What does רֵאשִׁית (rēʾšiyt) mean in the Bible?
רֵאשִׁית (rēʾšiyt): Beginning that establishes primacy and principle; foundational priority in time, rank, or sacred offering.
Hebrew · H7225
רֵאשִׁית
The first , in place, time, order or rank (specifically, a firstfruit )
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רֵאשִׁית H7225
Pronunciation rēʾšiyt
What does רֵאשִׁית (rēʾšiyt) mean in the Bible?
רֵאשִׁית (rēʾšiyt): Beginning that establishes primacy and principle; foundational priority in time, rank, or sacred offering.
Full entry for רֵאשִׁית (H7225) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H7225?
The BSB source-word alignment has 51 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include the firstfruits (5), At the beginning (3), the best (3), from the beginning (2), From the first (2).
Where does רֵאשִׁית (rēʾšiyt) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 1:1. Its strongest book concentrations include Deuteronomy (7), Jeremiah (6), Proverbs (5), Ezekiel (4).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It the firstfruits 5× Deuteronomy 18:4, 2 Chronicles 31:5, Nehemiah 10:37, Psalms 105:36
At the beginning 3× Jeremiah 26:1, Jeremiah 27:1, Jeremiah 49:34
the best 3× Exodus 23:19, Exodus 34:26, Ezekiel 44:30
from the beginning 2× Deuteronomy 11:12, Isaiah 46:10
From the first 2× Numbers 15:20, Numbers 15:21
vvv 2× Deuteronomy 26:10, Psalms 78:51
[is] the beginning 1× Proverbs 1:7
and choice 1× Ezekiel 20:40
and the beginning 1× Genesis 49:3
and the first 1× Deuteronomy 18:4
and the leaders 1× Daniel 11:41
and with the firstfruits 1× Proverbs 3:9
as His first 1× Proverbs 8:22
as their firstfruits 1× Numbers 18:12
began 1× Genesis 10:10
firstfruits 1× Nehemiah 12:44
in its first season 1× Hosea 9:10
In the beginning 1× Genesis 1:1
is supreme 1× Proverbs 4:7
is the beginning 1× Psalms 111:10
is the firstfruits 1× Deuteronomy 21:17
is the foremost 1× Job 40:19
more than his first 1× Job 42:12
near the beginning 1× Jeremiah 28:1
of firstfruits 1× Leviticus 2:12
of the firstfruits 1× Leviticus 23:10
of the foremost 1× Amos 6:1
some of the firstfruits 1× Deuteronomy 26:2
than the beginning 1× Ecclesiastes 7:8
the beginning 1× Micah 1:13
the best [land] 1× Deuteronomy 33:21
the best of 1× 1 Samuel 15:21
the mainstay 1× Jeremiah 49:35
this best [part] 1× Ezekiel 48:14
Though your beginnings 1× Job 8:7
To start 1× Proverbs 17:14
was first 1× Numbers 24:20
with the best 1× 1 Samuel 2:29
with the finest 1× Amos 6:6
your first 1× Ezekiel 44:30
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 1:1 בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית to In the beginning Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular Genesis 10:10 רֵאשִׁ֤ית to began Noun - feminine singular construct Genesis 49:3 וְרֵאשִׁ֣ית to and the beginning Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct Exodus 23:19 רֵאשִׁ֗ית to the best Noun - feminine singular construct Exodus 34:26 רֵאשִׁ֗ית to the best Noun - feminine singular construct Leviticus 2:12 רֵאשִׁ֛ית to of firstfruits Noun - feminine singular Leviticus 23:10 רֵאשִׁ֥ית to of the firstfruits Noun - feminine singular construct Numbers 15:20 רֵאשִׁית֙ to From the first Noun - feminine singular construct Numbers 15:21 מֵרֵאשִׁית֙ to from the first Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct Numbers 18:12 רֵאשִׁיתָ֛ם to as their firstfruits Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 1:1
Aligned rows 51
Books represented 19
Genesis 3 Exodus 2 Leviticus 2 Numbers 4 Deuteronomy 7 1 Samuel 2 2 Chronicles 1 Nehemiah 2 Job 3 Psalms 3 Proverbs 5 Ecclesiastes 1 Isaiah 1 Jeremiah 6 Ezekiel 4 Daniel 1 Hosea 1 Amos 2 Micah 1
Source forms
רֵאשִׁ֣ית 11x rê·šîṯ Deuteronomy 21:17, 1 Samuel 15:21, 2 Chronicles 31:5, Nehemiah 10:37
בְּרֵאשִׁ֗ית 3x bə·rê·šîṯ Jeremiah 26:1, Jeremiah 27:1, Jeremiah 49:34
רֵאשִׁית֙ 3x rê·šîṯ Numbers 15:20, Deuteronomy 26:10, Deuteronomy 33:21
רֵאשִׁ֤ית 2x rê·šîṯ Genesis 10:10, Numbers 24:20
רֵאשִׁ֗ית 2x rê·šîṯ Exodus 23:19, Exodus 34:26
רֵאשִׁ֛ית 2x rê·šîṯ Leviticus 2:12, Ezekiel 20:40
רֵאשִׁ֥ית 2x rê·šîṯ Leviticus 23:10, Psalms 78:51
רֵאשִׁ֨ית 2x rê·šîṯ Deuteronomy 18:4, Micah 1:13
Parsing patterns
Noun - feminine singular construct 23x Genesis 10:10, Exodus 23:19, Exodus 34:26, Leviticus 23:10
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct 6x Genesis 49:3, Deuteronomy 18:4, Ezekiel 44:30, Daniel 11:41
Noun - feminine singular 5x Leviticus 2:12, Deuteronomy 33:21, Job 40:19, Psalms 105:36
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct 4x Jeremiah 26:1, Jeremiah 27:1, Jeremiah 28:1, Jeremiah 49:34
Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct 4x Numbers 15:21, Deuteronomy 11:12, Deuteronomy 26:2, 1 Samuel 2:29
Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular 2x Job 42:12, Ecclesiastes 7:8
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct 1x Proverbs 3:9
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular 1x Job 8:7
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Beginning that establishes primacy and principle; foundational priority in time, rank, or sacred offering.
Source Gloss
the first , in place, time, order or rank (specifically, a firstfruit )
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Beginning that establishes primacy and principle; foundational priority in time, rank, or sacred offering.
the first, in place, time, order or rank (specifically, a firstfruit) BDB: beginning Usage: beginning, chief(-est), first(-fruits, part, time), principal thing.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
The initial stage or starting point of a conflict or dispute
An inheritance obtained prematurely or without proper order, lacking proper firstfruits blessing
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 51 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
רֵאשִׁית is built from this root:
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain