Lexical Summary yereq: Green, greenery, vegetables, herbs Original Word: יֶרֶק Strong's Exhaustive Concordance grass, green thing From yaraq (in the sense of vacuity of color); properly, pallor, i.e. Hence, the yellowish green of young and sickly vegetation; concretely, verdure, i.e. Grass or vegetation -- grass, green (thing). see HEBREW yaraq NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom an unused word Definition green, greenness NASB Translation grass (1), green (4), green thing (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs יֶ֫רֶק noun masculineIsaiah 15:6 green, greenness (on  in gardens, see NöZMG 1876, 777 Löwp. 236 f.) — absolute Exodus 10:15; Isaiah 15:6; construct Genesis 1:30 3t.; — יֶרֶק עֵשֶׂב Genesis 1:30; Genesis 9:3 (both P); יֶרֶק דֶּשֶׁא Psalm 37:2 יֶרֶק הַשָּׂדֶה Numbers 22:4 (E) = green thing, grass; alone Exodus 10:15 (J) green thing, including עֵץ and עֵשֶׂב, Isaiah 15:6. Topical Lexicon Root Imagery and Scope יֶרֶק (yereq) evokes the fresh “greenness” of tender shoots, vegetables, grass, or any lush plant growth. Scripture uses the term both literally—for edible vegetation and pasture—and figuratively, to portray life’s vitality or its swift fading. Occurrences and Thematic Survey 1. Provision in Creation – Genesis 1:30 Creation and Sustenance Genesis 1:30 records the initial assignment of every “green plant” as nourishment for animals and birds, underscoring God’s orderly provision. After the Flood, Genesis 9:3 widens mankind’s menu: “Everything that lives and moves will be food for you; just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you all things”. یֶרֶק thus anchors the doctrine that all life depends on the Creator’s bounty; it is the first food mentioned for both fauna and, indirectly, humanity. Judgment and Devastation When Pharaoh hardens his heart, the eighth plague strips Egypt of life-giving yereq: “Nothing green remained on a tree or plant throughout the land of Egypt” (Exodus 10:15). The term again surfaces in Isaiah’s oracle over Moab, “the vegetation is gone, and no greenery remains” (Isaiah 15:6). In both settings the loss of green growth signifies total collapse—economic, ecological, and spiritual. Agrarian Economy and Daily Life Numbers 22:4 voices Moab’s dread that Israel “will lick up all that is around us, as an ox licks up the grass of the field.” The metaphor relies on yereq as the staple fodder for livestock, highlighting its centrality to pastoral economies. Any threat to this resource equated to existential danger. Moral and Eschatological Imagery Psalm 37:2 contrasts the fleeting success of evildoers with the permanence of covenant faithfulness: “For they wither quickly like grass and wilt like tender plants”. The same lushness that sustains life also illustrates frailty. Prophets and Psalmists repeatedly draw on this contrast; green plants thrive briefly under favorable conditions but vanish under divine heat, pointing to the inevitability of judgment and the trustworthiness of God’s promises. Theological Reflections • Common Grace: Yereq is a tangible expression of God’s kindness to all creatures (Genesis 1:30; Matthew 5:45 echoes the theme). Ministry Applications 1. Preaching Creation Care – Use Genesis 1:30 and 9:3 to ground environmental stewardship in the creation mandate. Summary Whether nourishing, threatened, or withered, יֶרֶק embodies the God-given vitality of the earth. Its six occurrences trace a theological arc from creation’s abundance through judgment’s desolation to the call for faithful dependence on the Lord who “causes grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate” (Psalm 104:14). Forms and Transliterations וּכְיֶ֥רֶק וכירק יֶ֖רֶק יֶ֣רֶק יֶ֥רֶק יֶ֧רֶק ירק כְּיֶ֣רֶק כירק kə·ye·req keYerek kəyereq ū·ḵə·ye·req ucheYerek ūḵəyereq ye·req Yerek yereqLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 1:30 HEB: אֶת־ כָּל־ יֶ֥רֶק עֵ֖שֶׂב לְאָכְלָ֑ה NAS: [I have given] every green plant KJV: wherein [there is] life, [I have given] every green herb INT: age thing green plant food Genesis 9:3 Exodus 10:15 Numbers 22:4 Psalm 37:2 Isaiah 15:6 6 Occurrences |
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