Lexical Definition

‎רִאשׁוֹן‎ riʼshôwn (ree-shone') first ^H:A
or רִאשֹׁן riʼshôn (ree-shone'); from ‎רִאשָׁה‎

ancestor, (that were) before(-time), beginning, eldest, first, fore(-father) (-most), former (thing), of old time, past.

• first, in place, time or rank (as adjective or noun)

adj
1) first, primary, former
1a) former (of time)
1a1) ancestors
1a2) former things
1b) foremost (of location)
1c) first (in time)
1d) first, chief (in degree)
adv
2) first, before, formerly, at first

See Greek: ἀρχαῖος · ἐνάρχομαι · πατήρ · πρότερον · πρότερος · πρωτότοκος

Extended Information

meaning of: רִאשׁוֹן

• : chief
• adj
• adv

Brown-Driver-Briggs

‎רִאשׁוֺן‎₁₈₂ adjective former, first, chief (i heightened from original a, see √); — absolute ‎׳‎‎ר‎ Hos 2:19* +, ‎שֹׁן‎- - Exod 12:15 +, ‎רִישׁוֺן‎ Job 8:8, construct ‎רִאשׁוֺן‎ Job 15:7 Qr (Kt ‎ראישון‎ and so always Manuscript Sam. Pentateuch, see Kö^{ii. 1, 225 n}); feminine ‎רִאשֹׁנָה‎ Judg 20:37 + (Josh 21:10 Kt ‎ראישנה‎ see above); masculine plural ‎רִאשֹׁנִים‎ Exod 34:1 +, feminine plural ‎רִאשֹׁנוֺת‎ Isa 41:22 +, etc.; —

1. former:
a. in time, former of two Gen 25:25 (J), Gen 41:20 (E), Deut 10:1; Deut 10:2; Deut 10:3; Deut 10:4; Deut 10:10; Deut 24:4, compare Hos 2:9*; Lev 4:21; Lev 9:15 (both P), Judg 20:39; 2Kgs 1:14; Hag 2:3; Hag 2:9; Ezra 3:12 +; more generally former, previous, Num 21:26 (JE), Mic 4:8; 2Kgs 17:34; 2Kgs 17:40; Zech 1:4; Zech 7:7; Zech 7:12; Zech 8:11; Neh 5:15 Eccl 17:10; Ps 79:8 +; ‎׳‎‎כָּעֵת הָ ר‎ Isa 8:23* ‎׳‎‎דִּבְרֵי דויד הָ ר‎ 1Chr 29:29 the doings of David, the former and the latter (‎הָאַחֲדֹנִים‎), compare 2Chr 9:29; 2Chr 12:15; 2Chr 16:11; 2Chr 20:34; 2Chr 25:26; 2Chr 26:22; 2Chr 28:26; 2Chr 35:27 early days of harvest 2Sam 21:9 ‎רִאשֹׁנִים‎ as substantive, former persons, ancestors, men of old, Deut 19:14; Lev 26:45 (H), Eccl 1:11 (opposed to ‎אַחֲרֹנִים‎); ‎(תָ)רִאשֹׁנוֺת‎ as substantive the former things, i.e. past events Isa 41:22; Isa 43:9; Isa 43:18; Isa 46:9; Isa 48:3, earlier predictions Isa 42:9.
b. location, foremost, of two 2Sam 18:27. 2 first:
a. in time, ‎׳‎‎הַמַּכָּה הָ ר‎ 1Sam 14:14 the first slaughter (preliminary to general carnage); ‎׳‎‎וְלֹאהָֿיָה דְּבָרִי ר‎ 2Sam 19:44* was not my word first? ‎׳‎‎ר‎ in apposition with person subject 2Sam 19:21* I am come as first, compare perhaps Isa 41:27 (insert ‎אָמַרְתִּי‎ Ges De < read ‎הִגַּדְתִּים‎ for ‎הִנֵּה הִנָּם‎ Che^Hpt Kit Di), and ‎׳‎‎הָ ר‎ Jer 50:17 (opposed to ‎הָאַחֲרוֺן‎), Isa 43:27 ‎׳‎‎ר‎ absolute, first of mankind Job 15:17 absolute of ‎׳‎‎י‎, I (an the) first Isa 41:4 (+‎אֶתֿ‎ ‎אַחֲדֹנִים‎), + ‎אַחְרוֺן‎ Isa 44:6; Isa 48:12 absolute of time, ‎מֵרִאשׁוֺן‎ Jer 17:12 from the beginning; especially first of a def. series (sometimes opposed to ‎אַחֲרוֺן‎). first day of feast Deut 16:4; Exod 12:15 (twice in verse); Exod 12:16 + 5 t. P (H), Neh 8:18, usually first month (‎חֹרֶשׁ‎) Exod 40:2; Exod 40:17; Lev 23:5 + 6 t. P, 1Chr 12:16* (van d. H. v.1Chr 12:15*) + 10 t. Chronicles, Ezra, Esth 3:7; Dan 10:4, ‎חֹדֶשׁ‎ omitted Gen 8:13; Exod 12:2; Exod 12:18; Num 9:5 (all P) Ezek 29:17; Ezek 30:20; Ezek 45:18; Ezek 45:21, so Joel 2:23, but read ‎כָּרִאשׁוֺנָה‎ (3 a) ᵐ5 ᵑ6 We Now and Dr.
b. first in degree, chief: ‎יַד‎ ‎הַשָּׂרִיםרִ֗֗֗אשׁוֺנָה‎ Ezra 9:2 the hand of the princes ... has been first in this trespass; 1Chr 18:17; Dan 10:13 (Chronicles, Esth 1:14 below).

3. a. feminine with preposition as adverb phrase: (1) of time, ‎בָּרִאשֹׁנָה‎ Gen 13:4 (J), = before, formerly, so Josh 8:5; Josh 8:6 (JE), 2Sam 7:10; 2Sam 20:18; Jer 7:12; Isa 52:4, ‎׳‎‎לָר‎ = before, formerly, Gen 28:19 (J), Judg 18:29 so ‎׳‎‎כְּבָר‎ as formerly Judg 20:32; 1Kgs 13:6; Isa 1:26; Jer 33:7; Jer 33:11, = ‎׳‎‎כָּ ר‎ Deut 9:15; Dan 11:29 (opposed to ‎כָּאַחֲרוֺנָה‎); ‎בָּר‎ = at first, first of all, Deut 13:10*; Deut 17:7; (P) Josh 8:33 (D), 1Kgs 17:13; 1Kgs 20:9; Zech 12:7; Prov 20:21 (opposed to ‎אַחֲרִיתָהּ‎), 1Chr 11:6 (twice in verse); 1Chr 17:9; Neh 7:5 ‎לְמַבָּרִאשׁוֺנָה‎ 1Chr 15:13 (= ‎׳‎‎לְמַהבָּֿר‎) for what was at first, etc. (‎מָךְ‎ 1 e); (2) location, ‎׳‎‎בָּר‎ i.e. at the head of an army 1Kgs 20:17, a procession Num 10:14 (P), compare Isa 60:9.
b. ‎רִאשֹׁנָה‎ alone as adverb: (1) of time first Gen 38:28 (J), 1Kgs 18:25; Jer 16:18; Lev 5:8; Num 2:9; Josh 21:10 (all P), Isa 65:7 (Ew De Che Di Du Skinner, >adjective Ges Hi Kn); (2) of place Gen 33:2 (J); (3) of degree, rank, Esth 1:14.

Brown-Driver-Briggs References