English · KJV
H7301

רָוָה

râvâh /raw-vaw'/ Ask about this word
Roota primitive root
Meaningto slake the thirst (occasionally of other appetites)
KJV usagebathe, make drunk, (take the) fill, satiate, (abundantly) satisfy, soak, water (abundantly).

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of râvâh — 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 râvâh, represented by H7301, is a primitive root meaning to slake thirst. It appears 15 times in 14 unique verses. Its meaning extends beyond simple thirst to encompass a range of appetites, with translations including to satiate, (abundantly) satisfy, water (abundantly), soak, bathe, or even make drunk.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In scripture, H7301 is used to describe both divine blessing and severe judgment. In a positive sense, it conveys God's abundant provision, as when He promises to satiate the weary soul Jeremiah 31:25 and allow His people to be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of His house Psalms 36:8. The word also depicts the natural cycle of creation where rain watereth the earth to make it fruitful Isaiah 55:10. Conversely, H7301 is used to illustrate the totality of God's wrath, where a sword is bathed in heaven Isaiah 34:5 or made drunk with blood Jeremiah 46:10, and land is soaked with blood Isaiah 34:7. The term can also describe intimate human fulfillment Proverbs 5:19 or being filled with bitterness Lamentations 3:15.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words highlight the sources and effects associated with being filled or watered:

  • H1880 deshen (fatness): This word, meaning abundance or the fat, often describes the substance with which one is satisfied. God promises to satiate the soul of the priests with fatness Jeremiah 31:14, linking satisfaction directly to divine provision.
  • H8248 shâqâh (to make drink): Defined as to irrigate or furnish a potion, this word often describes the action that leads to satisfaction. In God's house, He will not only satisfy His people but also make them drink from the river of His pleasures Psalms 36:8.
  • H1818 dâm (blood): In the context of judgment, this word for blood shows what the land or sword is saturated with. On the day of vengeance, the sword will be made drunk with their blood Jeremiah 46:10, illustrating the severity of the consequence.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H7301 is seen in its dual application to both blessing and curse.

  • Divine Abundance: The word frequently points to God as the source of complete satisfaction. He waters the earth to produce food Isaiah 55:10, He satiates the weary and sorrowful soul Jeremiah 31:25, and He satisfies His people with the fatness of His own house Psalms 36:8.
  • Instrument of Judgment: In a stark contrast, to be 'soaked' or 'made drunk' is a terrifying image of divine judgment. The Lord's sword is 'bathed' in heaven before it descends for judgment Isaiah 34:5, and it is 'made drunk' with blood as a sacrifice to the Lord Jeremiah 46:10.
  • Spiritual Reciprocity: The word is used to establish a key principle of wisdom, stating that the one who watereth others "shall be watered also himself" Proverbs 11:25, linking generosity to personal blessing.

Summary

In summary, H7301 is a powerful and multifaceted word. It expresses the extremes of experience, from the life-giving act of watering the earth Psalms 65:10 and the deep spiritual satisfaction God provides Jeremiah 31:14 to the terrifying finality of a land soaked in blood as an act of judgment Isaiah 34:7. Whether describing blessing, judgment, or human relationships, râvâh demonstrates a state of being completely filled or saturated, for better or for worse.

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 14 occurrences, inflected in 13 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.

  • הִרְוָה
  • מַרְוֶה
  • הִרְוֵיתִי
  • הִרְוִיתָ
  • רִוֵּיתִי
  • רִוְּתָה
  • אֲרַיָּוֶ
  • יְרַוֻּ
  • רַוֵּה
  • רִוְּתָה
  • רָוְתָה
  • נִרְוֶה
  • יִרְוְיֻ

Related Words

Related

Other entries the study above points to — each one is drawn from a reference it makes. Follow the trail to see how the words connect.

H1880 דֶּשֶׁן from דָּשֵׁן; the fat; abstractly fatness, i.e. (figuratively) abundance; specifically the (fatty) ashes of sacrifices; H8248 שָׁקָה a primitive root; to quaff, i.e. (causatively) to irrigate or furnish apotion to; cause to (give, give to, let, make to) H1818 דָּם from דָּמַם (compare אָדַם); blood (as that which when shed causes death) of man or an animal; by analogy, the juice of

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 14 verses across 5 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Isaiah (5 verses); never once in the other 34.

2
Psalms
3
Proverbs
5
Isaiah
3
Jeremiah
1
Lamentations

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.