Word Study for H7457 (רָעֵב) | Strong's Concordance

râʻêb /raw-abe'/ Ask about this word

Meaninghungry (more or less intensely)

KJV usagehunger bitten, hungry.

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 H7457, is the primary adjective for hungry. It appears 22 times across 22 unique verses, describing a state of need that can be more or less intense. Its meaning ranges from a simple lack of food to being "hunger bitten," a state of severe deprivation.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In the biblical narrative, H7457 is frequently used to describe a literal, physical need for food. The people with David H1732 in the wilderness H4057 are described as hungry H7457, weary H5889, and thirsty H6771 2 Samuel 17:29. Similarly, a smith H2796 at his work becomes hungry H7457 and his strength H3581 fails Isaiah 44:12. Beyond a state of being, scripture often uses the term to establish a moral obligation to care for those in need. A righteous person is one who has "given H5414 his bread H3899 to the hungry H7457" Ezekiel 18:7, a command that even extends to one's enemy H8130 Proverbs 25:21. The word also functions metaphorically, as when a hungry H7457 man dreams H2492 of eating but awakes with an empty H7386 soul H5315, illustrating the unfulfilled state of those who fight H6633 against Zion H6726 Isaiah 29:8.

Related Words & Concepts

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

H7456 râʻêb: to hunger; (suffer to) famish, (be, have, suffer, suffer to) hunger(-ry). This is the root verb from which H7457 is derived, indicating the action of becoming hungry. In a state of hardship, people "shall be hungry H7456" Isaiah 8:21.
H6771 tsâmêʼ: thirsty (literally or figuratively); (that) thirst(-eth, -y). This word is often paired with H7457 to describe a complete state of physical need, such as being hungry and thirsty Psalms 107:5.
H3899 lechem: food (for man or beast), especially bread, or grain (for making it). This is the specified provision for the hungry H7457 in commands to show righteousness and care (Ezekiel 18:7, Isaiah 58:7).
H7649 sâbêaʻ: satiated (in a pleasant or disagreeable sense); full (of), satisfied (with). This word serves as a direct antonym, contrasting those who are full H7649 with those who are hungry H7457 (1 Samuel 2:5, Proverbs 27:7).

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H7457 is significant, highlighting moral duties and divine attributes.

A Measure of Righteousness: How one treats the hungry H7457 is a key indicator of righteousness. Giving bread H3899 is a characteristic of a just man Ezekiel 18:16, while withholding H4513 it is a mark of wickedness Job 22:7.
Divine Provision: The Lord H3068 is depicted as the ultimate provider for the hungry H7457. He "giveth H5414 food H3899 to the hungry H7457" Psalms 146:7 and "filleth H4390 the hungry H7457 soul H5315 with goodness H2896" Psalms 107:9.
Condition of the Soul: The state of being hungry H7457 extends beyond the physical. The soul H5315 itself can be hungry Psalms 107:9 or empty H7386 Isaiah 29:8. The wicked work to "make empty H7324 the soul H5315 of the hungry H7457" Isaiah 32:6, highlighting a spiritual dimension to this need.

Summary

In summary, râʻêb H7457 is not merely a description of physical hunger. It is a powerful word that conveys a state of deep need, both for the body and the soul H5315. It serves as a moral benchmark in scripture, distinguishing the righteous who provide for the hungry Isaiah 58:7 from the wicked who do not. Ultimately, it illustrates the human condition of need and points to God as the only true source of satisfaction and goodness H2896 Psalms 107:9.

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 an adjective and a verb across 22 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.

רָעֵב
רְעֵבִים
רְעֵבָה
רָעֵב
רָעֵב

Related Words

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.

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 22 verses across 8 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Isaiah (7 verses); never once in the other 31.

1 Samuel

2 Samuel

2 Kings

Job

Psalms

Proverbs

Isaiah

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.