רְעוּת
𐤓𐤏𐤅𐤕
rᵉʻûwth
H7468 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
A female companion or associate; a woman who is joined or connected with another in a social, familial, or communal relationship. The term is often used to denote friendship, partnership, or association, particularly between women, and can also signify a mate or neighbor depending on the context. It highlights affiliation, alliance, or reciprocated relationship.
Semantic Range
female friend, female companion, mate, neighbor (female), additional woman, partner (female), associate (female)
Root / Etymology
Derived from the Hebrew root רעע (ר־ע־ע), underlying the noun רֵעַ (rēa‘) meaning 'companion' or 'friend,' itself from the verb רָעָה (rā‘āh) 'to associate, befriend.' רְעוּת (rᵉ‘ûwth) is the feminine form, indicating a female companion or associate.
Historical & Contextual Notes
רְעוּת occurs rarely in the Hebrew Bible, appearing in contexts such as Ruth 1:14, to describe the close female relationship between Ruth and Naomi. While the masculine counterpart (רֵעַ) is used for both social and covenantal relationships (including broader categories like 'neighbor'), רְעוּת is specific to women and generally implies personal closeness, loyalty, or shared status. In the patriarchal and monarchic periods, affiliation and household alignment were crucial for survival and status, and female companionship could include friendship, alliance by marriage, or shared widowhood. The standard phrase אִשָּׁה רְעוּתָהּ ('woman, her companion') is sometimes translated 'another woman' or 'her neighbor' in English, but such translations may obscure the sense of partnership or solidarity inherent in the Hebrew, particularly in the context of Ruth and Naomi. In translation tradition (notably the KJV), 'another,' 'mate,' or 'neighbor' may be used but tend to underspecify the gendered and relational nuance of the term.
Translation Consistency
rᵉʻûwth refers broadly to a woman joined in friendship, partnership, or association. "Companion" is natural English, covers friend/partner/neighbor senses without forcing romantic connotations (as "mate" can) and is adaptable to context while remaining consistent.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from רָעָה in the sense of רֵעַ; a female associate; generally an additional one; [phrase] another, mate, neighbour.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
רעה (Raah) — to feed, to graze, to tend (flocks or herds)
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4829 | מִרְעֶה | in a grazing-place |
| H4830 | מִרְעִית | as their pasturage |
| H7453 | רֵעַ | with his associate |
| H7454 | רֵעַ | to my intention |
| H7462 | רָעָה | in his shepherding |
Word Forms
2 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7468-02 |
רְעוּתָ֔/הּ | reutah | HNcfsc/Sp3fs |
her neighbor | her female companion | her female companion | 5 |
H7468-01 |
לִ/רְעוּתָ֖/הּ | lireutah | HR/Ncfsc/Sp3fs |
to another | to her female companion | to her female companion | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
6 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7468-02 |
Exodus 11:2 | רְעוּתָ֔/הּ | reutah | HNcfsc/Sp3fs |
her neighbor | her female companion | her female companion |
H7468-02 |
Isaiah 34:15 | רְעוּתָֽ/הּ | reutah | HNcfsc/Sp3fs |
with its mate | her female companion | her female companion |
H7468-02 |
Isaiah 34:16 | רְעוּתָ֖/הּ | reutah | HNcfsc/Sp3fs |
its mate | her female companion | her female companion |
H7468-02 |
Jeremiah 9:19 | רְעוּתָ֖/הּ | reutah | HNcfsc/Sp3fs |
her neighbor | her female companion | her female companion |
H7468-02 |
Zechariah 11:9 | רְעוּתָֽ/הּ | reutah | HNcfsc/Sp3fs |
of her neighbor | her female companion | her female companion |
H7468-01 |
Esther 1:19 | לִ/רְעוּתָ֖/הּ | lireutah | HR/Ncfsc/Sp3fs |
to another | to her female companion | to her female companion |