רְעוּ H7470
will, good pleasure; the desire or decree of a sovereign, human or divine
An Aramaic loanword meaning will or good pleasure. Appearing in Ezra 5:17 and 7:18, it refers to royal or divine intention. In 5:17, it's the king's will that determines the response to a petition; in 7:18, it's the will of God guiding the use of donated silver and gold. The term conveys sovereign authority to decide and decree.
Senses
1. sense 1 — An Aramaic-origin noun denoting will or good pleasure, appearing in Ezra's Persian-period narrative. Ezra 5:17 speaks of what is 'according to the will of' (כִּרְעוּת) the king, while 7:18 refers to acting 'according to the will of your God' (רְעוּת אֱלָהֲכֹם). The term emphasizes sovereign discretion—whether the Persian monarch's administrative authority or God's providential governance. The construct form רְעוּת conveys not arbitrary whim but considered intention and decree, aligning with royal and divine prerogatives in the postexilic restoration. 2×
AR["كَ-رَغْبَة", "وَ-رَغْبَة"]·ben["আর-ইচ্ছা", "ইচ্ছা-অনুসারে"]·DE["[כרעות]", "und-Streben"]·EN["according-to-the-will-of", "and-will-of"]·FR["[ורעות]", "[כרעות]"]·heb["ו-רעות", "כ-רעות"]·HI["इच्छा-के-अनुसार", "और-उसकी-इच्छा"]·ID["dan-kehendak", "menurut-kehendak"]·IT["[ורעות]", "[כרעות]"]·jav["miturut-karsanipun", "punika"]·KO["그리고-뜻", "에-뜻"]·PT["conforme-a-vontade-de", "e-a-vontade-de"]·RU["и-волю", "по-воле"]·ES["conforme-a-la-voluntad-de", "y-voluntad-de"]·SW["kulingana-na-mapenzi", "na-mapenzi"]·TR["istegine-gore", "ve-istegini"]·urd["اور-مرضی", "کے-مرضی"]
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
[רְעוּ] n.f. good pleasure, will;—cstr. רְעוּת of king Ezr 5:17, of God 7:18.