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רֵישׁ

𐤓𐤉𐤔

rêysh

H7389 noun

SILEX Entry

Root רושׁ to be poor, lack, be destitute

Definition

State of poverty or destitution; denotes lack of material possessions or resources, particularly in contrast to wealth or sufficiency. The term points to an objective status of being poor and is often used to describe those without social or economic means.

Semantic Range

poverty, destitution, state of lacking material resources, abject poverty

Root / Etymology

From the root רוּשׁ (rush), meaning ‘to be poor, destitute, lack’. The noun רֵישׁ and its variants (also spelled רֵאשׁ or רִישׁ) are abstracted from this root and specifically denote the state or condition of poverty. This should be distinguished from related roots such as דַּל (dal, 'weak, lowly, poor'), which focuses more on social vulnerability and weakness rather than economic destitution.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In biblical usage, רֵישׁ primarily designates economic poverty in contrast to wealth (as in juxtaposition to עָשִׁיר, 'rich'). In the Hebrew Bible, it appears mostly in the Wisdom literature and in later texts concerned with social justice. Over time, distinctions between רֵישׁ and דַּל עָנִי (‘afflicted, needy’) became more pronounced, with רֵישׁ retaining a focus on the economic/material aspects of deprivation. English translations usually render רֵישׁ as ‘poverty’ or ‘poverty-stricken,’ but some older versions use ‘poor.’ However, ‘poverty’ more accurately reflects its abstract and collective sense. In later periods, cognate forms appear in post-biblical Hebrew and Aramaic, consistently referring to poverty. Because the term refers to socio-economic status rather than religious or moral character, it should not be conflated with terms describing social oppression or spiritual humility.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

or רֵאשׁ; or רִישׁ; from רוּשׁ; poverty; poverty.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

רושׁ (r-w-sh) — be poor, lack, be destitute

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H7326 רוּשׁ impoverished ones

Word Forms

7 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2 Occurrences
H7389-05 רֵישֶׁ֑/ךָ reyshekha HNcmsc/Sp2ms your-poverty your poverty 1
H7389-07 רִישׁ֑/וֹ risho HNcmsc/Sp3ms his poverty his destitution 1
H7389-06 רִֽישׁ rish HNcmsa of poverty destitution 1
H7389-03 רֵ֣ישׁ reysh HNcmsa poverty destitution 1
H7389-01 רֵ֣אשׁ resh HNcmsa poverty be destitute 1
H7389-04 רֵישָֽׁ/ם reysham HNcmsc/Sp3mp their-poverty their poverty 1
H7389-02 רֵאשֶׁ֑/ךָ reshekha HNcmsc/Sp2ms your poverty your destitution 1

Occurrences in Scripture

7 occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 SIBI-P2
H7389-02 Proverbs 6:11 רֵאשֶׁ֑/ךָ reshekha HNcmsc/Sp2ms your poverty your destitution
H7389-04 Proverbs 10:15 רֵישָֽׁ/ם reysham HNcmsc/Sp3mp their-poverty their poverty
H7389-03 Proverbs 13:18 רֵ֣ישׁ reysh HNcmsa poverty destitution
H7389-05 Proverbs 24:34 רֵישֶׁ֑/ךָ reyshekha HNcmsc/Sp2ms your-poverty your poverty
H7389-06 Proverbs 28:19 רִֽישׁ rish HNcmsa of poverty destitution
H7389-01 Proverbs 30:8 רֵ֣אשׁ resh HNcmsa poverty be destitute
H7389-07 Proverbs 31:7 רִישׁ֑/וֹ risho HNcmsc/Sp3ms his poverty his destitution
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