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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רִשְׁעָה H7564
Pronunciation rishʿāh
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 wickedness 1× Ezekiel 18:20
but wickedness 1× Proverbs 13:6
by their own wickedness 1× Proverbs 11:5
from his wickedness 1× Ezekiel 33:19
from the wickedness 1× Ezekiel 18:27
his crime warrants 1× Deuteronomy 25:2
is driving out 1× Deuteronomy 9:4
is Wickedness 1× Zechariah 5:8
more wickedly 1× Ezekiel 5:6
of their wickedness 1× Deuteronomy 9:5
of Wickedness 1× Malachi 1:4
wickedness 1× Isaiah 9:18
will the wickedness 1× Ezekiel 33:12
Show sample aligned rows
Deuteronomy 9:4 וּבְרִשְׁעַת֙ to is driving out Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct Deuteronomy 9:5 בְּרִשְׁעַ֣ת׀ to of their wickedness Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct Deuteronomy 25:2 רִשְׁעָת֖וֹ to his crime warrants Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular Proverbs 11:5 וּ֝בְרִשְׁעָת֗וֹ to by their own wickedness Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular Proverbs 13:6 וְ֝רִשְׁעָ֗ה to but wickedness Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular Isaiah 9:18 רִשְׁעָ֔ה to wickedness Noun - feminine singular Ezekiel 5:6 לְרִשְׁעָה֙ to more wickedly Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular Ezekiel 18:20 וְרִשְׁעַ֥ת to and the wickedness Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct Ezekiel 18:27 מֵֽרִשְׁעָתוֹ֙ to from the wickedness Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular Ezekiel 33:12 וְרִשְׁעַ֤ת to will the wickedness Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Deuteronomy 9:4
Aligned rows 15
Books represented 6
Deuteronomy 3 Proverbs 2 Isaiah 1 Ezekiel 5 Zechariah 1 Malachi 3
Source forms
רִשְׁעָ֔ה 3x riš·‘āh Isaiah 9:18, Malachi 1:4, Malachi 3:15
בְּרִשְׁעַ֣ת׀ 1x bə·riš·‘aṯ Deuteronomy 9:5
הָרִשְׁעָ֔ה 1x hā·riš·‘āh Zechariah 5:8
וּבְרִשְׁעַת֙ 1x ū·ḇə·riš·‘aṯ Deuteronomy 9:4
וּ֝בְרִשְׁעָת֗וֹ 1x ū·ḇə·riš·‘ā·ṯōw Proverbs 11:5
וְ֝רִשְׁעָ֗ה 1x wə·riš·‘āh Proverbs 13:6
וְרִשְׁעַ֥ת 1x wə·riš·‘aṯ Ezekiel 18:20
וְרִשְׁעַ֤ת 1x wə·riš·‘aṯ Ezekiel 33:12
Parsing patterns
Noun - feminine singular 4x Isaiah 9:18, Malachi 1:4, Malachi 3:15, Malachi 4:1
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct 2x Ezekiel 18:20, Ezekiel 33:12
Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular 2x Ezekiel 18:27, Ezekiel 33:19
Article | Noun - feminine singular 1x Zechariah 5:8
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular 1x Proverbs 13:6
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct 1x Deuteronomy 9:4
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular 1x Proverbs 11:5
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular 1x Deuteronomy 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 definition Source: 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.
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