H7455 H7455
Badness, wickedness, moral evil (especially of human deeds); sadness of face or heart; poor quality or ugliness.
The noun roa is the abstract counterpart of the adjective ra ('bad, evil') and concentrates the concept of badness into a single substantive. Its most frequent use is in the devastating prophetic formula roa ma'alelim, 'the evil of your deeds,' which echoes across Deuteronomy, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Hosea as God's indictment of Israel's persistent unfaithfulness (Deut 28:20; Isa 1:16; Jer 4:4; 23:2). Spanish maldad, French mal, and German Boeses all reach for abstract-evil vocabulary in these passages. Yet roa can also name the sadness visible on Nehemiah's face as he stands before the Persian king (Neh 2:2) — a meaning confirmed when Hindi renders it as udasi (sadness) rather than burai (wickedness). And in one vivid instance, it describes sheer physical ugliness: Pharaoh's gaunt cattle, of a 'badness' never before seen in Egypt (Gen 41:19).
Senses
1. wickedness, moral evil — Wickedness or moral evil — the abstract quality of badness in human conduct, overwhelmingly found in the prophetic accusation 'the evil of your deeds' (roa ma'alelim). Sixteen occurrences span Deuteronomy through Hosea: God threatens to send curses 'because of the evil of your deeds' (Deut 28:20), Isaiah commands 'put away the evil of your deeds from before my eyes' (Isa 1:16), and Jeremiah repeats the indictment across multiple oracles (Jer 4:4; 21:12; 23:2, 22; 25:5; 26:3; 44:22). Spanish maldad de, French mal de, and German Boeses converge on abstract-wickedness terms. Hosea 9:15 and Psalm 28:4 confirm the same usage outside the Jeremianic corpus. 16×
AR["شَرَّ", "شَرِّ", "مِنَ-الرَّدَاءَةِ", "مِنْ-رَدَاءَتِهَا", "وَ-مِنْ-شَرِّ", "وَكَسُوءِ"]·ben["এবং-অনুসারে-মন্দতার", "ও-খারাপতা-থেকে", "ও-মন্দ-থেকে", "খারাপ-থেকে", "খারাপতার", "খারাপতার-কারণে", "মন্দ", "মন্দ-", "মন্দতা", "মন্দতার"]·DE["Boese-von", "Boeses", "Boeses-von", "[ומרע]", "[מרע]", "und-gemäss-zu-der-Böses-von"]·EN["and-according-to-the-evil-of", "and-from-evil-of", "evil-of", "from-badness"]·FR["de-mal", "et-de-mal", "et-malheur", "mal", "mal-de", "mauvais"]·heb["ו-כ-רוע", "ו-מ-רוע", "מ-רוע", "רוע"]·HI["और-अनुसार-बुराई-के", "और-से-बुराई", "खराबी-के-कारण", "बुरऐ", "बुराई", "से-खराबी"]·ID["dan-dari-kejahatan", "jahatnya", "karena-buruknya", "karena-jeleknya", "kejahatan"]·IT["[וכרע]", "[רע]", "a-causa-del-male", "e-da-male", "male", "male-di"]·jav["amargi-awon", "awon", "awon-ipun", "awoning", "duraka", "lan-miturut-awon", "lan-saking-awon-ipun"]·KO["(접)-악함-의", "그리고-악함-대로", "그리고-에서-의-악함에서", "나쁨으로", "악을", "악의", "악함", "악함의", "의-악함", "의-악함을"]·PT["de-maldade", "e-conforme-a-maldade", "e-da-maldade-de-", "maldade-de", "maldade-de-"]·RU["зла", "зло", "злобу", "злобы", "злом", "и-от-зла", "и-по-злобе", "от-негодности", "от-плохости"]·ES["de-maldad", "de-malo", "la-maldad-de", "maldad-de", "y-conforme-a-maldad-de", "y-de-maldad-de"]·SW["kwa-ubaya", "kwa-ubovu", "na-kulingana-na-uovu-wa", "na-kutoka-uovu-wa", "ubaya-wa", "uovu", "uovu-wa"]·TR["kotulugunu", "kötülükten", "kötülüğü", "kötülüğünü", "kötülüğünün", "ve-kötülükünden", "ve-kötülüğüne-göre-"]·urd["اور-بُرائی-کے-مطابق", "اور-سے-برائی", "بدی-کے-سبب", "برائی", "بُرائی", "خرابی-سے"]
2. sadness, displeasure of countenance — Sadness, displeasure, or sorrow visible in countenance or heart — a specialized affective meaning distinct from moral evil. Two occurrences capture this nuance: Nehemiah 2:2, where the king asks 'why is your face sad?' (roa panim), and Ecclesiastes 7:3, 'by sadness of face the heart is made glad' (roa lev). Spanish tristeza de and French tristesse shift to emotion vocabulary here, and German Truebsal distinguishes this from the moral register. The Persian king's concern for Nehemiah's downcast appearance makes the affective reading unmistakable. 2×
AR["حُزْنَ", "لِأَنَّهُ-"]·ben["মন্দতা", "মন্দতায়"]·DE["Boeses", "in-Boeses"]·EN["by-sadness-of", "sadness-of"]·FR["[רע]", "dans-ברע"]·heb["ב-רוע", "רע"]·HI["उदासी-से", "शोक"]·ID["dengan-kesedihan", "kesedihan"]·IT["[רע]", "in-da-sadness-of"]·jav["kasusahan", "mawi-susahipun"]·KO["나쁨", "슬픔-에서"]·PT["mal-de", "na-tristeza-de"]·RU["зло", "при-печали"]·ES["con-tristeza-de", "maldad-de"]·SW["uovu", "uso-wenye-huzuni"]·TR["icinde-uzgunluk", "kötülük"]·urd["برائی", "سے-اداسی"]
3. bad quality, ugliness — Poor quality, ugliness, or physical deficiency — describing the outward badness of appearance rather than moral character. One clear occurrence in Genesis 41:19, where Pharaoh recalls 'seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and gaunt — I have never seen such badness (roa) in all the land of Egypt.' Spanish fealdad (ugliness), French laideur, and German Haesslichkeit all deploy aesthetic-deficiency vocabulary, confirming that this is a genuine sensory-evaluative sense, not a moral one. 1×
AR["لِلْ-قُبْحِ"]·ben["মন্দতার-জন্য"]·DE["an-Hässlichkeit"]·EN["for-badness"]·FR["pour-badness"]·heb["ל-ה-רע"]·HI["बुराई-में"]·ID["buruknya"]·IT["per-badness"]·jav["awonipun"]·KO["에-나쁨으로"]·PT["para-fealdade"]·RU["по-худобе"]·ES["para-fealdad"]·SW["kwa-ubaya"]·TR["kötülükte"]·urd["برائی-میں"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)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×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)G2443 1. so that, in order that (purpose/result) (665×)G0575 1. from (649×)G1223 1. through, by means of (582×)H3541 1. thus, so, in this manner (569×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† רֹעַ n.[m.] badness, evil;—ר׳ abs. Gn 41:19 + 4 times Je; cstr. Ho 9:15 + 13 times;— 1. badness, bad quality, of cattle Gn 41:19 (E), figs Je 24:2, 3, 8; 29:17. 2. wilfulness, רֹעַ לבב 1 S 17:28 (Gerber161 makes 2 and 4 [inf. of] vb.). 3. ethical, evil, badness, only in phr.: רֹעַ מעללים evil of doings Dt 28:20; Is 1:16; Je 4:4; 21:12; 23:2, 22; 25:5; 26:3; 44:22; Ho 9:15 ψ 28:4 (cf. רַע מעללים 1 S 25:3). 4. sadness, ר׳ פָּנִים Ec 7:3, ר׳ לֵב Ne 2:2 (cf. [רַעַע] 2).