What does רָדָה (rādāh) mean in the Bible?
רָדָה (rādāh): Dominion achieved through forceful subjugation—trampling an enemy underfoot into submission or crumbling resistance.
Hebrew · H7287
רָדָה
To tread down, i.e. subjugate ; specifically, to crumble off
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רָדָה H7287
Pronunciation rādāh
What does רָדָה (rādāh) mean in the Bible?
רָדָה (rādāh): Dominion achieved through forceful subjugation—trampling an enemy underfoot into submission or crumbling resistance.
Full entry for רָדָה (H7287) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H7287?
The BSB source-word alignment has 26 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include rule (4), to rule (2), [and] subdues (1), A ruler will come (1), and it overpowered (1).
Where does רָדָה (rādāh) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 1:26. Its strongest book concentrations include Leviticus (4), Psalms (4), 1 Kings (3), Isaiah (3).
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 rule 4× Genesis 1:28, Psalms 110:2, Jeremiah 5:31, Ezekiel 29:15
to rule 2× Genesis 1:26, Leviticus 25:43
[and] subdues 1× Isaiah 41:2
A ruler will come 1× Numbers 24:19
and it overpowered 1× Lamentations 1:13
and rule 1× Isaiah 14:2
had dominion 1× 1 Kings 4:24
he had taken 1× Judges 14:9
it subdued 1× Isaiah 14:6
May he rule 1× Psalms 72:8
may rule 1× Leviticus 25:46
rule over him 1× Leviticus 25:53
ruling them 1× Psalms 68:27
So he scooped 1× Judges 14:9
supervisors 1× 2 Chronicles 8:10
supervisors over 1× 1 Kings 9:23
trample the grapes 1× Joel 3:13
who had dominion 1× Nehemiah 9:28
who supervised 1× 1 Kings 5:16
will rule 1× Leviticus 26:17
will rule them 1× Psalms 49:14
you have ruled 1× Ezekiel 34:4
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 1:26 וְיִרְדּוּ֩ to to rule Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural Genesis 1:28 וּרְד֞וּ to rule Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine plural Leviticus 25:43 תִרְדֶּ֥ה to to rule Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular Leviticus 25:46 תִרְדֶּ֥ה to may rule Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular Leviticus 25:53 יִרְדֶּ֥נּֽוּ to rule over him Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular Leviticus 26:17 וְרָד֤וּ to will rule Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural Numbers 24:19 וְיֵ֖רְדְּ to A ruler will come Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular Judges 14:9 וַיִּרְדֵּ֣הוּ to So he scooped Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine singular Judges 14:9 רָדָ֥ה to he had taken Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular 1 Kings 4:24 רֹדֶ֣ה׀ to had dominion Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 1:26
Aligned rows 26
Books represented 13
Genesis 2 Leviticus 4 Numbers 1 Judges 2 1 Kings 3 2 Chronicles 1 Nehemiah 1 Psalms 4 Isaiah 3 Jeremiah 1 Lamentations 1 Ezekiel 2 Joel 1
Source forms
הָרֹדִ֣ים 2x hā·rō·ḏîm 1 Kings 5:16, 1 Kings 9:23
תִרְדֶּ֥ה 2x ṯir·deh Leviticus 25:43, Leviticus 25:46
הָרֹדִ֖ים 1x hā·rō·ḏîm 2 Chronicles 8:10
וְיֵ֖רְדְּ 1x wə·yê·rəd Numbers 24:19
וְ֭יֵרְדְּ 1x wə·yê·rəd Psalms 72:8
וַיִּרְדֵּ֣הוּ 1x way·yir·dê·hū Judges 14:9
וְיִרְדּוּ֩ 1x wə·yir·dū Genesis 1:26
וַיִּרְדּ֣וּ 1x way·yir·dū Nehemiah 9:28
Parsing patterns
Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural 3x 1 Kings 5:16, 1 Kings 9:23, 2 Chronicles 8:10
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular 2x Numbers 24:19, Psalms 72:8
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural 2x Leviticus 26:17, Isaiah 14:2
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural 2x Nehemiah 9:28, Psalms 49:14
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular 2x Leviticus 25:43, Leviticus 25:46
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular 2x 1 Kings 4:24, Isaiah 14:6
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine plural 1x Genesis 1:26
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person feminine singular 1x Lamentations 1:13
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Dominion achieved through forceful subjugation—trampling an enemy underfoot into submission or crumbling resistance.
Strong's H7287
Lexical occurrences 27 verses Word forms 2 forms 12 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Genesis 1:26-28 Source Gloss
to tread down, i.e. subjugate ; specifically, to crumble off
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Dominion achieved through forceful subjugation—trampling an enemy underfoot into submission or crumbling resistance.
to tread down, i.e. subjugate; specifically, to crumble off BDB: scrape out Usage: (come to, make to) have dominion, prevail against, reign, (bear, make to) rule,(-r, over), take.
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
This verb appears through different tense, voice, mood, or stem patterns. Those forms help readers see how the action is presented in context.
Form groups 2 Aligned forms 12
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 11×
Perfect Judg 5:13 · Judg 14:9 · Ezek 34:4 4×
Imperfect Lev 25:43 · Lev 25:46 · Jer 5:31 3×
Participle active 1Kgs 5:4 · Isa 14:6 2×
Infinitive construct Ezek 29:15 1×
Sequential imperfect Ps 110:2 1×
Hiphil causative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action 1×
Imperfect Isa 41:2 1×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
God grants humanity authority to rule over creation and all living creatures
Divine empowerment of a king to exercise dominion and subjugate nations under God's authority
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 27 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
רָדָה is a primitive root - no further derivation.
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