What does רִשְׁעָה (rishʿāh) mean in the Bible?
רִשְׁעָה (rishʿāh): Moral corruption and legal guilt fused; denotes both wickedness as character defect and criminal wrong as covenant violation
Hebrew · H7564
רִשְׁעָה
Wrong (especially moral)
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רִשְׁעָהH7564
Pronunciationrishʿāh
What does רִשְׁעָה (rishʿāh) mean in the Bible?
רִשְׁעָה (rishʿāh): Moral corruption and legal guilt fused; denotes both wickedness as character defect and criminal wrong as covenant violation
Full entry for רִשְׁעָה (H7564) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H7564?
The BSB source-word alignment has 15 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include . . . (2), and the wickedness (1), but wickedness (1), by their own wickedness (1), from his wickedness (1).
Where does רִשְׁעָה (rishʿāh) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Deuteronomy 9:4. Its strongest book concentrations include Ezekiel (5), Deuteronomy (3), Malachi (3), Proverbs (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 It. . .2×Malachi 3:15, Malachi 4:1
and the wickedness1×Ezekiel 18:20
but wickedness1×Proverbs 13:6
by their own wickedness1×Proverbs 11:5
from his wickedness1×Ezekiel 33:19
from the wickedness1×Ezekiel 18:27
his crime warrants1×Deuteronomy 25:2
is driving out1×Deuteronomy 9:4
is Wickedness1×Zechariah 5:8
more wickedly1×Ezekiel 5:6
of their wickedness1×Deuteronomy 9:5
of Wickedness1×Malachi 1:4
wickedness1×Isaiah 9:18
will the wickedness1×Ezekiel 33:12
Show sample aligned rows
Deuteronomy 9:4וּבְרִשְׁעַת֙tois driving outConjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular constructDeuteronomy 9:5בְּרִשְׁעַ֣ת׀toof their wickednessPreposition-b | Noun - feminine singular constructDeuteronomy 25:2רִשְׁעָת֖וֹtohis crime warrantsNoun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singularProverbs 11:5וּ֝בְרִשְׁעָת֗וֹtoby their own wickednessConjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singularProverbs 13:6וְ֝רִשְׁעָ֗הtobut wickednessConjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singularIsaiah 9:18רִשְׁעָ֔הtowickednessNoun - feminine singularEzekiel 5:6לְרִשְׁעָה֙tomore wickedlyPreposition-l | Noun - feminine singularEzekiel 18:20וְרִשְׁעַ֥תtoand the wickednessConjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular constructEzekiel 18:27מֵֽרִשְׁעָתוֹ֙tofrom the wickednessPreposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singularEzekiel 33:12וְרִשְׁעַ֤תtowill the wickednessConjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned rowDeuteronomy 9:4
Aligned rows15
Books represented6
Deuteronomy3Proverbs2Isaiah1Ezekiel5Zechariah1Malachi3
Source forms
רִשְׁעָ֔ה3xriš·‘āhIsaiah 9:18, Malachi 1:4, Malachi 3:15
בְּרִשְׁעַ֣ת׀1xbə·riš·‘aṯDeuteronomy 9:5
הָרִשְׁעָ֔ה1xhā·riš·‘āhZechariah 5:8
וּבְרִשְׁעַת֙1xū·ḇə·riš·‘aṯDeuteronomy 9:4
וּ֝בְרִשְׁעָת֗וֹ1xū·ḇə·riš·‘ā·ṯōwProverbs 11:5
וְ֝רִשְׁעָ֗ה1xwə·riš·‘āhProverbs 13:6
וְרִשְׁעַ֥ת1xwə·riš·‘aṯEzekiel 18:20
וְרִשְׁעַ֤ת1xwə·riš·‘aṯEzekiel 33:12
Parsing patterns
Noun - feminine singular4xIsaiah 9:18, Malachi 1:4, Malachi 3:15, Malachi 4:1
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct2xEzekiel 18:20, Ezekiel 33:12
Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular2xEzekiel 18:27, Ezekiel 33:19
Article | Noun - feminine singular1xZechariah 5:8
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular1xProverbs 13:6
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct1xDeuteronomy 9:4
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular1xProverbs 11:5
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular1xDeuteronomy 25:2
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. Moral corruption and legal guilt fused; denotes both wickedness as character defect and criminal wrong as covenant violation
Source Gloss
wrong (especially moral)
Extended definitionSource: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
Moral corruption and legal guilt fused; denotes both wickedness as character defect and criminal wrong as covenant violation
wrong (especially moral) BDB: wickedness Usage: fault, wickedly(-ness).
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
Moral evil or wrongdoing in covenant violation.
Showing 1 selected witness from 15 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
רִשְׁעָה is built from this root:
Why This Word Matters
Wickedness is portrayed as an active force that spreads and consumes.Isaiah 9:18-21
Canonical Themes
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.