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רַעֲנָן

𐤓𐤏𐤍𐤍

raʻănân

H7488 adjective

SILEX Entry

Root רענן to be green, to be luxuriant, to be fresh, to flourish

Definition

An adjective denoting qualities of being lush, green, flourishing, and full of life—especially in reference to vegetation, trees, or persons likened to vigorous growth. Used both literally for fresh, green foliage, and metaphorically for vitality or prosperity.

Semantic Range

green (of trees or foliage), luxuriant, fresh, flourishing (literal); prosperous, vigorous (metaphorical)

Root / Etymology

Root: רענן (r-ʻ-n-n), meaning to be fresh, to be luxuriant, to be green. The adjective רַעֲנָן (raʻănân) is derived directly from this root, which is attested in Biblical Hebrew only in adjectival or nominal forms; the verbal root is not used in the biblical corpus, though related forms appear later in post-biblical Hebrew. The meaning has remained centered on freshness and greenness.

Historical & Contextual Notes

In the Hebrew Bible, רַעֲנָן is applied mainly to trees, especially in poetic or wisdom contexts (e.g., Ps 52:10, Ps 92:11, Hos 14:9), to evoke imagery of health and vitality. The word carries a vivid sensory connotation—trees that are not merely alive, but exceptionally vigorous and flourishing. This stands in contrast to withered or dry imagery elsewhere. Occasionally the term is applied metaphorically to individuals or states of well-being, emphasizing prosperity or freshness in life. The root occurs only in derived forms in biblical texts, but in later Hebrew (rabbinic), related formations continue to convey images of freshness. English translations ('green', 'flourishing', 'verdant') often capture the surface meaning but may miss the figurative and sensory richness of the Hebrew. The term is most prominent in poetic passages and is distinct from other words for 'green' or 'fresh' such as ירק (yereq), which denotes greenness more generally without the same emphasis on vigor and abundance.

Original Strong's Gloss (1890)

from an unused root meaning to be green; verdant; by analogy, new; figuratively, prosperous; green, flourishing.

Bantu Hebrew

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Root Family

רענן (r-ʿ-n-n) — to be green, to be fresh, to be luxuriant, to flourish

Strong's Lemma SIBI-P1
H7487 רַעֲנַן and verdant

Word Forms

3 distinct forms

SIDANCE Surface Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1 Occurrences
H7488-01 רַעֲנָן raanan HAamsa green lush and flourishing 17
H7488-02 רַעֲנָֽנָה raananah HVkp3fs be green she has flourished luxuriantly 2
H7488-03 וְ/רַֽעֲנַנִּ֣ים veraananim HC/Aampa and green and flourishing ones 1

Occurrences in Scripture

20 total occurrences

SIDANCE Reference Word Transliteration Morphology Common SIBI-P1
H7488-01 Deuteronomy 12:2 רַעֲנָן raanan HAamsa lush lush and flourishing
H7488-01 1 Kings 14:23 רַעֲנָֽן raanan HAamsa luxuriant lush and flourishing
H7488-01 2 Kings 16:4 רַעֲנָֽן raanan HAamsa green/lush lush and flourishing
H7488-01 2 Kings 17:10 רַעֲנָֽן raanan HAamsa green lush and flourishing
H7488-01 Isaiah 57:5 רַעֲנָ֑ן raanan HAamsa luxuriant lush and flourishing
H7488-01 Jeremiah 2:20 רַעֲנָ֔ן raanan HAamsa green lush and flourishing
H7488-01 Jeremiah 3:6 רַעֲנָ֖ן raanan HAamsa green lush and flourishing
H7488-01 Jeremiah 3:13 רַעֲנָ֔ן raanan HAamsa green lush and flourishing
H7488-01 Jeremiah 11:16 רַֽעֲנָן֙ raanan HAamsa luxuriant lush and flourishing
H7488-01 Jeremiah 17:2 רַֽעֲנָ֑ן raanan HAamsa lush lush and flourishing
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