H7451a H7451a
Bad, evil, wicked; spanning moral corruption, harmful calamity, poor quality, ugly appearance, fierce severity, and sad countenance
The adjective ra' is one of the most theologically loaded words in the Hebrew Bible, appearing in the very diagnosis of human fallenness: 'every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil continually' (Gen 6:5). Yet its range extends well beyond ethics. Pharaoh's lean cows are ra'ot — ugly, not sinful (Gen 41:3). A 'ra' disease' is malignant, not immoral (Deut 28:35). Nehemiah's 'ra' countenance' is simply sad (Neh 2:2). Arabic splits these senses across sharr (moral evil), qabih (ugly), shadid (severe), and hazin (sad), exposing the remarkable semantic compression Hebrew achieves with a single adjective.
2. evil, harm, calamity — Evil as substantivized harm, calamity, or disaster — the abstract noun usage where ra'ah denotes misfortune, trouble, or destructive consequence befalling someone. Arabic sharr as abstract noun and Korean ak confirm the shift from adjective to substantive. Deuteronomy warns that disobedience provokes God 'to evil' against the people (Deut 4:25; 9:18), and prophetic judgment oracles announce ra'ah as divine disaster (Num 32:13; Deut 17:2). 80×
AR["ال-شَّرَّ","الشَّرَّ","الـ-شَرَّ"]·ben["-মন্দ","মন্দ","মন্দ-","সেই-অমঙ্গল","সেই-মন্দ"]·DE["der-Boese","der-Boeses"]·EN["the-evil"]·FR["le-mal"]·heb["ה-רע"]·HI["-आंखों-में","बुरा","बुरा-ה","बुराई","बुराई-की","बुराई-को","बुरै"]·ID["kejahatan","kejahatan-itu","yang jahat","yang-jahat"]·IT["il-male"]·jav["awon","ing-awon","ingkang-awon","piawon","piawon-punika","sang-awon"]·KO["그-악","그-악을","그-악한-것-을","그-악한-것을","악을","악한-것을"]·PT["o-mal"]·RU["-зло","-злое","зло","злое"]·ES["el-mal","lo-malo"]·SW["ubaya","uovu"]·TR["-kötü","-kötülüğü","de-kötüyü","kotu","kötü-olanı","kötülük","kötülüğü","kötüyü"]·urd["-برائی","اُس-برائی","برائی","بُرا","بُرائی","ہ-بدی"]
Num 32:13, Deut 4:25, Deut 9:18, Deut 17:2, Deut 24:7, Deut 31:29, Judg 2:11, 1 Sam 15:19, 2 Sam 12:9, 1 Kgs 11:6, 1 Kgs 14:22, 1 Kgs 15:26 (+38 more)
▼ 5 more senses below
Senses
1. morally evil, wicked — Morally evil, wicked — describing persons, conduct, hearts, or deeds as ethically corrupt. This is the dominant sense (129x), anchoring the great moral assessments of Scripture. Genesis 6:5 declares every thought of the heart 'only evil continually,' and the Deuteronomistic historians repeatedly condemn kings who 'did evil in the sight of the LORD.' Arabic shirrīr/sharīr, Korean akhan, and Swahili mwovu all converge on moral wickedness, confirming a clear cross-linguistic category. 129×
AR["السَّيِّئَةِ","الـ-شَّرِّيرَةَ","خَبِيثَةٍ","رَعَ","سَيِّءٍ","سَيِّئٍ","شَرًّا","شَرٌّ","شَرّ","شِريرٌ","شِرِّيرًا","شِرِّيرَاتٌ","شِرِّيرَةٌ","قَبيحَةً"]·ben["খারাপ","মন্দ"]·DE["Boese","Boeses","böse","böse-waren","böses","ist-böse"]·EN["evil"]·FR["mal"]·heb["רע","רעה","רעים"]·HI["बुरा","बुराई","बुरि","बुरी","बुरे"]·ID["buas","buruk","jahat"]·IT["male"]·jav["ala","awon"]·KO["나쁘면","나쁜","악-을","악하였다","악한","악함"]·PT["mal","maligna","malignas","mau","má","más","é-má"]·RU["зло","злого","злое","злой","злую","злые","злым","неугодна","плохи","плохо"]·ES["mal","mala","malas","maligna","malignas","malo"]·SW["baya","kibaya","mabaya","mbaya","ni-mbaya","walikuwa-vibaya"]·TR["kötü","kötülük"]·urd["برا","برائی","بری","بُرا","بُری","بُرے"]
3. bad, poor quality — Bad in quality, worthless, or inferior — describing things that are deficient or poor rather than morally blameworthy. Laban cannot speak to Jacob 'good or bad' (Gen 24:50), Pharaoh's gaunt cows are simply in poor condition (Gen 41:21), and Jacob laments his years as 'few and bad' (Gen 47:9). Arabic radī'/sayyi' and the German Böses in qualitative contexts distinguish this from ethical evil. The Levitical laws use it for defective sacrificial animals (Lev 27:10, 12, 14). 19×
AR["الرَّدِيءِ","بِ-رَدِيءٍ","رَدِيءًا","رَدِيءٌ","رَدِيءٍ","رَدِيئَةٌ","سَيِّءٍ","سَيِّئ","شَرًّا","شِرّيراً","قَبِيحٌ","وَ-الرَّدِيءُ","وَ-رَدِيءٍ","وَسَيِّئَةً"]·ben["-খারাপ","-তে-মন্দ","আর-কষ্টকর","আর-খারাপগুলো","খারাপ","মন্দ","মন্দ;","মন্দের"]·DE["Boeses","Böses","bad","boese","fuer-bad","schlecht","sind-bad","und-boese","und-übel","zu-bad"]·EN["and-evil","and-the-bad","are-bad","bad","evil","for-bad","the-bad","to-bad"]·FR["bad","et-mal","et-mauvais","mauvais","pour-mauvais","sont-bad","à-mauvais"]·heb["ב-רע","ה-רעות","ו-ה-רעות","ו-רע","ל-ה-לרע","רע","רעה","רעות","רעים"]·HI["और-बुरी","और-बुरे","बुरा","बुरा-है","बुरी","में-बुरा","या-बुरा"]·ID["buruk","dan-antara-buruk","dan-buruk","dan-yang-buruk","dengan-buruk","jahat","jelek","yang-buruk"]·IT["a-bad","bad","cattivo","e-male","e-malvagio","malvagio","per-bad","sono-bad"]·jav["ala","ala;","awon","ingkang-awon","lan-ala","lan-awon","lan-ingkang-awon","mawi-ala"]·KO["그-나쁘","그리고-그-나쁘-것은","그리고-나쁜","나쁘","나쁘고","나쁘다","나쁜","나쁜-것","나쁜-것에","나쁜-것을","나쁜지","악한"]·PT["e-maus","e-os-maus","feia","mal","mau","maus","má","más","os-maus","para-mau","por-mau"]·RU["а-плохие","злого","злой","злом","и-плохим","и-тяжёлые","на-плохого","плохая","плохие","плохим","плохого","плохое","плохой","худой"]·ES["los-malos","mala","mala?","malas","malo","malos","o-malo","por-malo","y-los-malos","y-malos"]·SW["akamruka-shida","baya","kibaya","kwa-mbaya","mabaya","mbaya","na-mbaya"]·TR["-de-kötü","-e-kötü","kotu","kötü","ve-kötü","ve-kötüler","üne"]·urd["اور-بری","اور-برے","برا","بری","بری-کے","بُری","بُرے","بُرے-سے","بُرے-کے","خراب"]
Gen 24:50, Gen 41:21, Gen 47:9, Lev 27:10, Lev 27:10, Lev 27:12, Lev 27:14, Lev 27:33, Num 13:19, Deut 15:21, 2 Kgs 2:19, 2 Kgs 4:41 (+7 more)
4. ugly, ill-favored — Ugly, ill-favored in physical appearance — concentrated in Pharaoh's dream of the seven 'ugly and gaunt' cows (Gen 41:3, 4, 19, 20, 27). Arabic qabīḥ 'ugly' and German hässlich both shift to dedicated aesthetic vocabulary, proving that translators worldwide recognize this as a distinct visual-appearance sense rather than a moral or qualitative judgment. The repetition in the dream narrative solidifies this as a fixed collocational meaning. 5×
AR["قَبِيحَاتُ","وَ-الْ-قَبِيحَاتُ","وَ-الْ-قَبِيحَاتِ","وَ-قَبِيحَاتُ"]·ben["আর-কুৎসিত","কুৎসিত"]·DE["hässlich","hässlich-von","und-die-hässlichen","und-hässlich-von"]·EN["and-bad-of","and-the-bad","bad-of"]·FR["et-le-mauvais","et-mauvais-de","mauvais-de"]·heb["ו-ה-רע","ו-רע","רע"]·HI["और-बुरी","बुरी"]·ID["dan-jelek","dan-yang-jelek","jelek"]·IT["cattivo-di","e-cattivo-di","e-il-cattivo"]·jav["awon","lan-awon"]·KO["그리고-나쁜","나쁜"]·PT["e-as-feias","e-feias-de","feias-de"]·RU["и-плохие","и-плохих","и-худых","худые","худых"]·ES["feas-de","y-feas-de","y-las-feas"]·SW["na-wabaya","wabaya"]·TR["ve-kötü","ve-çirkin","çirkin"]·urd["اور-بری","بری"]
5. severe, fierce, dangerous — Severe, fierce, or dangerous — describing wild animals, terrible plagues, or harsh punishments. A 'ra' beast' has devoured Joseph (Gen 37:20, 33), and Deuteronomy warns of 'ra' diseases' and 'great and terrible signs' (Deut 6:22; 2 Chr 21:19). Arabic shadīd 'severe' and Korean simhan 'intense' mark a scale of danger rather than moral failing. Proverbs 15:10 uses it for 'severe discipline,' confirming the intensity register. 5×
AR["سَيِّئٌ","شَدِيدَةٍ","شَرِيرٌ","وَشَرِيرَةً"]·ben["এবং-মন্দ","ভয়ানক","মন্দ","হিংস্র"]·DE["Boeses","boese","böses","und-terrible"]·EN["and-terrible","evil","severe"]·FR["et-terrible","mal","mauvais"]·heb["ו-רעים","רע"]·HI["और-भयानक","बुरी","बुरे","बुरे-ने"]·ID["buruk","dan-yang-jahat","jahat","yang-keras"]·IT["cattivo","e-terrible","male"]·jav["awrat","galak","kang-ala","lan-awon"]·KO["그리고-나쁜","사나운","심한","악한"]·PT["e-males","mau","más","severa"]·RU["злое","злой","и-злые","тяжёлых"]·ES["mala","malas","y-terribles"]·SW["kali","mabaya","mkali","na-mibaya"]·TR["ağır","kötü","ve-kötü"]·urd["اور-برے","برے","بُری","سخت"]
6. sad, displeased — Sad, downcast, or displeased in countenance or spirit. Nehemiah appears before the king with a 'ra' face' — not evil but sorrowful (Neh 2:1-2). The king immediately asks 'why is your face ra'?' recognizing sadness, not wickedness. Arabic ḥazīn 'sad' and Spanish triste confirm the emotional register. Proverbs 25:20 pairs it with singing songs to a heavy heart, reinforcing the affective coloring of this rare but distinct usage. 3×
AR["حَزِينٍ","سَيِّئًا","سَيِّئٌ"]·ben["মন্দ","মন্দের"]·DE["Boeses","boese"]·EN["sad"]·FR["mal","mauvais"]·heb["רע"]·HI["उदास","उदास-है","दुखी"]·ID["murung","yang-sedih"]·IT["cattivo","male"]·jav["sedhih"]·KO["나쁜","나쁜가","악한"]·PT["mau","triste"]·RU["огорчённого","печальное","печальным"]·ES["malo","triste"]·SW["huzuni","mbaya","una-huzuni"]·TR["acılı","kötü","üzgün"]·urd["برا","غمگین"]
Related Senses
H5921a 1. upon, on, over (spatial) (5443×)H0413 1. directional: to, toward (5366×)H1121a 1. son, male offspring, descendant (4914×)H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)H4428 1. king, human ruler (2518×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)H6440 1. before, in front of (spatial) (1870×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H3027 1. physical hand (body part) (1596×)H1697 1. word, speech, utterance (1235×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
I. רַע226 I. רַע226 adj. bad, evil (distinction from n., and vb. Pf. 3 ms., is sometimes not easy, and opinions differ);—ms. רַע Gn 6:5 +; רָ֑ע 31:24 +; pl. רָעִים 13:13 +; cstr. רָעֵי Ez 7:24 (del. Co); fs. רָעָה Gn 37:2 + 37 times (this form usually noun), pl. רָעוֹת 28:8 + 14 times; רָעֹת 41:27 (18 times noun);— †1. bad, disagreeable, malignant: of a woman, רָעָה בְּעֵינֵי Ex 21:8 (E; perhaps,…