H7457 H7457
Hungry, famished — describing persons in need of food, often paired with 'thirsty' or 'weary' in contexts of justice and mercy.
An adjective describing the state of being hungry, used both attributively and substantively ('the hungry'). It appears prominently in wisdom and prophetic texts addressing social justice: feeding the hungry is a mark of righteousness (Isa 58:7, 10; Ezek 18:7, 16), while withholding food from them condemns (Job 22:7). Hannah's song celebrates God's reversal — 'the hungry cease to hunger' (1 Sam 2:5). The word pairs naturally with 'thirsty' and 'weary' to depict extremity of need (2 Sam 17:29; Ps 107:5). One striking figurative use appears in Job 18:12, where a man's strength itself 'grows hungry' — that is, wastes away.
Senses
1. hungry, famished — Hungry or famished, describing persons deprived of food, used as both adjective and substantive ('the hungry'). Appears in contexts of physical extremity alongside 'thirsty' and 'weary' (2 Sam 17:29; 2 Kgs 7:12; Ps 107:5), in prophetic calls for justice — feeding the hungry as righteousness (Isa 58:7, 10; Ezek 18:7, 16), withholding food as wickedness (Job 22:7) — and in divine reversal theology (1 Sam 2:5; Ps 146:7). One metaphorical use describes strength itself as 'hungry,' i.e., failing (Job 18:12). Spanish 'hambriento,' German 'Hunger' capture the same visceral sense. 20×
AR["الجائِعُ", "الْجَائِعُ", "الْجَائِعِ", "جائِعٌ", "جائِعَةً", "جائِعَةٌ", "جاعَ", "جياع", "جياعًا", "جياعٌ", "جَائِعًا", "لِ-الْجَائِعِ", "لِـ-الجِيَاعِ", "لِلجَائِعِ", "وَ-الـ-جِياعُ", "وَ-جَائِعًا", "وَ-جِيَاعًا", "وَ-عَنِ-الجَائِعِ"]·ben["-ক্ষুধার্ত", "এবং-ক্ষুধার্ত", "এবং-ক্ষুধার্ত-থেকে", "এবং-ক্ষুধার্তরা", "ক্ষুধার্ত", "ক্ষুধার্তকে", "ক্ষুধার্তকে-দাও", "ক্ষুধার্তদের", "ক্ষুধার্তদের-কে", "ক্ষুধার্তরা", "ক্ষুধার্তের"]·DE["Hunger", "Hungersnot", "[ומרעב]", "[ורעבים]", "[לרעב]", "[רעבה]", "der-Hunger", "der-hungry", "hungry", "und-Hunger", "und-der-hungry", "zu-der-hungry"]·EN["and-from-hungry", "and-hungry", "and-the-hungry", "for-the-hungry", "hungry", "of-the-hungry", "the-hungry", "to-hungry", "to-the-hungry"]·FR["[לרעב]", "[לרעבים]", "[רעבה]", "[רעבים]", "affamé", "et-affamé", "et-famine", "et-le-hungry", "famine", "hungry", "la-famine"]·heb["ה-רעב", "ו-מ-רעב", "ו-רעב", "ו-רעבים", "ל-רעב", "ל-רעבים", "רעב", "רעבה", "רעבים"]·HI["उसका-बल", "और-भूखा", "और-भूखे", "और-भूखे-से", "भूखा", "भूखी", "भूखे", "भूखे-का", "भूखे-को", "भूखेको", "भूखों-को", "रेअेवीम"]·ID["-lapar", "dan-dari-orang-lapar", "dan-lapar", "dan-yang-lapar", "kepada-orang-lapar", "kepada-yang-lapar", "lapar", "orang-lapar", "yang-lapar"]·IT["[לרעב]", "a-fame", "affamato", "e-affamato", "e-fame", "e-il-affamato", "fame", "la-fame"]·jav["Keluwen", "dhateng-ingkang-luwe", "dhateng-tiyang-luwe", "dhateng-tiyang-luwè", "ingkang-keluwen", "keluwen", "lan-ingkang-luwe", "lan-keluwen", "lan-luwe", "lan-saking-tiyang-keluwen", "luwe", "tiyang-keluwen", "tiyang-luwe"]·KO["굶주려-있는", "굶주린", "굶주린-자들-을", "굶주린-자에게-", "굶주린-자의", "그-굶주린-자가", "그-배고픈-자들에게", "그리고-배고픈", "그리고-배고픈-자에게서", "그리고-배고픈자들", "배고프-자에게", "배고프고", "배고프다-그가", "배고프도다", "배고프면"]·PT["Famintos", "ao-faminto", "aos-famintos", "e-do-faminto", "e-faminto", "e-famintos", "faminta", "faminto", "famintos", "o-faminto", "os-famintos"]·RU["Голодные", "а-голодные", "голоден", "голодная", "голодного", "голодной", "голодному", "голодную", "голодные", "голодный", "голодным", "голодных", "и-голодные", "и-голодный", "и-от-голодного"]·ES["Hambrientos", "a-los-hambrientos", "al-hambriento", "el-hambriento", "hambrienta", "hambriento", "hambrientos", "tiene-hambre", "y-del-hambriento", "y-hambriento", "y-hambrientos"]·SW["ana-njaa", "kwa-mwenye-njaa", "kwa-wenye-njaa", "mwenye-njaa", "na-kutoka-kwa-mwenye-njaa", "na-njaa", "na-wenye-njaa", "njaa", "wana-njaa", "wenye-njaa", "yenye-njaa"]·TR["ac", "aca", "aca-", "acin", "aç", "aç-ise", "aça", "açlara", "açları", "ve-ac", "ve-açlar", "ve-açtan"]·urd["اور-بھوکا", "اور-بھوکے", "اور-بھوکے-سے", "بھوکا", "بھوکوں-کو", "بھوکی", "بھوکے", "بھوکے-کو", "بھوکے-کی", "لِ-بھوکوں-کو"]
1 Sam 2:5, 2 Sam 17:29, 2 Kgs 7:12, Job 5:5, Job 18:12, Job 22:7, Job 24:10, Ps 107:5, Ps 107:9, Ps 107:36, Ps 146:7, Prov 25:21 (+8 more)
Related Senses
H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)H0859a 1. you (2nd person masculine singular pronoun) (743×)H0398 1. eat (consume food) (697×)H4191 1. die (Qal: natural/general death) (645×)G3708 1. see, perceive visually (419×)G0191 1. hear, perceive sound (360×)H???? 3. (352×)G3708 2. behold, look (exclamatory) (256×)H7272 1. foot (body part) (236×)H8354 1. drink, consume liquid (209×)H3205 1. Qal active: bear/give birth (female subject) (204×)H3205 2. Qal active: beget/father (male subject) (198×)H2421 1. Qal: live, be alive (177×)H8085 2. Qal: listen, heed, pay attention (172×)H2416a 1. alive, living (state/attribute) (146×)H2416e 1. life, lifespan, lifetime (145×)G2198 1. be alive, have life (133×)H8193 1. lip, lips (body part) (123×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† רָעֵב adj. hungry;—abs. ר׳ 2 S 17:29 +; fs. רְעֵבָה ψ 107:9 Pr 27:7; mpl. רְעֵבִים 1 S 2:5 +;—hungry (sometimes + עָמֵא, עָיֵף), 2 S 17:29 2 K 7:12 Is 8:21 Pr 25:21 ψ 107:5; נֶפֶשׁ רְעֵבָה v 9 Pr 27:7; as subst. sg. a hungry man Is 29:8; 32:6; 58:7, 10 Ez 18:7, 16 Jb 5:5 (BevJPhil. xxvi. 304 proposes רָעָב, cf. Ez 7:15) 22:7, pl. 1 S 2:5 (opp. שְׂבֵעִים בַּלֶּהֶם), Jb 24:10 (‖ עָרוֹם), ψ…