or רוֹשׁ; (Deuteronomy 32:32), apparently the same as רֹאשׁ; a poisonous plant, probably the poppy (from its conspicuous head); generally poison (even of serpents); gall, hemlock, poison, venom.
### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **rôʼsh**, represented by `{{H7219}}`, refers to a poisonous plant and the poison derived from it. It is translated as **gall**, **hemlock**, **poison**, and **venom**. It appears **12 times** across **12 unique verses** in the Bible, often symbolizing something corrupt, bitter, or deadly.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In the biblical narrative, `{{H7219}}` is used both literally and figuratively to represent poison and bitterness. It describes the venom of serpents, such as the "cruel **venom** of asps" [[Deuteronomy 32:33]] and the "**poison** of asps" [[Job 20:16]]. Figuratively, it represents the bitter consequences of sin and judgment. God gives His people "water of **gall** to drink" because they have sinned against Him ([[Jeremiah 8:14]], [[Jeremiah 9:15]]). This imagery is also used to depict profound affliction and suffering, as seen in Lamentations where the writer is compassed with **gall** and travail [[Lamentations 3:5]] and remembers his affliction as "the wormwood and the **gall**" [[Lamentations 3:19]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words expand upon the concepts of poison, corruption, and judgment associated with `{{H7219}}`:
* `{{H3939}}` **laʻănâh** (wormwood): This word for a bitter plant is frequently paired with **rôʼsh** to intensify the imagery of bitterness and divine judgment, as in the warning against a "root that beareth **gall** and **wormwood**" [[Deuteronomy 29:18]].
* `{{H4941}}` **mishpâṭ** (judgment): This term for justice is often contrasted with **rôʼsh** to show how righteousness can be perverted. The prophet Amos accuses the people of having "turned **judgment** into **gall**" [[Amos 6:12]].
* `{{H2534}}` **chêmâh** (poison, anger, wrath): This word connects the idea of physical poison with the heat of divine anger. It is used in parallel with **rôʼsh** to describe the deadly nature of the wicked, whose wine is the "**poison** of dragons, and the cruel **venom** of asps" [[Deuteronomy 32:33]].
### Theological Significance
The theological weight of `{{H7219}}` is significant, serving as a potent symbol for sin's effects and God's response to it.
* **The Fruit of Corruption:** The word illustrates the natural outcome of turning from God. A heart that turns away from the LORD is described as a "root that beareth **gall**" [[Deuteronomy 29:18]]. Similarly, the degenerate "vine of Sodom" produces "grapes of **gall**" [[Deuteronomy 32:32]], signifying that unholy sources yield poisonous fruit.
* **A Metaphor for Divine Judgment:** Scripture repeatedly uses **rôʼsh** as an instrument of God's judgment. He gives the prophets and people "water of **gall** to drink" as a direct consequence of their sin and profaneness ([[Jeremiah 8:14]], [[Jeremiah 23:15]]).
* **Perversion of Righteousness:** The Bible uses **rôʼsh** to show how justice can be corrupted into something toxic and destructive. Hosea warns that because of false covenants, "judgment springeth up as **hemlock** in the furrows of the field" [[Hosea 10:4]], poisoning the very foundation of the community.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H7219}}` is a powerful biblical term that transcends its literal meaning of a poisonous plant. It functions as a symbol of profound bitterness, deadly venom, and the corrupting nature of sin. Whether describing the perversion of justice into **gall** or the "water of **gall**" served as divine judgment, **rôʼsh** consistently represents the toxic and destructive consequences that arise from rebellion against God.
TRV