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Ῥαγαῦ

Rhagaû

G4466 noun

SILEX Entry

Definition

Personal name designating a figure in biblical genealogies; specifically, Reu, a patriarchal ancestor listed in the genealogical records of Genesis. In the Greek biblical tradition (the Septuagint and New Testament genealogies), the name appears as Ῥαγαῦ, reflecting transliteration conventions from Hebrew into Greek. The word has no lexical meaning in Greek apart from its use as a proper name.

Semantic Range

personal name; ancestor in genealogical lists; name of patriarchal figure in Genesis genealogy

Root / Etymology

From Hebrew רְעוּ (Re‘u), a personal name in biblical genealogies, transliterated into Greek as Ῥαγαῦ. The precise meaning of the underlying Hebrew name is uncertain but may derive from a root meaning 'to pasture, to tend, to be a companion.'

Historical & Contextual Notes

Ῥαγαῦ occurs in the Greek genealogies of the Septuagint (Genesis 11:18–21 LXX) and the New Testament (Luke 3:35). Its appearance is as a transliterated proper name, not a Greek word with independent meaning. The LXX and New Testament transliterate Hebrew names phonetically, sometimes introducing vowel and consonant shifts to accommodate Greek pronunciation. English translations often render this figure as 'Reu,' following the Hebrew tradition, or as 'Ragau' under the influence of the Greek. There is no association with ethnic, geographic, or religious identity beyond its function as a personal name in genealogical lists. The Greek form has no wider use, and the word is rare outside biblical listings.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

of Hebrew origin (רְעוּ); Ragau (i.e. Reu), a patriarch:--Ragau.

Root Family

Ῥαγαῦ (Rhagaû) — proper name, designator for Reu

Root Ῥαγαυ- proper name, designator for Reu

Word Forms

1 distinct form

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
G4466-01 Ῥαγαὺ ragau N GEN M SG Reu of Reu Rhagau 1

Occurrences in Scripture

1 occurrence

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
G4466-01 Luke 3:35 Ῥαγαὺ ragau N GEN M SG Reu of Reu Rhagau
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