---
title: רָעַע — break · The Tanakh dictionary
description: רָעַע (lemma:רָעַע), a word of Biblical Hebrew, used 5 times: break. BDB 1906: vb. break Hithpōʿ. Niph. Qal. With 2 verses in Hebrew, word for word and JPS 1917.
---

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# רָעַע

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«רָעַע» in the Tanakh dictionary: **break** — how often it is used, MACULA's glosses, its meanings in the printed dictionaries and why they were chosen, and 2 verses in layers.

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**Used:** 5 times · **Key:** lemma:רָעַע · **BDB:** רָעַע²

### Glosses

be.broken (1); he.breaks (1); it.break? (1)

### Meaning (OSHB)

break [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1512/lemma_3a_5e8_5b8_5e2_5b7_5e2/#m1)

### Meaning (BDB 1906)

vb. break Hithpōʿ. Niph. Qal [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1512/lemma_3a_5e8_5b8_5e2_5b7_5e2/#m2)

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**The whole BDB entry:** vb. break (Aramaic loan-word = Heb. רָצַץ q.v.);— Pf. 3 pl. רָעוּ Je 11:16; Impf. 3 ms. יָרֹעַ Je 15:12; Jb 34:24, 2 ms. sf. תְּרֹעֵם ψ 2:9 (but v. infr.); inf. abs. רֹ֫עָה Is 24:19 (del. ה as dittogr. and read רֹעַ, v. Hithpōʿ.); Pt. f. רֹעָה (? for רֹעֲעָה) Pr 25:19:— trans. הֲיָרֹעַ כַּרְזֶל בַּרְזֶל וגו׳ Je 15:12 can one break iron, iron out of the north? cf. יָרֹעַ כַּבִּירִים Jb 34:24; תְּרֹעֵם בְּשֵׁבֶט בַּרְזֶל ψ 2:9 (but read תִּרְעֵם, v. I. רעה, 𝔊 𝔖 𝔙 Hup-Now al.). intrans. break = be broken, of branches Je 11:16 (in fig.; Gf Or al.; \> Hi Gie are in a sad state, √ I. רעע); שֵׁן רֹעָה Pr 25:19 a broken tooth (ר׳ = רֹעֲעָה?; Frankenb Niph. Pt. נְרָעָה, cf. Toy, but Niph. not elsewhere; Vrss רָעָה bad).—רֹ֫עוּ Is 8:9 read דְּעוּ (𝔊 Lo Che al., ‖ הַאֲזִינוּ). Pf. 3 fs. + Qal inf. abs. (v. supr.) רֹעַ הִתְרֹעֲעָה הָארץ Is 24:19 the earth is broken asunder (‖ פּוֹר הִתְפּוֹרְרָה, מוֹט הִתְמוֹטְטָה); also inf. cstr. לְהִתְרוֹעֵעַ Pr 18:24 will be broken in pieces (Ges§ 114 i), ruined, De al., but לְהִתְרָעוֹת Vrss Toy al., v. II. רעה Hithp. (see, however, DrExpos. Times xi (1899–1900), 230 f.).

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Why these entries: BDB: headword, part of speech agrees, 5 of its verses cited, 1 words shared with the glosses (3 candidates); OSHB: headword, part of speech agrees, 1 words shared with the BDB entry, 1 with the glosses (2 candidates)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every English meaning of «רָעַע» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/tanakh/1512/lemma_3a_5e8_5b8_5e2_5b7_5e2/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.

### In the verses

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[Jeremiah 15:12](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/neviim/JER.15.12/)

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הֲיָרֹ֨עַ בַּרְזֶ֧ל ׀ בַּרְזֶ֛ל מִצָּפ֖וֹן וּנְחֹֽשֶׁת׃

*Word for word:* will it.break? iron iron from.\[the\] north and bronze

*JPS 1917:* Can iron break iron from the north and brass?

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[Job 34:24](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/ketuvim/JOB.34.24/)

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יָרֹ֣עַ כַּבִּירִ֣ים לֹא־חֵ֑קֶר וַיַּעֲמֵ֖ד אֲחֵרִ֣ים תַּחְתָּֽם׃

*Word for word:* he.breaks mighty.\[ones\] not searching and he.appointed others in place.of.them

*JPS 1917:* He breaketh in pieces mighty men without inquisition, and setteth others in their stead.

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