רַע
Bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral)
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What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
Strong's number: The Strong's code (H- or G-) is the standard reference number for this word. It connects this entry to chapter and passage language tabs.
Canonical witness: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
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What does רַע (ra) mean in the Bible?
רַע (ra) is a Hebrew word meaning "bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral)". Reckless pledges can produce serious hardship. This term runs through the canonical themes of Wisdom.
Meaning
Encompasses both moral wickedness and physical affliction; God's judgment often conflates ethical and natural evil.
bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral) BDB: evil Usage: adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, displease(-ure), distress, evil((-favouredness), man, thing), exceedingly, × great, grief(-vous), harm, heavy, hurt(-ful), ill (favoured), mark, mischief(-vous), misery, naught(-ty), noisome, not please, sad(-ly), sore, sorrow, trouble, vex, wicked(-ly, -ness, one), worse(-st), wretchedness, wrong. (Incl. feminine raaah; as adjective or noun.).
Why This Word Matters
Reckless pledges can produce serious hardship. Hosea 7:1-7
Evil represents a moral trajectory away from God's wisdom. Isaiah 45:1-7
Affirms God’s sovereignty over historical judgment events. Isaiah 47:8-11
Identifies the moral root of judgment. Proverbs 11:15
Leaders delight in moral evil. Proverbs 11:19
Grammatical Forms
How the stem changes the meaning of this verb across the biblical text.
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 1×
Canonical Themes
Biblical Occurrences
Each occurrence shows the passage reference, the original language term as it appears in that context, its transliteration, and the contextual sense.
Showing 8 of 666 occurrences in the biblical text.
Appears In
Compound and idiomatic lexemes in which this word is a constituent. Follow a link to study the phrase and its other participating words.