1 K 22:8, 18 = 2 Ch (18:7 לְרָעָה), 18:17 לְרָ֑ע; לרע for harm, injury Is 59:7; Je 7:6; 25:7 ψ 56:6 Pr 1:16; 21:12; Ec 8:9; רַע יֵרוֹעַ Pr 11:15 (but read רֹעַ Gr SS, v. Toy). e.g. Habakkuk 2:9
- 3. ethical evil, Dt 30:15; 2 S 14:17; Is 5:20; Am 5:14; Mi 7:3 + 10 times; עשׂה רע 2 K 21:9; 2 Ch 12:14; 33:9; Ne 9:28 + 8 times; פֹּעֲלֵי רע Mi 2:1; אהב רע 3:2 (Qr), ψ 52:5; שׂנא רע Am 5:15 ψ 97:10 Pr 8:13; מאס רע ψ 36:5; מאס ברע Is 7:15, 16; בִּעֵר הרע מִן consume evil from Dt 13:6 + 8 times Dt; לֹא יְגֻרְךָ רָ֑ע ψ 5:5 (adj. = evil man Hup De al.); ידע טוב ורע Gn 2:9, 17; 3:5, 22 (all J), Dt 1:39; סר מֵרָע Is 59:15 ψ 34:15; 37:27; Pr 3:7 + 8 times; כי ברע הוא Ex 32:22 (J) he is set on evil; רע רשׁעים ψ 7:10; רע מעללים 1 S 25:3, cf. Mi 3:4 (v. רֹעַ 3); דִּבְרֵי רָע deeds of evil Je 5:28; תַּהְפֻּכוֹת רָ֑ע Pr 2:14; אֹרַח רע ψ 119:101; עֲצַת רע Ez 11:2; מֵחְשְׁבוֹת רע Pr 15:26; אִישׁ רע 29:6; אַנְשֵׁי רע 28:5; אֵשֶׁת רע 6:24 (but read רֵעַ Gr Bi Toy). e.g. Deuteronomy 30:15
רע VI evil, misery, distress, injury
- 1. evil, misery, distress: פַּחַד רָעָה Pr 1:33, באה (ה)רעה Ez 7:5(×2); c. עַל Is 47:11 (read באה for בא), Je 5:12 + 5 times; c. אֶל Je 2:3; 51:60; †הביא רעה Je 4:6 1 K 21:29; + אֶל 2 S 17:14 + 8 times K Je; + עַל 1 K 9:9 = 2 Ch 7:22, Je 19:3 + 6 times Je + 8 times; + אֶל et על Je 19:15; 36:31; יוֹם רעה 17:17, 18 + 5 times; יְמֵי הרעה †Ec 12:1 (i.e., spring days, fatal to old people, Wetzst in De Koh. 447); רָעוֹת evils Dt 31:17(×2), 21 (JE), 32:23 (poem), ψ 34:20; 40:13; 88:4; עֵת רָעָה Am 5:13; Je 2:27, 28 + 5 times; †ראה ברעה Nu 11:15 (JE) Ob 13; Est 8:6; †ראה רעה Je 44:17 ψ 90:15; Pr 22:3 = 27:12; †יפול ברעה 17:20; 28:14; †בְּרָעָה Je 44:29 (J) Pr 14:32; 24:16; Ne 1:3; 1 Ch 7:23 ψ 107:26; ברעותיכם 141:5; נִחַם עַל רָעָה Ex 32:12, 14 (J) Je 8:6 + 6 times; c. אֶל 2 S 24:16; Je 26:3, 13, 19; 42:10. e.g. Proverbs 1:33
- 2. evil, injury, wrong: †עשׂה רעה 2 S 12:18; Je 26:19; 41:11; c. עִם Gn 26:29 (J) Ju 15:3; 2 S 13:16; c. את Ju 11:27; c. ל 1 S 6:9; 1 K 2:44 + 4 times; c. אֶל Je 44:7; obj. of vbs. חשׁב Gn 50:20 (E) Je 36:3; 48:2 + 7 times; †חרשׁ 1 S 23:9; Pr 3:29; הֵשִׁיב Gn 50:15 (E) Ju 9:56, 57 + 4 times; †גמל Gn 50:17 (E) 1 S 24:18 (17); Is 3:9; Pr 3:30; בקשׁ Nu 35:23 (P); 1 S 24:10 (9); 25:26 + 4 times; †שׁלּם Gn 44:4 (J); Je 18:20; 51:24 ψ 35:12; 38:21; לְרָעָה for harm Gn 31:52; Ex 23:2 (E); Dt 29:20; Ju 2:15; 2 S 18:32; Je 21:10 + 8 times Je, Am 9:4; Zc 1:15; Pr 6:18; Ec 5:12; בְּרָעָתֶ֑ךָ 2 S 16:8 in thy mischief; בְּרָעָה Ex 32:12 (J) for mischief; רָעָה רַבָּה Ec 2:21; רָעָה חוֹלָה Ec 5:12, 15. e.g. 2 Samuel 12:18
- 3. ethical evil, 1 S 12:17, 19; 24:12; 26:18; Is 47:10; Je 2:19 + 13 times Je, + 18 times, + foll.: עָשָׂה (הָ)רָעָה Gn 39:9; Dt 31:18 (J) + 5 times + Je 18:10 (Kt, but Qr רע); מַעֲשֵׂה רעה Ec 8:11; אהב רעה Mi 3:2 (Kt); שׁוּב מרעה Je 18:8; 23:14; 44:5; בִּעֵר רעה מ׳ Ju 20:13 (v ii. רַע 3); מִפְּנֵי רָעָה Je 7:12; 44:3; מפני רָעַת רעתכם Ho 10:15; בגלל ר׳ Je 11:17; על כל ר׳ 1:16; 32:32; 33:5; מֵר׳ ψ 107:34 Je 12:4; אַנְשֵׁי רָעָה Pr 24:1. e.g. 1 Samuel 12:17
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. vb. pasture, tend, graze (Assyrian rêʾû vb. pasture, n. ruler, TelAm. ruh̬i (as Canaanism) WklNo. 181, 11; Arabic رَدَى, Ethiopic ርዕየ Aramaic רְעָא, ܪܥܳܐ, all = BH);—
II. vb. prob. associate with (cf. Schulthess69 ff. but also NöZMG liv (1900), 154 f.; Assyrian ruʾa, ruttu, neighbour, fellow (m. et f.; cf. JägerBAS i.483, 486); so Bed. أُرْعُوَّةٌ master, owner, WallinZMG v (1851), 9 JayakarJA xxi. 851; Ethiopic መርዓ: marriage; Arabic رَاعِى, راعيها, Ethiopic አርዑት: yoke; NH רֵעוּת friendship is from BH רֵעַ);—
II. I. רַע226 adj. bad, evil (distinction from n., and vb. Pf. 3 ms., is sometimes not easy, and opinions differ);—ms. רַע Gn 6:5 +; רָ֑ע 31:24 +; pl. רָעִים 13:13 +; cstr. רָעֵי Ez 7:24 (del. Co); fs. רָעָה Gn 37:2 + 37 times (this form usually noun), pl. רָעוֹת 28:8 + 14 times; רָעֹת 41:27 (18 times noun);—
III. n.m. Jb 30:26 evil, distress, misery, injury, calamity;—abs. רַע Nu 11:1 +, בְּרָע Ex 5:19 +, רָ֑ע Gn 48:16 +;—
IV. n.f. evil, misery, distress, injury;—abs. ר׳ Gn 26:29 +; cstr. רָעַת 6:5 +; sf. רָֽעָתִי ψ 35:4 +; רָעָֽתְךָ 1 K 2:44 +; רָֽעָתֵכִי Je 11:15 (text dub.); רָֽעַתְכֶם 1 S 12:17, etc.; pl. רָעוֹת Dt 31:17 +; רָעֹת Je 44:9 Ex 23:2; sf. רָעוֹתֵיכֶם 1 S 10:19 +, etc.;—
— Brown-Driver-Briggs (Oxford 1906, public domain), digitized via Sefaria, supplemented by the OpenScriptures HebrewLexicon (CC BY 4.0). See Sources.
Derived from רעע (râʻaʻ) (H7489) — to do evil.
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.
רַע I
- [shaken,] weak, sick; bad; (noun) evil. Ber. 7ᵃ מפני מה … ורע לו why is there a righteous man who fares well, and another righteous man who fares badly? Ib. 23ᵃ (ref. to Koh. IV, 17) בין טוב לרע וכ׳ they cannot distinguish between good and evil, and want to offer a sacrifice before me? Kidd. 40ᵃ (ref. to Is. III, 11) וכי יש רשע רע ויש שאינו רע is there a bad wicked man and a wicked man that is not bad?; רע לשמים ורע לבריות וכ׳ one bad in his relation to heaven (irreligious) and bad to men is a bad wicked man &c. Ohol. XVIII, 6 שכחן רע whose strength is feeble, v. כֹּחַ. Ab. II, 9 חבר רע a bad companion; לב רע a bad heart; a. v. fr.—Fem. רָעָה bad; (noun) evil. Ib., a. fr. עין ר׳, v. עַיִן. Sabb. 11ᵃ כל ד׳ ולא אשה ר׳ any evil, only not a bad wife. Ber. 61ᵃ אחת … ואחת יועצתו לר׳ one (kidney) counsels for good, the other for evil. Y. Shek. I, beg. 45ᵈ לטובה … לר׳ וכ׳ for a good purpose—‘every liberal-hearted’ (Ex. XXXV, 22), for a bad purpose—‘the whole people’ (ib. XXXII, 3). Hor. 10ᵇ אפי׳ טובתם … ר׳ היא וכ׳ even the good which wicked men do is an evil with the righteous (they do not enjoy it); Yeb. 103ᵃ sq. Koh. R. to V, 12, v. חוֹלָה I. Ber. l. c. (ref. to Koh. IV, 17) אל תהי … אם על ר׳ הם מביאים be not like the fools who sin and offer a sacrifice, not knowing whether they offer it for the good they have done or for the evil; a. v. fr.—Pl. רָעִים; רָעוֹת. Keth. 110ᵇ (quot. fr. Ben Sira) כל ימי עני ר׳ all the days of a poor man are bad; Snh. 101ᵃ. Y. Ber. V, 8ᵈ bot., v. חָצַף. Ex. R. s. 42 (ref. to Jer. II, 13) ושתי ר׳ עשו לבד have they committed no more than two evils?; a. v. fr. e.g. Ecclesiastes 4:17
רַע II
- to be evil, v. רָעַע.
רַע III
- ch. = אֲרַע, v. לרַע
רֵעַ
- , v. רֵיעַ
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 228 distinct written forms H7451 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; 168 rarer forms follow in the full concordance.
Same root — word family
Other BDB entries built from the same root as H7451, 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.
Derives from
Shares the same root
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 6 — 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 574 verses that also exist in the Greek Old Testament (Septuagint), out of the 623 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 2:9
- Exodus 5:19
- Leviticus 26:6
- Numbers 11:1
- Deuteronomy 1:35
- Joshua 23:15
- Judges 2:11
- 1 Samuel 2:23
- 2 Samuel 3:39
- 1 Kings 1:52
- 2 Kings 2:19
- 1 Chronicles 2:3
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.
