Lexical Summary yara: To fear, to revere, to be afraid Original Word: יָרַע Strong's Exhaustive Concordance to fear, be grevious A primitive root; properly, to be broken up (with any violent action) i.e. (figuratively) to fear -- be grevious (only Isa. 15:4; the rest belong to ra'a'). see HEBREW ra'a' NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to quiver NASB Translation trembles (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [יָרַע] verb quiver (compare Arabic  be timid, weak;  pious fear; ᵑ7 יְרַע be disheartened) — Qal Perfect3feminine singular נַפְשׁוֺ יָָֽרְעָה לוֺ Isaiah 15:4 his soul quivereth to him, i.e. is in terror and distress. Topical Lexicon Scope and NuanceThe verb יָרַע is reserved for moments when something turns from normal to grievous, harmful, or distressing—whether in a private heart, a military situation, a cosmic judgment, or a national calamity. Its sparse five-fold use functions like a red warning light: someone or something is about to fare badly if there is no intervention. Private Anguish: Hannah’s Barrenness (1 Samuel 1:8) Elkanah asks Hannah, “Why is your heart grieved?” The question uncovers more than temporary sadness; it exposes the aching sense that life itself has turned harmful. Hannah’s silent prayer that follows shows that grief, when poured out before the LORD, can be transformed into hope. The narrative therefore pairs יָרַע with persevering petition and eventual deliverance, affirming that personal distress need not be final for the believer. National Threat: Sheba’s Revolt (2 Samuel 20:6) David warns, “Now Sheba son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom.” יָרַע here marks a potential escalation from rebellion to devastating civil war. Abishai’s rapid deployment illustrates prudent leadership that takes looming harm seriously. The episode commends vigilance and decisive action when a community’s unity is endangered. Retributive Justice: The Wicked Man’s Fate (Job 20:26) Zophar declares, “A fire not kindled will consume him; it will go ill with the survivor in his tent.” In Job’s wisdom setting, יָרַע signals the moral principle that persistent evil ultimately recoils upon the perpetrator. Though Zophar’s application to Job is misguided, the proverb itself stands: hidden wickedness stores up calamity, underscoring divine justice. Covenant Discipline: Moses at Meribah (Psalm 106:32-33) “They angered Him at the waters of Meribah, and it went ill with Moses because of them.” The psalmist links Israel’s provocation with Moses’ personal loss of entering the land. יָרַע underlines the sobering truth that even faithful leaders may suffer temporal consequences when covenant communities rebel. Corporate sin and its fallout are real, yet God’s covenant faithfulness endures, as the psalm later celebrates. International Lament: Moab’s Collapse (Isaiah 15:4) “Heshbon and Elealeh cry out… the warriors of Moab cry aloud; his life trembles within him.” The harm here is existential: a nation’s soul melts. In Isaiah’s oracle, יָרַע depicts overwhelming dread gripping Moab before judgment. The prophetic lens widens the term from individual or communal misfortune to geopolitical upheaval, reminding readers that no nation is exempt from divine oversight. Theological Thread 1. Harm begins in the heart (1 Samuel 1) but reverberates outward to society (2 Samuel 20) and even to entire nations (Isaiah 15). Ministry Implications • Pastoral care must take seriously the language of deep hurt; it is not mere melancholy but a signal that a believer feels life has turned hostile. In sum, יָרַע is a concise verbal alarm across the Old Testament canon, alerting readers to impending harm and inviting them to seek the Lord who alone can turn ill into good. Forms and Transliterations וַיֵּ֥רַע וירע יֵ֖רַע יֵ֧רַֽע יֵרַ֣ע יָ֥רְעָה ירע ירעה vaiYera way·yê·ra‘ wayyêra‘ yā·rə·‘āh yārə‘āh Yareah yê·ra‘ yeRa yêra‘Links Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 1 Samuel 1:8 HEB: תֹֽאכְלִ֔י וְלָ֖מֶה יֵרַ֣ע לְבָבֵ֑ךְ הֲל֤וֹא KJV: thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? [am] not I better INT: eat and why grieved is your heart not 2 Samuel 20:6 Job 20:26 Psalm 106:32 Isaiah 15:4 5 Occurrences |
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