What does רָעֵב (rāʿēb) mean in the Bible?
רָעֵב (rāʿēb): Hunger as physical deprivation, often signaling divine judgment or abandonment in covenantal contexts
Hebrew · H7457
רָעֵב
רָעֵב (rāʿēb): Hunger as physical deprivation, often signaling divine judgment or abandonment in covenantal contexts
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רָעֵבH7457
Pronunciationrāʿēb
What does רָעֵב (rāʿēb) mean in the Bible?
Full entry for רָעֵב (H7457) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H7457?
The BSB source-word alignment has 20 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include to the hungry (4), The hungry (2), . . . (1), a hungry man (1), and hungry (1).
Where does רָעֵב (rāʿēb) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at 1 Samuel 2:5. Its strongest book concentrations include Isaiah (5), Job (4), Psalms (4), Ezekiel (2).
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders Itto the hungry4×Psalms 146:7, Isaiah 58:10, Ezekiel 18:7, Ezekiel 18:16
The hungry2×Job 5:5, Psalms 107:9
. . .1×Isaiah 32:6
a hungry man1×Isaiah 29:8
and hungry1×Isaiah 8:21
are starving1×2 Kings 7:12
but still go hungry1×Job 24:10
but the starving1×1 Samuel 2:5
but to a hungry1×Proverbs 27:7
depleted1×Job 18:12
from the famished1×Job 22:7
have become hungry1×2 Samuel 17:29
He causes the hungry1×Psalms 107:36
is hungry1×Proverbs 25:21
They were hungry1×Psalms 107:5
with the hungry1×Isaiah 58:7
Show sample aligned rows
1 Samuel 2:5וּרְעֵבִ֖יםtobut the starvingConjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine plural2 Samuel 17:29רָעֵ֛בtohave become hungryAdjective - masculine singular2 Kings 7:12רְעֵבִ֣יםtoare starvingAdjective - masculine pluralJob 5:5רָ֘עֵ֤בtoThe hungryAdjective - masculine singularJob 18:12רָעֵ֥בtodepletedAdjective - masculine singularJob 22:7וּ֝מֵרָעֵ֗בtofrom the famishedConjunctive waw, Preposition | Adjective - masculine singularJob 24:10וּ֝רְעֵבִ֗יםtobut still go hungryConjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine pluralPsalms 107:5רְעֵבִ֥יםtoThey were hungryAdjective - masculine pluralPsalms 107:9רְ֝עֵבָהtothe hungryAdjective - feminine singularPsalms 107:36רְעֵבִ֑יםtoHe causes the hungryAdjective - masculine plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row1 Samuel 2:5
Aligned rows20
Books represented8
1 Samuel12 Samuel12 Kings1Job4Psalms4Proverbs2Isaiah5Ezekiel2
Source forms
לְרָעֵ֣ב2xlə·rā·‘êḇEzekiel 18:7, Ezekiel 18:16
לָֽרָעֵב֙2xlā·rā·‘êḇIsaiah 58:7, Isaiah 58:10
הָרָעֵ֜ב1xhā·rā·‘êḇIsaiah 29:8
וּ֝מֵרָעֵ֗ב1xū·mê·rā·‘êḇJob 22:7
וְרָעֵ֑ב1xwə·rā·‘êḇIsaiah 8:21
וּרְעֵבִ֖ים1xū·rə·‘ê·ḇîm1 Samuel 2:5
וּ֝רְעֵבִ֗ים1xū·rə·‘ê·ḇîmJob 24:10
לָרְעֵבִ֑ים1xlā·rə·‘ê·ḇîmPsalms 146:7
Parsing patterns
Adjective - masculine singular5x2 Samuel 17:29, Job 5:5, Job 18:12, Proverbs 25:21
Adjective - masculine plural3x2 Kings 7:12, Psalms 107:5, Psalms 107:36
Adjective - feminine singular2xPsalms 107:9, Proverbs 27:7
Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine plural2x1 Samuel 2:5, Job 24:10
Preposition-l | Adjective - masculine singular2xEzekiel 18:7, Ezekiel 18:16
Preposition-l, Article | Adjective - masculine singular2xIsaiah 58:7, Isaiah 58:10
Article | Adjective - masculine singular1xIsaiah 29:8
Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singular1xIsaiah 8:21
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Hunger as physical deprivation, often signaling divine judgment or abandonment in covenantal contexts
Source Gloss
hungry (more or less intensely)
Extended definitionSource: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Hunger as physical deprivation, often signaling divine judgment or abandonment in covenantal contexts
hungry (more or less intensely) BDB: hungry Usage: hunger bitten, hungry.
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
Physical hunger as a basic human need requiring compassionate response
Hunger as a state affecting appetite and perception of food
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 20 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
רָעֵב 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.