Word Study for H7275 (רָגַם) | Strong's Concordance

râgam /raw-gam'/ Ask about this word

Roota primitive root (compare רֶגֶב, רוּעַ, רָקַם)

Meaningto cast together (stones), i.e. to lapidate

KJV usagestone.

Idioms & phrasesidiom certainly

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of râgam — the range of meaning it carries, how Scripture actually uses it, and where it points. Written for readers who don’t know the original language.

Core Meaning & Semantic Range

The Hebrew word râgam, represented by H7275, is a primitive root meaning to cast together (stones), i.e. to lapidate. Its usage as an idiom can mean to certainly stone. It appears 16 times across 15 unique verses in the Bible, primarily describing a form of communal capital punishment.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical law and narrative, H7275 is the specific action of executing judgment by stoning. It is the prescribed punishment for grave offenses against the covenant community. For instance, giving one's seed to Molech requires that "the people of the land shall stone him with stones" Leviticus 20:2. Blaspheming the name of the LORD results in the command that "all the congregation shall certainly stone him" Leviticus 24:16. The word is also used to describe acts of rebellion, such as when all Israel stoned Adoram, king Rehoboam's tribute collector, which resulted in his death 1 Kings 12:18.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words provide a fuller picture of this severe action:

H5619 çâqal (to stone): A closely related term, sometimes used interchangeably with râgam. In the account of Achan, Israel first stoned him with stones (using H7275) and then stoned them with stones (using H5619), highlighting the comprehensive nature of the judgment Joshua 7:25.
H68 'eben (a stone): This word identifies the instrument of execution. The use of râgam is almost always paired with 'eben, as seen in the command to "stone him with stones" Numbers 15:35.
H4191 mûwth (to die): This word describes the intended outcome of being stoned. An offense like being a wizard or having a familiar spirit leads to the sentence, "they shall stone them with stones," a punishment that is synonymous with being "surely put to death" Leviticus 20:27.
H8313 sâraph (to burn up): In some cases, stoning is followed by burning, indicating an even greater level of judgment and destruction, as seen when Israel stoned Achan's family and possessions and then "burned them with fire" Joshua 7:25.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H7275 is significant, revealing key principles of the Old Testament law.

Execution of Divine Justice: Stoning was not random violence but a formal, legal sentence commanded by God for sins that threatened the holiness and integrity of Israel. This is seen in the direct command from the LORD regarding blasphemy: "he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him" Leviticus 24:16.
Corporate Responsibility: The act of stoning was typically carried out by the entire community, such as "all the congregation" Numbers 15:35 or "all the men of his city" Deuteronomy 21:21. This demonstrated collective responsibility for upholding the covenant and purging sin from their midst.
Purging Evil: The purpose of this punishment was often explicitly stated as removing evil from the nation. After a rebellious son is stoned, the text clarifies the intent: "so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear" Deuteronomy 21:21.

Summary

In summary, H7275 is a powerful and specific term for death by stoning. It functions primarily as the method for carrying out judicial sentences for the most severe sins under the Mosaic Law. The act of râgam was a communal responsibility, intended to execute God's judgment, purify the nation of evil, and serve as a fearsome deterrent against covenant-breaking behavior.

How the KJV Renders It

Translation

Strong’s lists the renderings but not their weight. These are counted from the King James text of the tagged verses — the bar under each is how often the translators actually reached for it. Select one to filter the occurrences below.

Grammatical Forms

Morphology

In the Hebrew Old Testament, this word appears as a verb across 16 occurrences, inflected in 5 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form. Select any form to read what each part of its name means, and to filter the occurrence list to it.

יִּרְגְּמוּ
רָגְמוּ
יִרְגְּמוּ
רָגוֹם
רְגּוֹם

Theographic Context

Context

The people, places, and span of history the verses containing this word touch on — drawn from the theographic tagging of Scripture. Select any name to isolate its verses in the occurrence list.

Biblical Distribution

Distribution

Appears in 15 verses across 7 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Leviticus (5 verses); never once in the other 32.

Leviticus

Numbers

Deuteronomy

Joshua

1 Kings

2 Chronicles

Ezekiel

Every Occurrence

Concordance

Every verse where the word is tagged in the King James text. Filter by book, by the English word the translators chose, by grammatical form, or search within the verses.

Sources. Definition and numbering: James Strong, Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890). Morphology: STEPBible / Tyndale House (CC BY). Verse tagging: the King James text keyed to Strong’s numbers. Every count on this page is computed from the tagged corpus, not estimated.