רִאשׁוֹן182 H7223
First, former, chief; as adjective: first in sequence or time; substantively: former things, ancestors, the beginning
Derived from the root r-'-sh ('head'), this adjective ranges from simple ordinal numbering ('the first month,' Exod 12:15) to the theologically loaded 'former things' of Isaiah's prophecy (Isa 41:22; 43:18). It can look backward to ancestors and earlier generations (Lev 26:45; Deut 4:32) or serve as an adverb meaning 'at first, in the beginning.' The comparative construction with kaph — 'as at the first' — carries a note of restoration, longing for return to an original state (Deut 9:18; Isa 1:26). Arabic awwal and Korean cheot-beonjjae both confirm the dual temporal-ordinal range.
Senses
1. first (ordinal sequence) — Straightforward ordinal 'first' in a sequence — first month, first day, first son. Arabic awwal and Korean 첫째/첫번째 match precisely. This is the dominant usage (107 of 182 occurrences), anchoring calendrical and genealogical lists throughout the Pentateuch and historical books (Gen 25:25; Exod 12:15). 107×
AR["-الأَوَّلَ","الأوَّلِ","الأَوَّلَ","الأَوَّلِ","الأُولَى","الْ-أَوَّلِ","الْأَوَّلُ","الْأَوَّلِ","الْـ-أَوَّلِ","الْـأَوَّلِ"]·ben["-প্রথম","-প্রথমকে","-সেই-প্রথম","প্রথম","প্রথমের"]·DE["dem-ersten","der-Erste","der-erste","der-ersten","der-erster"]·EN["the-first"]·FR["le-premier"]·heb["ה-ראשון"]·HI["पहला","पहले","पहले-की","पहले-वाले"]·ID["pertama","yang-pertama"]·IT["il-primo"]·jav["ingkang-kapisan","ingkang-rumiyin","ingkang-sapisan","kaping-sepisan","kapisan","sapisan","sapisan-punika"]·KO["그-처음","그-처음-의","그-처음이","그-첫-번째","그-첫째","첫-번째의","첫째","첫째에게"]·PT["a-primeira","o-primeiro"]·RU["-первому","первого","первом","первый"]·ES["el-primero","la-primera","primero"]·SW["kwanza","wa-kwanza","ya-kwanza"]·TR["-birinci","-birinciye","-ilk","birinci","birincinin","ilki"]·urd["-پہلا","-پہلے","پہلی","پہلے"]
Gen 25:25, Gen 26:1, Gen 32:17, Exod 4:8, Exod 12:15, Exod 12:15, Exod 12:16, Exod 40:2, Exod 40:17, Lev 4:21, Lev 23:5, Lev 23:7 (+38 more)
2. former (previous in time) — Adjective meaning 'former' or 'previous,' contrasting an earlier state with a present or later one. Hosea 2:9 uses it for the wife's 'former husband,' and Haggai 2:3 for the 'former glory' of the temple. Arabic sābiq ('preceding') and Spanish anterior capture this temporal-comparative nuance. 33×
AR["الأَوَّلَ","الأَوَّلِ","الأَوَّلِينَ","الأُولَى","الْ-أُولَى","الْأَوَّلونَ","الْأَوَّلُونَ","الْأَوَّلِ","الْأَوَّلِينَ","الْأُولَى","كَانَتِ"]·ben["-প্রথম","-প্রথমের","-প্রধান","-সেই-প্রথম","পূর্বের","প্রথম","প্রথমদের","প্রথমের","সেই-প্রথমটির"]·DE["der-erste","der-erster","erster"]·EN["the-chief","the-first","the-former"]·FR["le-premier","premier"]·heb["ה-ראשון","ה-ראשונה","ה-ראשונים","ה-ראשנים"]·HI["-के-पहला","-पहली","पहला","पहलि","पहली","पहली-से","पहले","पहले-के","पहले-वाले","प्रमुखों-में-से"]·ID["-pertama","Pertama","dahulu","pertama","terdahulu","yang-dahulu","yang-pertama","yang-terdahulu","yang-terutama"]·IT["il-former","il-primo","primo"]·jav["-ingkang-rumiyin","ingkang-kaping-setunggal","ingkang-kapisan","ingkang-luhur","ingkang-rumiyin","kang-rumiyin","kang-wiwitan","kapisan","kina","rumiyin","sapisan"]·KO["그-예전의","그-이전의","그-처음의","그-첨째의","그-첫째","예전의","으뜸가는","이전의","처음-의","처음의"]·PT["a-primeira","os-primeiros","os-primeiros,","primeiros"]·RU["-первое","-прежние","-прежних","первое","первой","первый","первым","первых","прежние","прежних"]·ES["la-primera","los-primeros","primera","primeros"]·SW["cha-kwanza","la-kwanza","vya-kwanza","wa-awali","wa-kwanza","ya-kwanza","za-kwanza"]·TR["-ilkinden","başlıca","birinci","birincinin","ilk","onceki","önceki","önceki-","öncekilerin-o","öncelerin"]·urd["ال-پہلے","پہلا","پہلی","پہلی-جیسی۔","پہلے"]
Gen 40:13, Num 6:12, Num 21:26, Deut 10:4, Deut 24:4, Judg 20:39, Ruth 3:10, 1 Sam 14:14, 1 Sam 17:30, 2 Kgs 17:34, 2 Kgs 17:40, 1 Chr 24:7 (+21 more)
3. at first / in the beginning — Adverbial use with prepositions (ba-rishonah, ka-rishonah) meaning 'at first,' 'in the beginning,' or 'in former times.' Gen 13:4 marks the place where Abram had 'at first' built an altar. French au commencement and German zuerst parallel this frozen prepositional usage. 15×
AR["أوَّلًا","أَوَّلاً","أَوَّلًا","في-الأوَّلِ","في-الأَوَّلِ","فِي-الـ-بِدَايَةِ","فِي-الْ-أَوَّلِ","فِي-الْأَوَّلِ"]·ben["-কারণে","প্রথমবার","প্রথমে","প্রাচীনকালে","যেমন","শুরুতে"]·DE["bei-der-erster","bei-erster","erster","in-der-former-Zeit","zuerst"]·EN["at-first","at-the-first","in-the-former-time"]·FR["dans-le-former-temps","premier","à-le-premier","à-premier"]·heb["ב-ה-ראשונה","ב-ה-ראשנה","ב-ראשונה","ל-ב-ה-מבראשונה","ל-ה-ראשנה","ל-ראשונה"]·HI["पहले","पहले-कि-बार","पहले-से","में-पहले","शुरू-में"]·ID["dahulu","pada-awalnya","pada-mulanya","pertama-tama","yang-pertama"]·IT["a-il-primo","a-primo","in-il-primo-tempo","nel-primo","primo"]·jav["ing-jaman-rumiyin","ing-sak-waunipun","ing-sapisan","ing-wiwitan","ing-wiwitanipun","ingkang-rumiyin","ingkang-wiwitan","wiwitanipun","wonten-ing-wiwitan"]·KO["그-처음에","에-에-처음-에","에-처음","에-처음-에","에-처음에","옆날에","처음-에","처음에","처음에-","처음에는"]·PT["antigamente","na-primeira-vez","no-começo","no-primeiro","no-princípio","primeiro"]·RU["в-начале","в-первую-очередь","в-первый-раз","в-прежние-времена","вначале","прежде"]·ES["al-principio","antes","en-la-primera-vez","en-lo-primero","primero"]·SW["hapo-awali","hapo-kwanza","kwanza","mara-ya-kwanza","mwanzoni","zamani"]·TR["başlangıçta","ilk-başta","ilk-defada","ilk-seferde","ilk-önce","once","önce-","önceden","önceki"]·urd["شروع-میں","پہلے","پہلے-پہل","پہلے۔"]
Gen 13:4, Gen 28:19, Josh 8:5, Josh 8:6, Josh 8:33, Judg 18:29, 2 Sam 7:10, 2 Sam 20:18, 1 Kgs 20:9, 1 Chr 15:13, 1 Chr 17:9, Neh 7:5 (+3 more)
4. as at the first (comparative) — The comparative construction ka-rishon/ka-rishonah — 'as at the first,' 'like the former' — expressing restoration or return to an original condition. Moses' second set of tablets 'like the first' (Exod 34:1) and the prophetic promise of judges 'as at the first' (Isa 1:26) both carry covenantal restoration overtones. 12×
AR["كَ-الأَوَّلِ","كَ-الـ-أُولَى","كَ-فِي-الْ-أَوَّلِ","كَالْأَوَّلِ","كَالْأُولَى","كَالْأُولَيْنِ","كَـ-الأولَينِ","كَـ-الأُولَيينِ","كَـ-الْأُولَى","كَمَا-فِي-الأَوَّلِ"]·ben["-আগের-মতো","-প্রথমের-মতো","আগের-মতো","প্রথমগুলির-মতো","প্রথমবারের-মতো","প্রথমের-মত","প্রথমের-মতো","যেমন-প্রথমে"]·DE["erster","wie-bei-der-erster","wie-bei-erster","wie-der-erster"]·EN["as-at-first","as-at-the-first","as-the-first","like-the-first"]·FR["comme-le-premier","comme-à-le-premier","comme-à-premier","premier"]·heb["כ-ב-ה-ראשונה","כ-ב-ראשונה","כ-ה-כראשון","כ-ראשונה","כ-ראשונים"]·HI["की-तरह-पहली","जैसी-पहले","जैसे-पहले","पहली-जैसी","पहले-की-तरह","पहलों-जैसी"]·ID["seperti-dahulu","seperti-pada-mulanya","seperti-pertama","seperti-semula","seperti-yang-pertama","yang-dahulu"]·IT["come-a-il-primo","come-a-primo","come-il-primo","primo"]·jav["kados-ingkang-kapisan","kados-ingkang-rumiyin","kados-ingkang-sapisan,","kados-ingkang-sapisan;","kados-ingkang-sepisan","kados-rumiyin","kados-sakawit","kados-sapisan"]·KO["같으니라-처음에","에-처음같이","처음-같이","처음-것들-같이","처음것들처럼","처음과-같이","처음처럼"]·PT["como-a-primeira-vez","como-as-primeiras","como-na-primeira-vez","como-no-princípio","como-o-primeiro"]·RU["как-в-первый-раз","как-вначале","как-первого","как-первое","как-первые","как-прежде"]·ES["como-al-principio","como-el-primero","como-la-primera","como-la-primera-vez","como-las-primeras"]·SW["kama-mwanzoni","kama-vile-vya-kwanza","kama-wa-kwanza","kama-ya-kwanza","kama-za-kwanza"]·TR["eskisi-gibi","ilki-gibi","ilkiler-gibi","ka-önceki-gibi","onceki-gibi","önceki-gibi","öncekiler-gibi"]·urd["جیسے-پہلی","جیسے-پہلے","پہلی-جیسی","پہلی-کی-طرح","پہلے-کی-طرح"]
5. former ones / ancestors — Substantive masculine plural ha-rishonim, 'the former ones' — ancestors or predecessors. Leviticus 26:45 invokes the covenant of 'the former ones' brought out of Egypt. Deuteronomy 4:32 directs inquiry to 'former days.' The usage personalizes history as the living memory of a people. 7×
AR["-الْأَوَّلِينَ","الأَوَّلِينَ","الْأَوَّلُونَ","الْأَوَّلِينَ","الْأُولَى","لِلْأَوَّلِينَ"]·ben["-প্রথমদের","পূর্ববর্তী","পূর্ববর্তীদের","প্রথম","প্রথমদের;","প্রথমেরা","প্রাচীনদের"]·DE["erster","former","former-die"]·EN["former","former-ones","of-the-former-ones","the-first-ones"]·FR["anciens","former","premier"]·heb["ה-ראשנים","ל-ראשונים","ראשונים","ראשנים"]·HI["पहले","पहले-के","पहलों-का","पहलों-की","पहलों-ने","पहलोंको"]·ID["dahulu","orang-orang-dahulu","tentang-yang-dahulu","yang-dahulu","yang-pertama","yang-terdahulu"]·IT["al-primo","former","former-quelli","primo"]·jav["ingkang-ribèn","ingkang-rumiyin","ingkang-rumińyin","rumiyin","tumrap-ingkang-rumiyin"]·KO["그-첫째들을","옆날-사람들이","옛날의","이전-의","처음-것들-의","처음의"]·PT["antigos","os-primeiros","para-os-primeiros","passadas","primeiros"]·RU["о-прежних","первые","первых","прежние"]·ES["antepasados","de-los-primeros","los-primeros","primeras","primeros"]·SW["wa-awali","wa-kwanza","wa-zamani","wakubwa","ya-wa-kwanza","za-zamani"]·TR["ilk","ilk-olanların","oncekilerin","öncekiler","öncekilerin"]·urd["پہلوں-نے","پہلوں-کو","پہلوں-کی","پہلوں-کے","پہلے","پہلے-کی"]
6. former things (prophetic) — Substantive feminine plural ha-rishonot, 'the former things' — previous events, prophecies, or divine deeds, concentrated in Isaiah's trial speeches (Isa 41:22; 42:9; 43:9, 18; 46:9). God's ability to declare 'former things' that came true validates new prophecy. A theologically distinctive Isaianic usage. 6×
AR["الأُولَيَاتُ","الأُولَيَاتِ","وَالأُولَيَاتِ"]·ben["-প্রথম-বিষয়গুলো","এবং-প্রথমগুলি","প্রথম","প্রথম-বিষয়গুলো","প্রথমগুলি","প্রথমগুলিকে"]·DE["erster","und-erster"]·EN["The-former-things","and-former-things","former-things","what"]·FR["et-premier","premier"]·heb["ה-ראשונות","ו-ראשונות","ראשונות"]·HI["और-पहलीं","पहली","पहली-बातें","पहली-बातों-को","पहलीं"]·ID["Hal-hal-yang-dahulu","dan-hal-hal-yang-dahulu","hal-hal-yang-dahulu"]·IT["e-primo","primo"]·jav["Prekawis-ingkang-kapisan","lan-prekawis-ingkang-kapisan","prekawis-ingkang-kapisan"]·KO["그리고-처음-것들을","처음-것들을","처음-것들이"]·PT["As-primeiras-coisas","as-primeiras","as-primeiras-coisas","coisas-anteriores","e-primeiras-coisas"]·RU["-прежнее","и-прежнее","прежнее"]·ES["Las-primeras-cosas","cosas-primeras","las-cosas-primeras","las-primeras-cosas","y-las-cosas-primeras"]·SW["Mambo-ya-kwanza","Ya-kwanza","mambo-ya-kwanza","na-ya-kwanza","ya-kwanza"]·TR["Onceki-seyleri","Oncekiler","onceki-seyleri","oncekiler","oncekileri","ve-oncekileri"]·urd["اور-پہلی-باتیں","پہلی-باتیں"]
7. sense 7 — An isolated occurrence at 1 Chronicles 18:17 where rishonim appears to mean 'chief' or 'leading,' describing David's sons. The English 'chief' and Spanish primeros reflect a rank-based extension from 'first in sequence' to 'first in importance,' paralleling how Arabic awwal can mean 'foremost.' 1×
AR["الْأَوَائِلُ"]·ben["রাজা-এর"]·DE["erster"]·EN["the-chief"]·FR["premier"]·heb["ה-ראשנים"]·HI["प्रधान"]·ID["yang-pertama"]·IT["primo"]·jav["ingkang-kapisan"]·KO["그-첫째들"]·PT["os-principais"]·RU["·-первые"]·ES["los-primeros"]·SW["wa-kwanza"]·TR["baş"]·urd["پہلے"]
8. sense 8 — A singular use at Jeremiah 17:12 in the phrase me-rishon, 'from the beginning,' describing the throne of glory as exalted 'from the first.' This absolute temporal sense points to primordial origin, approaching the meaning of Hebrew qedem. Spanish desde el principio and Korean 처음부터 capture the sense well. 1×
AR["مُنْذُ-الْبَدْءِ"]·ben["আদি-থেকে"]·DE["erster"]·EN["from-beginning"]·FR["premier"]·heb["מ-ראשון"]·HI["से-आरम्भ-से"]·ID["dari-semula"]·IT["primo"]·jav["saking-wiwitan;"]·KO["처음-부터의"]·PT["desde-o-princípio,"]·RU["от-начала"]·ES["desde-el-principio"]·SW["tangu-mwanzo"]·TR["den-başlangıç"]·urd["ابتدا-سے"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
רִאשׁוֹן182 adj. former, first, chief (i heightened from orig. a, v. √);—abs. ר׳ Ho 2:19 +, שֹׁן- Ex 12:15 +, רִישׁוֹן Jb 8:8, cstr. רִאשׁוֹן Jb 15:7 Qr (Kt ראישון, and so always Cod. Sam. Pent., v. Köii. 1. 225 n); f. רִאשֹׁנָה Ju 20:37 + (Jos 21:10 Kt ראישנה, v. supr.); mpl. רִאשֹׁנִים Ex 34:1 +, fpl. רִאשֹׁנוֹת Is 41:22 +, etc.;— 1. former: a. in time, former of two Gn 25:25 (J), 41:20 (E), Dt…