What does רָשַׁע (rāšaʿ) mean in the Bible?
רָשַׁע (rāšaʿ): Moral culpability through active wrongdoing; wickedness violates covenant order and disturbs communal peace.
Hebrew · H7561
רָשַׁע
To be (causatively, do or declare ) wrong ; by implication, to disturb , violate
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רָשַׁע H7561
Pronunciation rāšaʿ
What does רָשַׁע (rāšaʿ) mean in the Bible?
רָשַׁע (rāšaʿ): Moral culpability through active wrongdoing; wickedness violates covenant order and disturbs communal peace.
Full entry for רָשַׁע (H7561) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H7561?
The BSB source-word alignment has 34 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include we have acted wickedly (4), wickedly departed (2), [and] acted wickedly (1), act wickedly (1), already found guilty (1).
Where does רָשַׁע (rāšaʿ) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Exodus 22:9. Its strongest book concentrations include Job (11), Daniel (4), Psalms (4), 2 Chronicles (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 we have acted wickedly 4× 1 Kings 8:47, 2 Chronicles 6:37, Daniel 9:5, Daniel 9:15
wickedly departed 2× 2 Samuel 22:22, Psalms 18:21
[and] acted wickedly 1× Psalms 106:6
act wickedly 1× Job 34:12
already found guilty 1× Job 9:29
and condemn 1× Psalms 94:21
and condemning 1× Proverbs 17:15
and yet had condemned 1× Job 32:3
and you will refute 1× Isaiah 54:17
but [the LORD] condemns 1× Proverbs 12:2
can condemn Him 1× Job 34:29
condemn me 1× Job 10:2
condemned 1× Deuteronomy 25:1
condemning 1× 1 Kings 8:32
condemns you 1× Job 15:6
find guilty 1× Exodus 22:9
guilty 1× Job 10:7
have acted wickedly 1× Nehemiah 9:33
he routed them 1× 1 Samuel 14:47
I am guilty 1× Job 10:15
in wickedness 1× 2 Chronicles 22:3
let them be condemned 1× Psalms 37:33
those who violate 1× Daniel 11:32
to condemn Me 1× Isaiah 50:9
wicked 1× Ecclesiastes 7:17
wickedly 1× 2 Chronicles 20:35
will continue to act wickedly 1× Daniel 12:10
Will you condemn 1× Job 34:17
would condemn me 1× Job 9:20
Would you condemn Me 1× Job 40:8
Show sample aligned rows
Exodus 22:9 יַרְשִׁיעֻן֙ to find guilty Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | Paragogic nun Deuteronomy 25:1 וְהִרְשִׁ֖יעוּ to condemned Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural 1 Samuel 14:47 יַרְשִֽׁיעַ׃ to he routed them Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 2 Samuel 22:22 רָשַׁ֖עְתִּי to wickedly departed Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular 1 Kings 8:32 לְהַרְשִׁ֣יעַ to condemning Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct 1 Kings 8:47 רָשָֽׁעְנוּ׃ to we have acted wickedly Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural 2 Chronicles 6:37 וְרָשָֽׁעְנוּ׃ to we have acted wickedly Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common plural 2 Chronicles 20:35 הִרְשִׁ֥יעַ to wickedly Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular 2 Chronicles 22:3 לְהַרְשִֽׁיעַ׃ to in wickedness Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct Nehemiah 9:33 הִרְשָֽׁעְנוּ׃ to have acted wickedly Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common plural
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Exodus 22:9
Aligned rows 34
Books represented 13
Exodus 1 Deuteronomy 1 1 Samuel 1 2 Samuel 1 1 Kings 2 2 Chronicles 3 Nehemiah 1 Job 11 Psalms 4 Proverbs 2 Ecclesiastes 1 Isaiah 2 Daniel 4
Source forms
אֶרְשָׁ֑ע 2x ’er·šā‘ Job 9:29, Job 10:7
הִרְשָֽׁעְנוּ׃ 2x hir·šā·‘ə·nū Nehemiah 9:33, Psalms 106:6
יַרְשִֽׁיעַ׃ 2x yar·šî·a‘ 1 Samuel 14:47, Proverbs 12:2
יַרְשִׁיעֵ֑נִי 2x yar·šî·‘ê·nî Job 9:20, Isaiah 50:9
רָשָֽׁעְנוּ׃ 2x rā·šā·‘ə·nū 1 Kings 8:47, Daniel 9:15
הִרְשִׁ֥יעַ 1x hir·šî·a‘ 2 Chronicles 20:35
וְהִרְשִׁ֖יעוּ 1x wə·hir·šî·‘ū Deuteronomy 25:1
וְהִרְשִׁ֣יעוּ 1x wə·hir·šî·‘ū Daniel 12:10
Parsing patterns
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular 4x 1 Samuel 14:47, Job 34:12, Job 34:29, Proverbs 12:2
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common plural 3x Nehemiah 9:33, Psalms 106:6, Daniel 9:5
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular 3x 2 Samuel 22:22, Job 10:15, Psalms 18:21
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural 2x Deuteronomy 25:1, Daniel 12:10
Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct 2x 1 Kings 8:32, 2 Chronicles 22:3
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular | first person common singular 2x Job 10:2, Job 40:8
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular | first person common singular 2x Job 9:20, Isaiah 50:9
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular 2x Job 9:29, Job 10:7
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Moral culpability through active wrongdoing; wickedness violates covenant order and disturbs communal peace.
Strong's H7561
Lexical occurrences 36 verses Word forms 2 forms 19 references Verse guides 0 guides
Study link Proverbs 12:2 Source Gloss
to be (causatively, do or declare ) wrong ; by implication, to disturb , violate
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Moral culpability through active wrongdoing; wickedness violates covenant order and disturbs communal peace.
to be (causatively, do or declare) wrong; by implication, to disturb, violate BDB: be wicked Usage: condemn, make trouble, vex, be (commit, deal, depart, do) wicked(-ly, -ness).
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 19
Hiphil causative active — the subject causes someone else to perform the action 11×
Imperfect 1Sam 14:47 · Job 34:12 · Job 34:29 · Prov 12:2 · Isa 54:17 · Job 34:17 · Ps 94:21 7×
Perfect Dan 9:5 · Neh 9:33 · Ps 106:6 · 2Chr 20:35 4×
Qal basic active stem — the word in its most common, direct sense 8×
Perfect 2Sam 22:22 · Job 10:15 · Ps 18:22 · 1Kgs 8:47 · Dan 9:15 5×
Imperfect Job 9:29 · Job 10:7 2×
Jussive Eccl 7:17 1×
Selected Scripture Witnesses
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Biblical Witnesses
a person who practices wickedness is condemned by the Lord
declaring or pronouncing judgment against the righteous and guilty alike
Showing 2 selected witnesses from 36 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
רָשַׁע 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