Word Study for H7481 (רָעַם) | Strong's Concordance

râʻam /raw-am'/ Ask about this word

Roota primitive root

Meaningto tumble, i.e. be violently agitated; specifically, to crash (of thunder); figuratively, to irritate (with anger)

KJV usagemake to fret, roar, thunder, trouble.

Word Study

In depth

A plain-language study of râʻam — 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 râʻam, represented by H7481, is a primitive root meaning to be violently agitated. It is used specifically for the crash of thunder and figuratively to describe being irritated, made to fret, or troubled. It appears 13 times across 13 unique verses in the Bible, most often depicting a display of divine power.

Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis

In biblical narratives, H7481 is predominantly used to describe the thunder of God as an expression of His might and judgment. The LORD thunders from heaven to break His adversaries to pieces 1 Samuel 2:10 and to discomfit the Philistines in battle 1 Samuel 7:10. This act is equated with God's own voice, as when "the God of glory thundereth" Psalms 29:3 or when He "thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice" Psalms 18:13. The word is also used metaphorically, calling for the sea to roar in praise Psalms 96:11. In a human context, it describes profound emotional distress, such as when an adversary provokes someone "to make her fret" 1 Samuel 1:6 or when kings are troubled in their countenance Ezekiel 27:35.

Related Words & Concepts

Several related words help clarify the impact and context of H7481:

H2000 hâmam (to put in commotion; by implication, to disturb, drive, destroy): This word describes the direct result of God's thunder. In a battle against the Philistines, the LORD thundered H7481 and discomfited H2000 them 1 Samuel 7:10.
H2865 châthath (to prostrate; hence, to break down... by confusion and fear): This term is linked to the destructive power of God's thunder against His enemies, stating that the adversaries of the LORD "shall be broken to pieces" H2865 when He thunders H7481 upon them 1 Samuel 2:10.
H6963 qôwl (a voice or sound): This word is frequently paired with H7481, establishing that the sound of thunder is understood as the very voice of God. The Bible states that God thundereth H7481 marvellously with his voice H6963 Job 37:5.

Theological Significance

The theological weight of H7481 centers on the power and presence of God.

Divine Power and Judgment: The act of thundering is a clear demonstration of God's sovereignty and His ability to intervene directly in human affairs, especially in judgment against His enemies. It is a power unique to Him, prompting the question, "canst thou thunder with a voice like him?" Job 40:9.
The Voice of God: Thunder is not depicted as a mere natural phenomenon but as the audible voice of God. This connects His awesome power to His personal communication, as "The voice of the LORD is upon the waters: the God of glory thundereth" Psalms 29:3.
Emotional and Natural Agitation: The word's usage extends from the heavens to the sea and the human heart. It describes the "roaring" of the sea in worship Psalms 98:7 and the internal turmoil of being made to "fret" 1 Samuel 1:6, linking immense external power with deep internal feeling.

Summary

In summary, H7481 conveys a concept of powerful agitation. While its primary meaning is the literal thunder that signifies God's unmatched power and voice, it is also applied metaphorically to the roaring of the seas and the troubling of the human spirit. The word illustrates how a single term can encompass the awesome power of God in creation, His actions in judgment, and the profound emotional disturbances experienced by humanity.

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 13 occurrences, inflected in 7 grammatical forms — each row is one form, and the bar is how often it is that form.

Hiphil Imperfect 3rd Singular Masculine 4×
Qal Imperfect 3rd Singular Masculine 3×
Hiphil Consecutive Imperfect 3rd Singular Masculine 2×
Hiphil Imperfect 2nd Singular Masculine 1×
Hiphil Infinitive Construct 1×
Hiphil Perfect 3rd Singular Masculine 1×
Qal Perfect 3rd Plural common gender 1×

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.
Infinitive: The verb as a noun — "to do".
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…").
Construct: Bound to a following noun — "the X 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 13 verses across 6 of the 39 books. Most frequent in Psalms (4 verses); never once in the other 33.

1 Samuel

2 Samuel

1 Chronicles

Job

Psalms

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.