English · KJV
H7456

רָעֵב

râʻêb /raw-abe'/ Ask about this word
Roota primitive root
Meaningto hunger
KJV usage(suffer to) famish, (be, have, suffer, suffer to) hunger(-ry).

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of râʻêb — 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 râʻêb, represented by H7456, is a primitive root meaning to hunger. It appears 12 times across 11 unique verses, typically translated as to "famish" or to "suffer hunger." It describes a state of want, often for food.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H7456 is used to describe both literal and figurative hunger. It denotes a physical crisis, as when the entire land of Egypt was famished during the famine Genesis 41:55. It is also used as a tool of divine discipline, where God suffered the Israelites to hunger in the wilderness to teach them dependence on His word Deuteronomy 8:3. The word also illustrates a key distinction between the righteous and the wicked; the LORD will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish Proverbs 10:3, while in a future judgment, God's servants will eat but the disobedient shall be hungry Isaiah 65:13.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words expand upon the concept of hunger and sustenance:

  • H7457 râʻêb (hungry): This word is derived from the same root and describes the state of one who hungers. It is used in commandments to provide bread to the hungry Isaiah 58:7.
  • H6770 tsâmêʼ (to thirst): This word is a direct parallel to hunger and is often paired with it. God promises His people a future where they will not hunger nor thirst Isaiah 49:10.
  • H3899 lechem (food, especially bread): This word for food is often the object of the hunger. The people in Egypt cried for bread when they were famished Genesis 41:55, and the Israelites in the wilderness were taught that man does not live by bread alone Deuteronomy 8:3.
  • H6031 ʻânâh (to depress literally or figuratively, humble): This root is directly linked to hunger as a means of divine action, as God humbled Israel when He "suffered thee to hunger" Deuteronomy 8:3.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H7456 is significant, highlighting God's relationship with humanity.

  • Divine Discipline: Hunger is explicitly used by God as a teaching tool. By allowing the Israelites to hunger, He demonstrated that their ultimate sustenance comes from His word, not just physical bread Deuteronomy 8:3.
  • Consequence of Action: The state of hunger is often linked to human behavior. An "idle soul shall suffer hunger" Proverbs 19:15, and those experiencing judgment become so hungry that they curse their leaders and God Isaiah 8:21.
  • God's Providence: Scripture repeatedly contrasts the fate of the righteous with the wicked regarding hunger. God promises not to suffer the righteous to famish Proverbs 10:3 and that those who seek Him will not suffer hunger Psalms 34:10.
  • Future Restoration: The absence of hunger is a key feature of God's promised restoration. He pledges that His people "shall not hunger nor thirst" under His merciful guidance Isaiah 49:10.

Summary

In summary, H7456 extends beyond a simple physical sensation. It serves as a powerful biblical motif representing divine judgment, discipline, and the consequences of human idleness. Conversely, its absence signifies God's blessing, provision for the righteous, and the complete satisfaction found in His future restoration. The word illustrates the dynamic where God can use a physical need to reveal a deeper spiritual truth.

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 and an adjective across 16 occurrences, inflected in 14 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.

  • יִרְעַב
  • רָעֵב
  • יַּרְעִבֶ
  • יַרְעִיב
  • רְעֵבִים
  • תִּרְעַב
  • רָעֵב
  • נִרְעָב
  • אֶרְעַב
  • תִּרְעָבוּ
  • יִרְעָבוּ
  • תִרְעָב
  • רָעֵבוּ
  • רָעֵב

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.

H7457 רָעֵב from רָעֵב; hungry (more or less intensely); hunger bitten, hungry. H6770 צָמֵא a primitive root; to thirst (literally or figuratively); (be a-, suffer) thirst(-y). H3899 לֶחֶם from לָחַם; See also בֵּית לְעַפְרָה; food (for man or beast), especially bread, or grain (for making it); (shew-) bread H6031 עָנָה a primitive root (possibly rather identical with עָנָה through the idea of looking down or browbeating); to depress lite

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 11 verses across 6 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Proverbs and Isaiah (3 verses each); never once in the other 33.

1
Genesis
1
Deuteronomy
2
Psalms
3
Proverbs
3
Isaiah
1
Jeremiah

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.