Lexical Definition
רֹאשׁ rôʼsh (roshe) head H:N-M
from an unused root apparently meaning to shake
band, beginning, captain, chapiter, chief(-est place, man, things), company, end, [idiom] every (man), excellent, first, forefront, (be-)head, height, (on) high(-est part, (priest)), [idiom] lead, [idiom] poor, principal, ruler, sum, top.
- the head (as most easily shaken), whether literal or figurative (in many applications, of place, time, rank, itc.)
1) head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning
1a) head (of man, animals)
1b) top, tip (of mountain)
1c) height (of stars)
1d) chief, head (of man, city, nation, place, family, priest)
1e) head, front, beginning
1f) chief, choicest, best
1g) head, division, company, band
1h) sum
See Greek: ἄκρον · ἀνήρ · ἄνθος · ἀριθμός · ἀρχαῖος · ἀρχή · ἀρχηγός · ἄρχω · ἄρχων · δανειστής · ἡγέομαι · θυμός · κεφάλαιον · κεφαλή · κεφαλίς · μέγας · νουμηνία · πατριάρχης · πένης · πικρός · πρωτότοκος · χολή
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Also see: מְרַאֲשָׁה | רֹאשׁ | רֹאשׁ
I. רֹאשׁ599 noun masculineLev 13:45 head (common Semitic word; earliest form *ra°š, Arabic 
, Sabean ראס PräZMG xxix (1875). 425 MordtmHim.Inschr. 31; Ethiopic 
Amharic 
hence (a heightened) Assyrian rêšu (rarely râšu), Aramaic רֵישָׁא (Egyptian Aramaic ראש CookeNorth-Semitic Inscr. 404), 
, modern (Ma'lûla) ra±ša, HuartJAs xii (1878), 491 Duvalid. xiii(1879), 464; Palmyrene רשא, Lzb366, compare Biblical Hebrew רִישׁוֺן, רֵאשִׁית; from*ra'š, also Biblical Hebrew רָאשׁ֩, ראֹשׁ (LagSymm. i. 113), Tel Amarna rušu(nu) Wkl189, 18 (gloss to ‡a‡‡adunu), Late Hebrew = Biblical Hebrew; SI6 ראש, Phoenician רשׁ, ראש (in proper name), Punic rus (in proper name, of a location) SchrödPhoenician Spr.133, ראשת choicest, chief; on MI20 (suffix) רשה, Lev 1:28 ש[ר], compare Sm. u. So14 NöLCB Jan. 8, 1887, 60); — ׳ר absolute Gen 3:15 +, construct Gen 40:20 +; suffix ראֹשִׁי vGen 40:16 +, etc.; plural רָאשִׁים (for רְאָשִׁים֩ NöGGA 1884, 1019) Exod 18:25 +; construct רָאשֵׁי Hos 7:13 + [מֵרַאֲשֹׁתֵי 1Sam 26:12 see מְרַאֲשׁוֺת below]; suffix רָאשֵׁינוּ 1Chr 12:19*, רָאשֵׁיכֶם Isa 29:10 +, etc.; —
1. a. (c. 230 t.) head, of human being; man Gen 40:16; Gen 40:17. + often, גֶּבֶר ׳לְר Judg 5:30 for the head of a man, i.e. for each man, per capita; woman 2Kgs 9:30; Deut 21:12; Num 5:18; Esth 2:17 boy 2Kgs 4:19 (twice in verse); Gen 48:14 (twice in verse) +; of ׳י, under figure of armed man Ps 60:9* = Ps 108:9* of idol 1Sam 5:4 of gates, personified Ps 24:7; Ps 24:9.
b. head, of animals: of serpent Gen 3:15, dog 2Sam 3:8, ass 2Kgs 6:25, of הַחַיָּה in Ezek 1:22 compare vEzek 1:22 vEzek 1:26, of הַכְּרֻבִים Ezek 10:1 compare vEzek 10:11 of sea-monsters, לִוְיָתָן Job 40:31*; Ps 74:14, תַּנִּינִים vPs 74:13 especially of animals for sacrifice Exod 12:9; Exod 29:15; Exod 29:19; Lev 1:4; Lev 1:8; Lev 1:12; Lev 1:15; Lev 3:2; Lev 3:8 + 18 t. P; in phrase וְזָנָב ׳ר Isa 9:13* (figurative of noble and commoner) compare v.Isa 9:14*; Isa 19:15, so (figurative of relative dignity, power, influence) Deut 28:13; Deut 28:44.
2. a. top (88 t.): of mountain, הַר, Gen 8:5; Exod 19:20 (twice in verse); Exod 24:17; Exod 34:2 + 34 t.; hill, גִּבְעָה, Exod 17:9; Exod 17:10 (E), 2Sam 8:25 מְרוֺמִים ׳ר Prov 8:2 + Prov 1:21 Toy (for ᵑ0 הֹמִיּוֺת), גֵּיא ׳ר שְׁמָנִים Isa 28:1; Isa 28:4 of rocks, צֻרִים, Num 23:9 (JE), crag, סֶלַע, 2Chr 25:12 (twice in verse); tower Gen 11:4 (J), stronghold Judg 6:26, ladder Gen 28:12 (E), tree 2Sam 5:24 = 1Chr 14:15, bough Isa 17:6 compare Ezek 17:4; Ezek 17:22, mast (?; חִבֵּל) Prov 23:34 (otherwise Toy); of ears of grain, שִׁבֹּלֶת Job 24:24, of stone Gen 28:18 (E), bed, מִטָּה, Gen 47:31 (J), throne, עָגוֺל לַכִּסֵּה׳ר 1Kgs 10:19, tabernacle, or its wall, Exod 26:24 = Exod 36:29 (P); pillar ( =capital) 1Kgs 7:16; 1Kgs 7:17 + 13: t., מְכוֺנָה v1Kgs 7:35 v1Kgs 7:35, lampstand Zech 4:2 (twice in verse), high priest's robe, מְעִיל, Exod 28:32 (P), פִּנָּה ׳ר Ps 118:22 top of (the) corner, i.e. most conspicuous stone (figurative); = tip, end, of staves 1Kgs 8:8= 2Chr 5:9, of sceptre Esth 5:2.
b. height of stars Job 22:12 (|| גֹּבַהּ שָׁמַיִם).
3.: 171
a. head = chief (man) Judg 10:18; Judg 11:8; Judg 11:9; Judg 11:11; Exod 18:25 (E), Num 1:16 (P), Deut 1:15; Hos 2:2*; Mic 3:1 + often; apparently combined with idea of first in a series 1Chr 12:10*. (van d. H. v.1Chr 12:9*, series of 11); of God 2Chr 13:12.
b. = chief (city) Josh 11:10 (D), compare (of city and king) Isa 7:3; Isa 7:8; Isa 7:9 (twice in verse).
c. chief nation Jer 31:7.
d. =chief (place, position) 1Sam 9:22; 1Kgs 21:9; 1Kgs 21:12; Deut 20:9; 1Chr 4:42 (compare also 5).
e. הָראֹשׁ chief priest 2Kgs 25:18= Jer 52:24; 2Chr 19:11; 2Chr 24:11; 2Chr 26:20, הַכֹּחֵן ראֹשׁ 1Chr 27:5, ׳הָר ׳הַכּ 2Chr 31:10; Ezra 7:5 ׳י alone 2Chr 24:6 רָאשֵׁי הַכֹּהֲנִים Neh 12:7. feminine especially = head of a family (P Chronicles); רָאשֵׁי בֵּית (rare ראֹשׁ) אֲבוֺתָ (םׅ) Exod 6:14; Num 7:2; Num 17:18*; Josh 22:14; 1Chr 5:24; 1Chr 7:7; 1Chr 7:9 בֵּית הָאָבוֺת ׳ר v1Chr 7:40 לְבֵית אֲבֹתָיו ׳ר Num 1:4, compare 1Chr 5:15; 1Chr 5:24; 1Chr 7:2; 1Chr 9:13; 1Chr 24:4 אֻמּוֺת בַּיתאָֿב ׳ר Num 25:15 אֲבוֺת ׳ר הָעַדָה Num 31:26 compare Num 32:28; Josh 14:1; Josh 21:1 אֲבוֺת הַלְוִיִּם ׳ר Exod 6:25; Josh 21:1 (הָ)אָבוֺת לַלְּוִיִם ׳ר 1Chr 9:33; 1Chr 9:34; 1Chr 15:12, compare Num 36:1; Josh 19:51; 1Chr 8:6; 1Chr 8:13; 1Chr 23:9; 1Chr 23:24 + 10 t. Chronicles; absolute ׳ר (הָ)אָבוֺת 1Chr 8:10; 1Chr 8:28; 1Chr 9:9; 1Chr 26:32; 1Chr 27:1; 2Chr 1:2 + 8 t. Ezra Nehemiah (Chronicles); אֲכֹתֵיהֶם ׳ר Ezra 8:1 רָאשִׁים לְאָכוֺת Neh 11:13 so also ׳י alone 1Chr 5:7; 1Chr 5:12; 1Chr 7:3; 1Chr 8:28 +; apparently combined with idea of first in a series 1Chr 23:8 (series of 3), v1Chr 23:11 (of 4), v1Chr 23:19 (of 3), v1Chr 23:20 (of 2).
4. a. head=front, leader's place Mic 2:13; 2Chr 20:27, compare Amos 6:7.
b. of time, beginning, of night-watch Judg 7:19; Lam 2:19 absolute מֵראֹשׁ from the beginning Isa 40:21; Isa 41:4; Isa 41:26 (|| מִלְּפָנִים), Isa 48:16; Prov 8:23 (|| מֵעוֺלָם),. Eccl 3:11 (|| עַדסֿוֺף); first of months Exod 12:2 (|| רִאשׁוֺן), Num 10:10; Num 28:11 (all P); בָּראֹשׁ 1Chr 16:7 at first.
c. of things, river-heads Gen 2:10 (J); עַפְרוֺת תֵּכֵל ׳ר Prov 8:26.
5. chief, choicest, best, of spices, כשׂמ(יםׅ, Ezek 27:22; Exod 30:23 (P), Song 4:14 שִׂמְחָתִי ׳ר Ps 137:6 the choicest of my joy.
6. head = division of army, company, band : Judg 7:16; Judg 7:20; Judg 9:34; Judg 9:37; Judg 9:43; Judg 9:44 (twice in verse); 1Sam 11:11; 1Sam 13:17 (twice in verse); 1Sam 13:18 (twice in verse) Job 1:17.
7. =sum, especially in phrase ׳בְּנֵייִֿשׂ ׳נָשָׂא אֶתרֿ Exod 30:12take the sum of, enumerate, compare Num 1:2; Num 1:49; Num 4:2; Num 4:22; Num 26:2; Num 31:26; Num 31:49 בְּראֹשׁוֺ Lev 5:24* in its sum, i.e. in full, so Num 5:7 (all P); of ׳י's thoughts Ps 139:17 compare ראֹשׁ דְּבָֽרְךָ אֱמֶתPs 119:160.
8. other phrase are : ׳נָשָׂא אֶתרֿאֹשׁ פ see נָשָׂא Qal 1 b (2); יָרוּם ראֹשִׁי עַלאֹֿיְבַי Ps 27:6, מֵרִים ראֹשִׁי ׳י Ps 3:4* (Ps 110:7; Ps 140:10* see רום); shake the head, see נוּעַ Hiph`il, compare יָנִיד בְּראֹשׁוֺ Jer 8:16, מְנוֺד ראֹשׁ Ps 44:15* נָתַן דֶּרֶךְ בְּראֹשׁ, i.e. requite, see נתן Qal 2 b near the end; יָשׁוּב גְּמֻלְךָ ׳בְּר Obad 1:15, compare Ps 7:17*; 1Kgs 2:33 (below דָּם 2 i and (with ׳עַלרֿ) Esth 9:25, הֵשִׁיב רָעָה בְּראֹשׁ Judg 9:57; 1Sam 25:39; 1Kgs 2:44, compare Joel 1Kgs 4:4; 1Kgs 4:7; 1Kgs 2:32 (sub דָּם 2 i, compare Neh 3:36* (אֶלרֿאֹשָׁם), see also 2Sam 3:29 below 1. חוּל 3; see, further, דָּם 2 i; Dan 1:10 see חוּב Pi`el
Brown-Driver-Briggs References