7478. raal

Lexical Summary

raal: reeling

Original Word: רַעַל
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: ra`al
Pronunciation: rah-ahl
Phonetic Spelling: (rah'-al)
KJV: trembling
NASB: reeling
Word Origin: [from H7477 (רָעַל - brandished)]

1. a reeling (from intoxication)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

trembling

From ra'al; a reeling (from intoxication) -- trembling.

see HEBREW ra'al

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
from raal
Definition
a reeling
NASB Translation
reeling (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

רַ֫עַל noun [masculine] reeling; — only ׳סַףרֿ Zechariah 12:2 goblet of reeling (figurative of Jerusalem).

Topical Lexicon

Root Meaning and Semantic Range

רַעַל conveys the idea of staggering, reeling, or tottering under the influence of strong drink or an overpowering force. In figurative usage it depicts a state of disorientation imposed by divine judgment, a moral or national stupor that precedes downfall.

Occurrence in Scripture

Zechariah 12:2 is the Bible’s sole attestation: “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of reeling to all the surrounding peoples, when the siege is against both Judah and Jerusalem.”. Here the term pictures hostile nations lurching in confusion after imbibing Yahweh’s judicial “cup.”

Historical and Prophetic Setting

Zechariah ministered to the post-exilic community about 520–518 B.C., encouraging returned exiles to rebuild the temple and anticipate God’s future kingdom. Chapter 12 shifts to end-time prophecy: Jerusalem become the focal point of global hostility, only for God to intervene. The imagery of the “cup of reeling” recalls Near-Eastern warfare where conquerors forced the defeated to drink intoxicants, symbolizing subjugation. The Lord reverses roles—aggressors drink their own defeat.

Theological Themes

1. Divine Sovereignty: God, not the nations, determines history’s outcome (Psalm 2:1-6).
2. Retributive Justice: The imagery echoes Psalms 75:8; Jeremiah 25:15-17, where a cup of wrath circulates among nations. Those who assault God’s people become disoriented by the very evil they intended.
3. Preservation of the Remnant: While enemies reel, Judah and Jerusalem are ultimately secured (Zechariah 12:3-9).
4. Eschatological Hope: The verse anticipates the day when “they will look on Me, the One they have pierced” (Zechariah 12:10), linking reeling judgment on the nations with future repentance and messianic revelation.

Ministry and Devotional Insights

• Confidence amid opposition: Believers facing persecution draw assurance that God can make persecutors stagger while preserving His church (Acts 9:4-6).
• Warning against pride: Nations or individuals who oppose God inevitably reel; humility before Him averts such judgment (James 4:6-10).
• Intercessory focus: Pray for Jerusalem and the Jewish people, knowing God’s end-time program centers there (Psalm 122:6; Romans 11:25-29).

Intertextual Connections

Isaiah 51:17,22 depicts Jerusalem drinking the cup of staggering; Zechariah shows the reversal when the same cup is handed to her foes. Revelation 16:19 and 18:6 transfer the motif to eschatological Babylon, proving continuity in God’s dealings. The “cup” reappears in Jesus’ passion (Matthew 26:39), where He absorbs wrath on behalf of believers, ensuring they will never drink the cup reserved for the wicked (1 Thessalonians 5:9).

Summary

רַעַל in Zechariah 12:2 portrays God’s decisive act of making hostile nations stagger in bewilderment, underscoring His justice, covenant faithfulness, and ultimate plan to glorify Himself through Israel and the Messiah.

Forms and Transliterations

רַ֛עַל רעל ra‘al ra·‘al Raal

Englishman's Concordance

Zechariah 12:2
HEB: יְרוּשָׁלִַ֧ם סַף־ רַ֛עַל לְכָל־ הָעַמִּ֖ים
NAS: a cup that causes reeling to all
KJV: a cup of trembling unto all the people
INT: Jerusalem A cup reeling to all the peoples

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 7478
1 Occurrence

ra·‘al — 1 Occ.