Word Study for H7287 (רָדָה) | Strong's Concordance

râdâh /raw-daw'/ Ask about this word

Roota primitive root

Meaningto tread down, i.e. subjugate; specifically, to crumble off

KJV usage(come to, make to) have dominion, prevail against, reign, (bear, make to) rule, (-r, over), take.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of râdâh — 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 râdâh, represented by H7287, is a primitive root that means to tread down or subjugate. Appearing 27 times in 25 verses, its definition encompasses the authority to have dominion, to reign, to prevail against, and to rule over something or someone.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H7287 is established in the opening of Genesis, where God grants humanity the authority to "have dominion" over the fish, birds, and every living thing on earth (Genesis 1:26, Genesis 1:28). This concept of rule extends to human governance, such as Solomon having dominion over a vast kingdom 1 Kings 4:24 and his officers who ruled over the people 1 Kings 5:16. The word is also used to condemn corrupt leadership, as with the shepherds of Israel who ruled with force and cruelty Ezekiel 34:4, and the priests who falsely "bear rule" Jeremiah 5:31. Scripture also warns against using this authority oppressively, commanding that one should not rule over a brother with rigour Leviticus 25:43.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words expand upon the concept of dominion and authority:

H3533 kâbash (to subdue): This term means to tread down, conquer, or bring into subjection. It appears alongside râdâh in the command for humanity to replenish the earth, subdue it, and have dominion Genesis 1:28.
H6531 perek (cruelty, rigour): This word describes a harsh or severe manner of ruling. It is used to qualify the type of rule forbidden among Israelites, specifying they should not rule over one another with rigour Leviticus 25:46.
H8269 sar (ruler, prince): This noun identifies a head person or chief. It describes the one who performs the action of râdâh, as seen in the description of the princes of Judah and other tribes who accompanied Benjamin with their ruler Psalms 68:27.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H7287 is significant, highlighting the responsibilities that accompany power.

Divine Mandate of Stewardship: The first use of H7287 establishes humanity's role to exercise dominion over the earth as God's representatives. This is a divine charge to govern creation responsibly Genesis 1:26.
The Morality of Power: The word distinguishes between just and unjust rule. God anoints leaders to rule righteously Isaiah 41:2, but He condemns those who use their authority with force H2394 and cruelty H6531, as the failed shepherds of Israel did Ezekiel 34:4.
Messianic Authority: H7287 is used in key prophecies pointing to a coming king. This figure is one from Jacob who "shall have dominion" Numbers 24:19 and whose reign will extend from sea to sea Psalms 72:8.

Summary

In summary, H7287 is a dynamic term for rule and dominion that is central to understanding biblical authority. It encompasses the original charge for humanity to steward creation Genesis 1:28, the administration of earthly kings 1 Kings 4:24, and the prophetic hope of a perfect, righteous ruler Psalms 72:8. The word râdâh ultimately illustrates that power is a trust, defined by whether it is exercised as benevolent governance or as oppressive subjugation.

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 28 occurrences, inflected in 16 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Qal Imperfect 3rd Singular Masculine 3×
Qal Participle Plural Masculine Absolute 3×
Qal Perfect 3rd Singular Masculine 3×
Qal Consecutive Imperfect 3rd Plural Masculine 2×
Qal Consecutive Imperfect 3rd Singular Masculine 2×
Qal Consecutive Perfect 3rd Plural common gender 2×
Qal Imperative 2nd Plural Masculine 2×
Qal Imperfect 2nd Singular Masculine 2×
Qal Participle Singular Masculine Absolute 2×
Hiphil Imperfect 3rd Singular Masculine 1×
Qal Conjunction+Imperfect 3rd Plural Masculine 1×
Qal Imperative 2nd Singular Masculine 1×

+ 4 rarer forms

Singular: One.
Plural: More than one.
Masculine: Masculine grammatical gender.
common gender: Either gender — the form does not distinguish.
2nd: Second person — the one addressed ("you").
3rd: Third person — the one spoken about ("he"/"they").
Imperfect: Ongoing or repeated action in the past — "was doing".
Perfect: A completed act whose results continue.
Imperative: A command or entreaty.
Participle: A verbal adjective — describes while carrying the verb's action.
Qal: The simple, basic stem — plain action in the active voice.
Hiphil: The causative stem — the subject causes the action.
Consecutive Imperfect: Imperfect with vav — carries narrative forward ("and he…").
Consecutive Perfect: Perfect with vav — continues a sequence into the future.
Conjunction+Imperfect: Imperfect joined by a simple "and".
Absolute: The independent form of a noun (not bound to another).

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 25 verses across 12 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Leviticus and Psalms (4 verses each); never once in the other 27.

Genesis

Leviticus

Numbers

Judges

1 Kings

2 Chronicles

Nehemiah

Psalms

Isaiah

Jeremiah

Lamentations

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, 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.