Lexical Summary ra'ad: To tremble, quake, shudder Original Word: רַעַד Strong's Exhaustive Concordance trembling Or (feminine) radah {reh-aw-daw'}; from ra'ad; a shudder -- trembling. see HEBREW ra'ad Brown-Driver-Briggs רַ֫עַד noun masculine trembling; — יָבאֹ בִי ׳יִרְאָה וָר Psalm 55:6; יאֹחֲזֵמוֺ רָ֑עַד Exodus 15:15. רְעָדָה noun feminine id.; subject of אָֽחֲזָה Isaiah 33:14; Psalm 48:7; "" יִרְאָה Psalm 2:11; "" מַּחַד Job 4:14. Topical Lexicon Overview Strong’s Hebrew 7461 (raʿad) portrays a visceral trembling that grips individuals and nations when confronted by the manifest majesty, judgment, or deliverance of the LORD. This shaking is never presented as random emotion; it is the proper, even inevitable, response to divine reality. Occurrences in the Old Testament Canon 1. Exodus 15:15 – At the Red Sea, the news of Israel’s miraculous deliverance sends “trembling” through the leaders of Moab and Canaan, signaling the moral collapse of hostile powers before Yahweh’s advancing salvation. Theological Themes • Divine Kingship and Judgment: Raʿad consistently attends the revelation of the LORD as Warrior, King, or Judge. Whether in historical deliverance (Exodus 15) or eschatological warning (Isaiah 33), trembling authenticates the seriousness of covenant accountability. Historical and Cultural Background Ancient Near Eastern warfare accounts often describe combatants as “melting” or “quaking” before superior power. Scripture adopts this language yet redirects the cause from human armies to the living God. In Exodus 15, the song of Moses not only celebrates military victory but also prophesies geopolitical upheaval as news of Yahweh’s deeds reverberates through the Levant. Isaiah’s oracle similarly exploits the imagery of siege warfare to expose the false security of nominal worshippers in Jerusalem. Prophetic and Eschatological Dimensions Isaiah 33:14 anticipates a future conflagration in which only the righteous will endure: “Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire?” Raʿad becomes catalytic, forcing a choice between repentance and ruin. The trembling of the nations in Psalm 2 foreshadows the messianic reign cited in Acts 4:25-26; Hebrews 12:26-27 extends the motif to a cosmic shaking that will remove what is temporal and reveal the unshakable kingdom. Practical and Devotional Applications • Cultivate Holy Awe: Worship that lacks trembling risks trivializing God’s holiness. The believer is encouraged to mingle joy with reverence, ensuring a balanced devotion. Intertextual Echoes in the New Testament Greek terms such as tromos (“trembling”) in Philippians 2:12 and Hebrews 12:21 mirror raʿad, showing continuity between covenants. Paul’s exhortation to “work out your salvation with fear and trembling” reflects the same dynamic: grace does not abolish trembling; it sanctifies it. Summary Raʿad highlights the proper creaturely response to divine self-disclosure—whether expressed in judgment, deliverance, or intimate worship. Scripture presents this trembling not as paralyzing dread but as the gateway to deeper trust, obedient service, and indestructible joy in the LORD. Forms and Transliterations בִּרְעָדָֽה׃ ברעדה׃ וָ֭רַעַד ורעד רְ֭עָדָה רְעָדָ֖ה רָ֑עַד רעד רעדה bir‘āḏāh bir·‘ā·ḏāh biraDah rā‘aḏ rā·‘aḏ Raad rə‘āḏāh rə·‘ā·ḏāh Readah Varaad wā·ra·‘aḏ wāra‘aḏLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Exodus 15:15 HEB: מוֹאָ֔ב יֹֽאחֲזֵ֖מוֹ רָ֑עַד נָמֹ֕גוּ כֹּ֖ל NAS: of Moab, trembling grips KJV: of Moab, trembling shall take hold INT: of Moab grips trembling have melted All Psalm 2:11 Psalm 48:6 Psalm 55:5 Isaiah 33:14 5 Occurrences |
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