H7489b H7489b
To break, shatter, smash; intransitively to be broken or come to ruin
A verb of violent breaking, distinct from the more common raʿaʿ I ('to be evil'). Its force is physical and concrete: iron shattering iron (Jer 15:12), a rod of iron dashing nations to pieces (Ps 2:9), God shattering the mighty without investigation (Job 34:24). The intransitive Qal and Hitpael forms depict the earth itself breaking apart in Isaiah 24:19's apocalyptic trembling. In Proverbs 18:24, the shattering becomes metaphorical -- having too many companions leads to self-ruin. Spanish 'quebrantar' and 'quebrantarse' capture both the transitive smashing and intransitive collapse.
Senses
1. be broken, shatter apart (Qal intransitive / Hitpael) — Intransitive Qal and reflexive Hitpael: to be broken, to shatter apart. Isaiah 24:19 repeats the root in dramatic threefold emphasis -- 'the earth is utterly broken' -- while Jer 11:16 uses it of branches snapping in a fire. Spanish 'se-quebro' and 'Quebrarse' render the passive-reflexive shattering. In Isa 8:9 the Hitpael imperative ('be shattered, O peoples!') functions as a prophetic taunt. 4×
AR["اِعرِفُوا","تَشَقَّقَتْ","تَشَقُّقًا","وَسَاءَتْ"]·ben["ও-মন্দ","ক্রোধ-কর","ভাঙা","ভেঙে-পড়েছে"]·DE["[התרעעה]","und-weidet","weidet","weidete"]·EN["Breaking","and-are-broken","be-broken","breaks"]·FR["[התרעעה]","[ורעו]","[רעו]","mal"]·heb["התרועעה","ו-רעו","רועו","רועע"]·HI["और-टूटीं","टूट-गई","टूट-जाओ","टूटना"]·ID["Berteriaklah","Retak","dan-buruk","retak-berkeping-keping"]·IT["e-pascolate","fare-del-male","pascolate","pascolo"]·jav["Gegero","lan-ala","rusak","sampun-rusak"]·KO["그리고-부러졌다","깨지고","부서졌으니","분노하라"]·PT["Fazei-mal","Quebrar","e-quebraram-se","foi-quebrada"]·RU["и-сломаны","разрушается","разрушением","сокрушайтесь"]·ES["Amotinaos","Quebrarse","se-quebró","y-se-quebraron"]·SW["Pigeni-kelele","imevunjika","kuvunjika-vunjika","na-yamevunjika"]·TR["Kirilarak","Parcalanin","kirildi","ve-kırıldı"]·urd["اور-ٹوٹ-گئیں","ٹوٹو","پھٹ-گئی","پھٹنا"]
2. break, shatter (Qal transitive) — Transitive Qal: to break or shatter something, with an agent acting upon an object. Psalm 2:9 is the defining passage: 'You shall break them with a rod of iron' (teroʿem), a royal-messianic image. Job 34:24 extends it to divine judgment: God 'shatters the mighty.' Jer 15:12 poses a rhetorical question about whether iron can break northern iron. Spanish 'Los-quebrantaras' and German 'du-soll-zerbrechen-ihnen' preserve the forceful transitive sense. 3×
AR["تُحَطِّمُهُمْ","هَلْ-يُكَسِّرُ","يُحَطِّمُ"]·ben["তুমি-ভাঙ্গবে-তাদের","ভাঙবে-কি","ভেঙে-ফেলেন"]·DE["[הירע]","[ירע]","du-soll-zerbrechen-ihnen"]·EN["Can-break","He-shatters","you-shall-break-them"]·FR["[הירע]","casser","faire-du-mal"]·heb["ה-ירוע","ירוע","תרועם"]·HI["तू-उन्हें-तोड़ेगा","तोड़ता-है","तोड़ेगा"]·ID["Engkau-akan-menghancurkan-mereka","Ia menghancurkan","dapatkah-mematahkan"]·IT["fare-del-male","fare-il-male","li-spezzerai"]·jav["Panjenengan-ipun-nyempal","Panjenengan-remuk","Punapa-saged-mecah"]·KO["(의문사)-부수리이까","그가-부수신다","부수리라-그들-을"]·PT["Despedaça","Quebrará","Tu-os-quebrarás"]·RU["ли-сокрушит","сокрушает","сокрушишь-их"]·ES["Los-quebrantarás","Quebranta","Se-romperá"]·SW["Je-itavunjwa","Utawavunja","anavunja"]·TR["Kırar","kıracaksın-onları","kırılır-mı"]·urd["توڑتا ہے","تُو-توڑ-دے-گا-اُنہیں","کیا-توڑ-سکتا-ہے"]
3. come to ruin (Hitpael, metaphorical) — Figurative Hitpael: to come to ruin, to bring destruction on oneself. Attested in Prov 18:24, where a man of many companions 'comes to ruin' (lehitroʿeaʿ). The breaking here is social and moral rather than physical -- excessive superficial relationships lead to self-destruction. Spanish 'para-ser-quebrantado' retains the passive-reflexive quality of this figurative collapse. 1×
AR["لِيُصادِقَ"]·ben["বন্ধুত্ব-করতে"]·DE["[להתרעע]"]·EN["to-be-broken"]·FR["à-faire-du-mal"]·heb["ל-התרועע"]·HI["टूट-जाता-है"]·ID["untuk-berteman"]·IT["per-fare-il-male"]·jav["kanggé-sesrawungan"]·KO["친구가-되어야-하느니라"]·PT["para-ser-destruido"]·RU["чтобы-дружить"]·ES["para-ser-quebrantado"]·SW["anaweza-kuangamia"]·TR["arkadaşlık-etmeli"]·urd["دوستی-کرنے-کو"]
Related Senses
G0846 1. third-person pronoun reference (5552×)H???? 1. (4670×)H6213a 1. do, perform, act (2383×)G4160 1. do, act, perform (473×)H5221 1. Hifil: to strike in battle, smite enemies (362×)H2896a 1. good (quality or moral) (305×)H7563 1. wicked person (259×)H7451c 1. moral evil or wickedness (234×)H5771 1. iniquity, sin, wrongdoing (222×)H0899b 1. garment, article of clothing (216×)H6662 1. righteous person (substantive) (195×)G0266 1. sin, failure, transgression (173×)H2403b 1. sin, transgression (170×)H2617a 1. Covenant faithfulness, steadfast love (167×)H2398 1. Qal: to sin, commit sin (165×)H6213a 2. make, construct, fabricate (148×)H6666 1. righteousness, moral uprightness (145×)G5485 1. grace, divine favor (141×)H7451a 1. morally evil, wicked (129×)H2403b 2. sin-offering, sacrifice for sin (120×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† II. [רָעַע] vb. break (Aramaic loan-word = Heb. רָצַץ q.v.);— Qal Pf. 3 pl. רָעוּ Je 11:16; Impf. 3 ms. יָרֹעַ Je 15:12; Jb 34:24, 2 ms. sf. תְּרֹעֵם ψ 2:9 (but v. infr.); inf. abs. רֹ֫עָה Is 24:19 (del. ה as dittogr. and read רֹעַ, v. Hithpōʿ.); Pt. f. רֹעָה (? for רֹעֲעָה) Pr 25:19:— 1. trans. הֲיָרֹעַ כַּרְזֶל בַּרְזֶל וגו׳ Je 15:12 can one break iron, iron out of the north? cf. יָרֹעַ…