Lexical Summary raash: Commotion, earthquake, quaking, shaking, tumult Original Word: רַעַשׁ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance commotion, confused noise, earthquake, fierceness, quaking, rattling, rushing, shakingFrom ra'ash; vibration, bounding, uproar -- commotion, confused noise, earthquake, fierceness, quaking, rattling, rushing, shaking. see HEBREW ra'ash NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom raash Definition a quaking, shaking NASB Translation commotion (1), earthquake (7), rattling (3), rumbling (2), shaking (1), trembling (1), tumult (2). Brown-Driver-Briggs רַ֫עַשׁ noun masculineJeremiah 10:22 quaking, shaking; — ׳ר absolute 1 Kings 19:11 +, construct Nahum 3:2; Job 41:21; — 1 specifically earthquake, Amos 1:1; Zechariah 14:5; 1 Kings 19:11 (twice in verse); 1 Kings 19:12; figurative of ׳יs judgement Isaiah 29:6; Ezekiel 38:19; compare (in vision) קוֺל גָּרוֺל ׳ר Ezekiel 3:12,13; probably also Ezekiel 37:7 (ᵐ5 Thes Co Krae; > rustling, rattling, Hi-Sm Toy); hence hyperbole of shaking of earth by tramping of warriors Isaiah 9:4, by war-chariots Jeremiah 47:3, compare Jeremiah 10:22, or wheels Nahum 3:2. 2 quaking, trembling, of person Ezekiel 12:18. 3 shaking, quivering, of horse eager to start Job 39:24 (+ רֹגֶז), of dart Job 41:21 (al. rushing sound). Topical Lexicon Range of MeaningThe word refers to a sudden, violent shaking or rattling. At times it describes a literal earthquake, at other times the crashing din of battle, the rumble of chariots, the trembling of people, or the rattling of bones. Whether physical or metaphorical, it always signals disruptive power that men cannot control. Physical Earthquakes 1 Kings 19:11–12 records an earthquake on Mount Horeb. “After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake… ”. The quake prepares Elijah for the soft whisper that follows, underscoring that the Lord’s might is real yet His preferred self-revelation is gracious and personal. Amos 1:1 and Zechariah 14:5 recall “the earthquake in the days of Uzziah,” an historic event strong enough to frame prophetic chronology and to foreshadow a greater shaking still to come. Ezekiel 38:19 places a “great earthquake in the land of Israel” within the climactic Day of the LORD, showing that future judgment and deliverance will again be accompanied by cosmic upheaval. Theophanic Shaking Isaiah 29:6 links thunder, earthquake, and “great noise” with the visitation of the LORD of Hosts. The tremor is not random but an audible sign that God Himself has entered the scene. Ezekiel 3:12–13 hears “a loud rumbling sound” as the glory of the LORD rises; heaven’s throne room is anything but silent when God moves. War and Military Imagery The term often conveys the roar of combat. “For every trampling boot of battle and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire” (Isaiah 9:5). Nahum 3:2 speaks of “the clatter of wheels, galloping horses and bounding chariots,” and Jeremiah 47:3 pictures fathers paralyzed “at the sound of the galloping hooves… the rumbling of his chariots.” In Job 39:24 the warhorse “cannot stand still when the trumpet sounds,” literally at the shaking noise, illustrating fearless zeal in battle. Human Trembling Ezekiel 12:18 commands the prophet to eat bread “with trembling and drink water with anxiety,” dramatizing the terror soon to grip Jerusalem. The same root in Job 41:29 describes weapons that make no impression on Leviathan; what makes men quake leaves the monster unmoved, highlighting human frailty. Restoration Out of Ruin Ezekiel 37:7: “as I prophesied, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone.” The shaking that once signified judgment now heralds resurrection. Divine power that dismantles also reassembles. Eschatological Perspective Isaiah 29; Ezekiel 38; Zechariah 14 all project a future convulsion of earth and nations. Hebrews 12:26–27 (though Greek) draws on this theme: “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens,” promising the removal of what is temporary and the unveiling of the unshakable kingdom. Ministry Implications • God employs shaking to awaken His people. Disruption can clear the ground for a “still, small voice.” Forms and Transliterations בְּרַ֔עַשׁ בְּרַ֣עַשׁ בָרַ֖עַשׁ ברעש הָרַ֔עַשׁ הָרַ֙עַשׁ֙ הָרָֽעַשׁ׃ הרעש הרעש׃ וְרַ֥עַשׁ וּבְרַ֖עַשׁ וברעש ורעש לְרַ֣עַשׁ לרעש מֵרַ֣עַשׁ מרעש רַ֔עַשׁ רַ֣עַשׁ רַ֥עַשׁ רעש ḇā·ra·‘aš ḇāra‘aš bə·ra·‘aš bəra‘aš beRaash hā·ra·‘aš hā·rā·‘aš hāra‘aš hārā‘aš haRaash lə·ra·‘aš ləra‘aš leRaash mê·ra·‘aš mêra‘aš meRaash ra‘aš ra·‘aš Raash ū·ḇə·ra·‘aš ūḇəra‘aš uveRaash vaRaash veRaash wə·ra·‘aš wəra‘ašLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 1 Kings 19:11 HEB: וְאַחַ֤ר הָר֨וּחַ רַ֔עַשׁ לֹ֥א בָרַ֖עַשׁ NAS: the wind an earthquake, [but] the LORD KJV: the wind an earthquake; [but] the LORD INT: and after the wind an earthquake not the earthquake 1 Kings 19:11 1 Kings 19:12 Job 39:24 Job 41:29 Isaiah 9:5 Isaiah 29:6 Jeremiah 10:22 Jeremiah 47:3 Ezekiel 3:12 Ezekiel 3:13 Ezekiel 12:18 Ezekiel 37:7 Ezekiel 38:19 Amos 1:1 Nahum 3:2 Zechariah 14:5 17 Occurrences |
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