--- title: רַע — evil · The Tanakh dictionary description: רַע (lemma:רַע), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 2 times: evil. BDB 1906: adj. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/w/lemma_3a_5e8_5b7_5e2.html) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [Tanakh](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/) / [ר](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/1512-3.md)‎ / רַע‎ # רַע «רַע» in the Tanakh dictionary: **evil** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers. **Used:** 2 times · **Key:** lemma:רַע · **BDB:** רַע² ### Glosses evil (1); wild (1) ### Meaning (OSHB) evil [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1512/lemma_3a_5e8_5b7_5e2/#m1) ### Meaning (BDB 1906) adj. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1512/lemma_3a_5e8_5b7_5e2/#m2) **The whole BDB entry:** I. רַע226 adj. bad, evil (distinction from n., and vb. Pf. 3 ms., is sometimes not easy, and opinions differ);—ms. רַע Gn 6:5 +; רָ֑ע 31:24 +; pl. רָעִים 13:13 +; cstr. רָעֵי Ez 7:24 (del. Co); fs. רָעָה Gn 37:2 + 37 times (this form usually noun), pl. רָעוֹת 28:8 + 14 times; רָעֹת 41:27 (18 times noun);— bad, disagreeable, malignant: of a woman, רָעָה בְּעֵינֵי Ex 21:8 (E; perhaps, with changed accent, vb. 3 fs. רָ֫עָה) disagreeable, unpleasing in the eyes of, pl. Gn 28:8 (P); of poisionous herb 2 K 4:41, malignant boils Dt 28:35; Jb 2:7, diseases Dt 7:15; 28:59; 2 Ch 21:19 Ec 6:2, deadly sword ψ 144:10, arrows Ez 5:16, severe judgments 14:21, wonders Dt 6:22; מַלְאֲכֵי רָעִים ψ 78:49 = fierce messengers (of God; Ew§ 287 a Ges§ 130 e), wild beasts Gn 37:20, 33 (JE) Lv 26:6 (H) Ez 5:17; 14:15, 21; 34:25; unclean thing Dt 23:10. bad, unpleasant, giving pain, unhappiness, misery: ימים רעים evil days (of trial and hardship) Gn 47:9 (P) Pr 15:15; עִנְיָן רע Ec 1:13; 5:13; עִנְיַן 4:8, cf. 2:17; 9:3; הַמַּעֲשֶׂה הָרָע 4:3; הדבר הרע evil report Ex 33:4 (J), so דִּבָּה רָעָה Gn 37:2 (JE) Nu 14:37 (P), שׁם רע Dt 22:14, 19; Ne 6:13, שְׁמוּעָה רָעָה Je 49:23 ψ 112:7; of things: painful discipline Pr 15:10, evil occurrence 1 K 5:18, evil(-bringing) net Ec 9:12, instruments Is 32:7: כל הדבר הרע Jos 23:15 (D) all evil (injurious) things; רַע it is bad, harmful Is 3:11; Je 2:19; of speech, דבּר, רע או טוב Gn 24:50 (J) in prov., speak bad or good = anything at all, טטוב עד רע 31:24, 29 (E), לְמֵרָע ועד טוב 2 S 13:22, of the divine spirit as producing an ecstatic state of frenzy and violence 1 S 16:14, 15, 16, 23; 18:10; 19:9 (see רוּחַ 9). evil, displeasing עָשָׂה רָ֔ע בְּעֵינֵי סַרְנֵי פְלִשְׁתִּים 1 S 29:7. bad of its kind, land Nu 13:19 (J), place 20:5 (JE), waters 2 K 2:19, figs Je 24:2, 3(×2), 8, kine Gn 41:3, 4, 19, 20, 21, 27 (E), מוּם רע Dt 15:21, cf. 17:1. bad, i. e. of low value Lv 27:10(×2), 12, 14, 33 (H), cf. Mal 1:8(×2); רַע רַע יֹאמַר הַקּוֹנֶה Pr 20:14(×2). + מִן comp., worse than, 2 S 19:8; as superl., רָעֵי גוֹיִם Ez 7:24 worst of nations (del. Co). sad, unhappy: לֶב־רָ֑ע sad heart (cf. opp. טוב, יטב) Pr 25:20; of face Gn 40:7 (E) Ne 2:2; רע לְפָנָין v 1. הָשַׁב מַחֲשֶׁבֶת(ה)רָעָה devise evil (hurtful) device Ez 38:10; Est 9:25. bad, unkind, vicious in disposition or temper: וְלֵב־רָ֑ע when the mind is vicious, harmful Pr 26:23; רַע עָ֑יִן one evil of eye Pr 23:6; 28:22; רוּחַ רָעָה Ju 9:23 bad temper. ethically bad, evil, wicked: in gen., אם טוב ואם רע Ec 12:14 whether good or bad. of persons, אישׁ רע 1 S 30:22; אדם רע ψ 140:2; המן הרע הזה Est 7:6 this wicked Haman, so רָ֑ע = evil man ψ 10:15, Jb 21:30; Pr 11:21; 12:13; 24:20, רָעִים = evil men Gn 13:13 (J) Je 6:29; 15:21; Ez 30:12 Jb 35:12; Pr 4:14; 12:12; 14:19; 15:3; רָעוֹת evil women Je 2:33; שׁכנים רעים 12:14 evil neighbours; of הַדּוֹר Dt 1:35, הָעָם Je 13:10; הָעֵדָה Nu 14:27, 35 (P), המשׁפחה Je 8:3; רַע כְּעֵינֵי י׳ wicked in the eyes of י׳ Gn 38:7 (JE) = 1 Ch 2:3; עָשָׂה הָרָע בְּעֵינֵי י׳ Nu 32:13 (R) Dt 4:25; 9:18; 17:2; 31:29; Ju 2:11 + 48 times, + (c. sf. of God) 2 K 21:15 Is 65:12; 66:4; Je 7:30; 32:30 ψ 51:6; 2 S 12:9, prob. also Je 18:10 (read הָרָע for הָרָעָה). of thoughts, יֵצֶר Gn 6:5; 8:21 (J), הַלֵּב הָרָע Je 3:17; 7:24; 11:8; 16:12; 18:12; words, רעות Pr 15:28. deeds, actions, עשׂה (כ)דבר הרע Dt 13:12; 17:5; 19:20; Ne 13:17; עשׂה הרעות Je 3:5; דבר רע ψ 64:6; 141:4 Ec 8:3, 5; דברים 1 S 2:23; 2 K 17:11; דֶּרֶךְ 1 K 13:33; Je 18:11; 23:22 + 11 times; דרכים 2 K 17:13; 2 Ch 7:14; Ez 20:44; 33:11; 36:31; Zc 1:4; מעשׂינוּ Ezr 9:13; מעללים Zc 1:4 Ne 9:35 (cf. רֹעַ 4); בֶּצַע רע Hb 2:9; מרוצתם Je 23:10; (ה)תועבות (ה)רעות Ez 6:11; 8:9 (del. Co); כִּי רָעוֹת בִּמְגוּרָם ψ 55:16 for evil deeds are in their dwelling. Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 2 of its verses cited, 0 words shared with the glosses (16 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (12 candidates) ### Trees and pragmatics [Every English meaning of «רַע» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1512/lemma_3a_5e8_5b7_5e2/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames. ### In the verses [Genesis 37:33](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/torah/GEN.37.33/) וַיַּכִּירָ֤הּ וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ כְּתֹ֣נֶת בְּנִ֔י חַיָּ֥ה רָעָ֖ה אֲכָלָ֑תְהוּ טָרֹ֥ף טֹרַ֖ף יוֹסֵֽף׃ *Word for word:* and he recognized.it and he.said \[it.is\].the.long.garment my.son my an.animal wild it has.eaten.him surely.(tear) he.has.been.torn.to.pieces Joseph *JPS 1917:* And he knew it, and said: 'It is my son's coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt torn in pieces.' [Jeremiah 23:10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/JER.23.10/) כִּ֤י מְנָֽאֲפִים֙ מָלְאָ֣ה הָאָ֔רֶץ כִּֽי־מִפְּנֵ֤י אָלָה֙ אָבְלָ֣ה הָאָ֔רֶץ יָבְשׁ֖וּ נְא֣וֹת מִדְבָּ֑ר וַתְּהִ֤י מְרֽוּצָתָם֙ רָעָ֔ה וּגְבוּרָתָ֖ם לֹא־כֵֽן׃ *Word for word:* (dm) adulterers it.is.full the land (dm) because of a.curse it.has.dried.up the land they.have.become.dry \[the\].pastures of.\[the\].wilderness and it.has.become \[of.life\] their.course evil and strength their \[is\].not right *JPS 1917:* For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourneth, the pastures of the wilderness are dried up; and their course is evil, and their force is not right. - ← previous: [רֹעַ](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/w/7455.md) - next →: [רָעֵב](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/w/7456.md) - ↑ back to [ר](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/tanakh/1512-3.md)