Lexical Definition

‎רָעַע‎ râʻaʻ (raw-ah') be evil ^H:V
a primitive root

afflict, associate selves (by mistake for ‎רָעָה‎), break (down, in pieces), [phrase] displease, (be, bring, do) evil (doer, entreat, man), show self friendly (by mistake for ‎רָעָה‎), do harm, (do) hurt, (behave self, deal) ill, [idiom] indeed, do mischief, punish, still, vex, (do) wicked (doer, -ly), be (deal, do) worse.

• properly, to spoil (literally, by breaking to pieces)
• figuratively, to make (or be) good fornothing, i.e. bad (physically, socially or morally)

1) to be bad, be evil
1a)(Qal)
1a1) to be displeasing
1a2) to be sad
1a3) to be injurious, be evil
1a4) to be wicked, be evil (ethically)
1b) (Hiphil)
1b1) to do an injury or hurt
1b2) to do evil or wickedly
1b3) mischief (participle)
2) to break, shatter
2a) (Qal)
2a1) to break
2a2) broken (participle)
2a3) to be broken
2b) (Hithpolel) to be broken, be broken in pieces, be broken asunder

See Greek: ἀδικέω · ἀπωθέομαι · ἀσεβής · ἀχρειόω · βαρύς · βασκαίνω · κακοποιέω · κακοποιός · κακός · κακόω · λυπέω · πονηρός · πονηρός · πονηρότερος · πονηρότερος · συντελέω · ταράσσω

Brown-Driver-Briggs

[‎רָעַע‎]₉₈ verb denominative be evil, bad; —

Qal Perfect 3 masculine singular ‎רַע‎ Num 22:34 + 3 t., ‎רָ֑ע‎ Num 11:10 3 feminine singular ‎רָעָה‎ Deut 15:9 (Exod 21:8 see I. ‎רַע‎); Imperfect 3 masculine singular ‎יֵרַע‎ (Ges^{«GKC:67p»§ 67p}) Gen 21:12 +; 3 feminine singular ‎תֵּרַע‎ Deut 28:54; Deut 28:56 3 masculine plural ‎יֵרְעוּ‎ Neh 2:3 —

1. be displeasing: ‎רַע בְּעֵינֵי‎ Num 11:10; Num 22:34 (J), Josh 24:15 (E), Jer 40:4; Prov 24:18 (with ‎וְ‎ consecutive) imperfect ‎יֵרַע בְּעֵינֵי‎ Gen 21:11; Gen 21:12 (E), Gen 48:17 (J), 1Sam 8:6; 1Sam 18:8; 2Sam 11:25 later, ‎וַיֵּרַעאֶל‎ Jonah 4:1 or ‎וירעלְ‎ Neh 2:10 (intensified by ‎רָעָה גְרוֺלֶה‎), ‎וַיֵּרַעלִי מְאֹד‎ Neh 13:8.

2. be sad: ‎ירע לבב‎ Deut 15:10; 1Sam 1:8 ‎יֵ˜רְעוּ פָנַי‎ Neh 2:3.

3. be injurious, evil: ‎וַיִּרַע לְ‎ Ps 106:32 it went ill with Moses, person subject 2Sam 20:6 ‎רָעָה עַיִן‎ be grudging, with ‎ב‎ person, Deut 15:9; Deut 28:54; Deut 28:56.

4. be evil, wicked, ethically: ‎׳‎‎וַיֵּרַע בְּעֵינֵי י‎ Gen 38:10 (J) 2Sam 11:27; Isa 59:15 ‎בְּעֵינֵי אֱלֹהַים‎ 1Chr 21:7. Niph`al suffer hurt: Imperfect 3 masculine singular ‎(רַע) יֵרוֺעַ‎ Prov 11:15; Prov 13:20. Hiph`il₇₀ Perfect 3 masculine singular ‎הֵרַע‎ Exod 5:23 +; 2 masculine singular ‎הֲרֵעוֺתָ‎ 1Kgs 17:20, etc.; Imperfect 3 masculine singular ‎יָרֵעַ‎ Zeph 1:12, ‎וַיָּרַע‎ 1Kgs 16:25 2 masculine singular ‎תָּרַע‎ Ps 44:3* +, etc.; Infinitive absolute ‎הָרֵעַ‎ 1Sam 12:25; 1Chr 21:17 construct ‎הָרַע‎ Gen 31:7 + 8 t., ‎הָרֵעַ֑‎ Isa 1:16 + 4 t.; Participle ‎מֵרַע‎ Isa 9:16*; Prov 17:4 plural ‎מְרֵעִים‎ Isa 1:4 +; —

1. do an injury, hurt: absolute Gen 44:5 (J), Isa 11:9 = Isa 65:25, Jer 31:28; Prov 4:16; Prov 24:8 opposed to ‎היטיב‎ Isa 41:23; Jer 10:5; Zeph 1:12 (all in prov. Phr. = do anything at all, compare ‎רָע‎ 2); ‎הרע ל‎ Gen 19:9; Gen 43:6; Exod 5:22; Exod 5:23; Num 11:11 (J) Num 20:15; Josh 24:20 (E) + 5 t.; with accusative of person Num 16:15 (J) + 4t.; with ‎בְּ‎, 1Chr 16:22 = Ps 105:15 (with ‎ל‎), Jer 25:29; Ps 74:3 with ‎עִמָּדִי‎ Gen 31:7 (E); with ‎על‎ 1Kgs 17:20 bring evil upon; swear ‎לְהָרַע‎, = to one's hurt, Ps 15:4; Lev 5:4 (P); Participle = substantive ‎לְבָכָם לְמֵרָ֔ע‎ Dan 11:27 (shall be) for mischief.

2. do evil, wickedly: absolute Gen 19:7 (J) 1Sam 12:25 (twice in verse) + 6 t.; opposed to ‎היטיב‎ Jer 4:22; Jer 13:23 with ‎מִן‎ compare, 1Kgs 14:9; 1Kgs 16:25; 2Kgs 21:11; Jer 7:26; Jer 16:12 with accusative ‎הֵרֵעוּ מַעַלְלֵיהֶם‎ Mic 3:4, compare 1Sam 25:3 Participle ‎מֵרַע‎ evil doer, Isa 9:16*; Prov 17:4 plural Jer 20:13; Jer 23:14; Ps 27:2 + 7 t.; ‎׳‎‎וֶרַע מ‎ Isa 1:4; Isa 14:20 ‎׳‎‎בית מ‎ Isa 31:2 ‎׳‎‎עֲרַתמ‎ Ps 22:17* ‎׳‎‎קִחַל מ‎ Ps 26:5 ‎׳‎‎סוֺר מ‎ Ps 64:3*.

Also see: רָעָה

II. [‎רָעַע‎] verb break (Aramaic loan-word = Hebrew ‎רָצַץ‎ q. v.); —

Qal Perfect 3 plural ‎רָעוּ‎ Jer 11:16 Imperfect 3 masculine singular ‎יָרֹעַ‎ Jer 15:12; Job 34:24, 2 masculine singular suffix ‎תְּרֹעֵם‎ Ps 2:9 (but see below); Infinitive absolute ‎רֹ֫עָה‎ Isa 24:19 (strike out ‎ה‎ as dittograph and read ‎רֹעַ‎, see Hithpo`el); Participle feminine ‎רֹעָה‎ (? for ‎רֹעֲעָה‎) Prov 25:19: —

1. transitive ‎הֲיָרֹע בַּרְזֶל‎ ‎׳‎‎בַּרְזֶל וגו‎ Jer 15:12 can one break iron, iron out of the north? compare ‎יָרֹעַ כַּבִּירִים‎ Job 34:24 ‎תְּרֹעֵם בְּשֵֹׁבֶט‎ ‎בַּרְזֶל‎ Ps 2:9 (but read ‎תִּרְעֵם‎, see I. ‎רהְ‎, ᵐ5 ᵑ6 ᵑ9 Hup-Now and others).

2. intransitive break = be broken, of branches Jer 11:16 (in figurative; Gf Or and others; > Hi Gie are in a sad state, √ I. ‎רעע‎); ‎שֵׁן רֹעָה‎ Prov 25:19 a broken tooth (‎׳‎‎ר‎ = ‎רֹעֲעָה‎?; Frankenb Niph`al Participle ‎נְרָעָה‎, compare Toy, but Niph`al not elsewhere; Vrss ‎רָעָה‎ bad). — ‎רֹ֫עוּ‎ Isa 8:9 read ‎דְּעוּ‎ (ᵐ5 Lo Che and others, || ‎הַאֲזִינוּ‎). Hithpo`el Perfect 3 feminine singular + Qal Infinitive absolute (see above) ‎צרץ‎[‎הָ‎] ‎רֹעַ הִתְרֹעֲעָה‎ Isa 24:19 the earth is broken asunder (|| ‎פּוֺר תִתְפּוֺרְרָה‎, ‎מוֺט הִתְמוֺטְטָה‎); also Infinitive construct ‎לְהִתְרוֺעֵעַ‎ Prov 18:24 will be broken in pieces (Ges<sup>«GKC:114i»§ 114i</sup>), ruined, De and others, but < read ‎לְהִתְרָעוֺת‎ Vrss Toy and others, see ‎רעה‎ Hithpa`el (see, however, Dr^{Expos. Times xi (1899-1900), 230f.}).

Brown-Driver-Briggs References