Lexical Summary rasha: To be wicked, to act wickedly, to condemn Original Word: רָשַׁע Strong's Exhaustive Concordance condemn, make trouble, vex, be commit, deal, depart, do wickedly, A primitive root; to be (causatively, do or declare) wrong; by implication, to disturb, violate -- condemn, make trouble, vex, be (commit, deal, depart, do) wicked(-ly, -ness). NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origindenominative verb from resha Definition to be wicked, act wickedly NASB Translation act wickedly (3), acted wickedly (6), been wicked (1), behaved wickedly (1), condemn (10), condemned (2), condemning (1), condemns (3), do wickedly (1), guilty (1), inflicted punishment (1), wicked (3), wickedly departed (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [רָשַׁע] verb denominative be wicked, act wickedly; — Qal Perfect1singular רָשַׁעָתִּי 2 Samuel 22:22 +, רָשָׁ֑עְנוּ 1 Kings 8:47 +; Imperfect2masculine singular תִּדְשַׁע Ecclesiastes 7:17; 1singular אֶרְשָׁ֑ע Job 9:29; Job 10:7; — 1 be wicked, act wickedly, 1 Kings 8:47 2Chronicles 6:37; Daniel 9:15; Ecclesiastes 7:17; +מֵאֱלֹהָי 2 Samuel 22:22 (in departing) from my God = Psalm 18:22. 2 be guilty, Job 9:29; Job 10:7,15. Hiph`il Perfect3masculine singular הִרְשִׁיעַ2Chronicles 20:35; 3 masculine plural הִרְשִׁיעוּ Deuteronomy 25:1; Daniel 12:10; 1plural הִרְשַׁעְבוּ Daniel 9:5, etc.: Imperfect3masculine singular יַרְשִׁיעַ Proverbs 12:2 +; יַרְשִׁעַ Job 34:29; 3masculine plural יַרְשִׁיעֻן Exodus 22:8, etc.; Infinitive construct הַרְשִׁיעַ 1 Kings 8:32; 2Chronicles 22:3; Perfect מַרְשִׁיעַ Pt 2 Chronicles 17:15; plural construct מַרְשִׁיעֵי Daniel 11:32; — 1 condemn as guilty, in civil relations, with accusative Exodus 22:8 (E) Deuteronomy 25:1; Psalm 94:21; Job 34:17; Proverbs 17:15. 2 condemn as guilty, in ethical and religious relations, with accusative 1 Kings 8:32; Job 9:20; Job 10:2; Job 15:6; Job 32:3; Job 40:8; Psalm 37:33; Proverbs 12:2; Isaiah 50:9; Isaiah 54:17, absolute Job 34:29. 3 act wickedly (late), in ethics and religion: Job 34:12 (denied of ׳י), Nehemiah 9:33; Daniel 12:10; 2Chronicles 22:3; "" חטא Psalm 106:6; Daniel 9:5; הרשׁיע לעשׂות2Chronicles 20:35; מַרְשִׁיעֵי בְרִית Daniel 11:32; — יַרְשִׁיעַ 1 Samuel 14:47 read יַוָּשֵׁעַ ᵐ5 Capp We Dr Bu HPS. Topical Lexicon OverviewThe verb רָשַׁע occurs about thirty-five times in the Old Testament. It represents wilful departure from covenant loyalty and, in its causative stem, the act of declaring someone guilty. Scripture regularly places the verb in deliberate contrast with “justify / declare righteous” (צָדַק), thereby sharpening the biblical antithesis between righteousness and wickedness. Legal and Forensic Usage 1. Deuteronomy 25:1 presents the most succinct legal pairing: “the judges shall justify the righteous and condemn the wicked.” Here רָשַׁע describes a court’s formal verdict. Individual Moral Conduct The Qal stem describes a person’s own plunge into evil. Pharaoh confesses, “I and my people are in the wrong” (Exodus 9:27); Moses confronts his fellow Hebrew, “Why do you strike your companion?” (Exodus 2:13). Job wrestles with the possibility that God has counted him wicked (Job 9:20; 10:15; 15:6; 32:3). In each passage רָשַׁע emphasises purposeful rebellion, not accidental failure. Corporate Apostasy Prophets use the verb to address national guilt. Ezekiel warns, “When the righteous turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he will die for it” (Ezekiel 18:26; 33:12). The shift from obedience to רָשַׁע is decisive and deadly. The same chapter promises life to the wicked who repents (33:19), showing that judgment is never God’s final word when genuine repentance occurs. Theological Emphasis 1. God’s holiness demands that wickedness be named and judged. Rָשַׁע therefore underscores divine justice. Pastoral and Homiletical Insights • Expose Sin Clearly—Old Testament writers never soften רָשַׁע. Faithful ministry follows their example, naming sin so that grace may abound. Eschatological Perspective Isaiah envisions a coming King who will “with righteousness judge the poor, and decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth” (Isaiah 11:4). While Isaiah uses a different verb, the vision answers every misuse of רָשַׁע. Final judgment will reverse every wrongful condemnation and vindicate all who are in Christ. Summary רָשַׁע is more than a word for generic evil; it is the biblical verb for determined rebellion and formal condemnation. It confronts every reader with God’s unwavering justice and simultaneously drives the humble to seek the righteousness provided in the promised Messiah. Forms and Transliterations אֶרְשָׁ֑ע ארשע הִרְשִׁ֥יעַ הִרְשָֽׁעְנוּ׃ הִרְשַׁ֣עְנוּ הרשיע הרשענו הרשענו׃ וְהִרְשִׁ֖יעוּ וְהִרְשִׁ֣יעוּ וְרָשָֽׁעְנוּ׃ וַ֝יַּרְשִׁ֗יעוּ וּמַרְשִׁ֣יעַ וּמַרְשִׁיעֵ֣י והרשיעו וירשיעו ומרשיע ומרשיעי ורשענו׃ יַ֝רְשִׁיעֶ֗נּוּ יַרְשִֽׁיעֲךָ֣ יַרְשִֽׁיעַ׃ יַרְשִֽׁיעוּ׃ יַרְשִׁ֑יעַ יַרְשִׁ֗עַ יַרְשִׁיעֵ֑נִי יַרְשִׁיעֻן֙ ירשיע ירשיע׃ ירשיעו׃ ירשיעך ירשיען ירשיענו ירשיעני ירשע לְהַרְשִֽׁיעַ׃ לְהַרְשִׁ֣יעַ להרשיע להרשיע׃ מֵרְשָׁעִ֖ים מרשעים רָ֝שַׁ֗עְתִּי רָשַׁ֖עְתִּי רָשַׁ֡עְתִּי רָשָֽׁעְנוּ׃ רשענו׃ רשעתי תִּרְשַׁ֥ע תַּ֝רְשִׁיעֵ֗נִי תַּרְשִֽׁיעַ׃ תַּרְשִׁ֑יעִי תַּרְשִׁיעֵ֑נִי תרשיע׃ תרשיעי תרשיעני תרשע ’er·šā‘ ’eršā‘ erSha hir·ša‘·nū hir·šā·‘ə·nū hir·šî·a‘ hiršā‘ənū hirša‘nū hirShaenu hirShanu hirShia hiršîa‘ lə·har·šî·a‘ leharShia ləharšîa‘ mê·rə·šā·‘îm mêrəšā‘îm mereshaIm rā·ša‘·tî rā·šā·‘ə·nū rāšā‘ənū rāša‘tî raShaenu raShati tar·šî·‘ê·nî tar·šî·‘î tar·šî·a‘ tarShia tarshiEni tarShii taršî‘ênî taršî‘î taršîa‘ tir·ša‘ tirša‘ tirSha ū·mar·šî·‘ê ū·mar·šî·a‘ umarShia umarshiEi ūmaršî‘ê ūmaršîa‘ vaiyarShiu vehirShiu veraShaenu way·yar·šî·‘ū wayyaršî‘ū wə·hir·šî·‘ū wə·rā·šā·‘ə·nū wəhiršî‘ū wərāšā‘ənū yar·šî·‘ă·ḵā yar·šî·‘ê·nî yar·šî·‘en·nū yar·šî·‘ū yar·šî·‘un yar·ši·a‘ yar·šî·a‘ yarShia yarshiaCha yarshiEni yarshiEnnu yarShiu yarshiUn yaršî‘ăḵā yaršî‘ênî yaršî‘ennū yaršî‘ū yaršî‘un yaršia‘ yaršîa‘Links Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Exodus 22:9 HEB: שְׁנֵיהֶ֑ם אֲשֶׁ֤ר יַרְשִׁיעֻן֙ אֱלֹהִ֔ים יְשַׁלֵּ֥ם NAS: the judges condemn shall pay KJV: [and] whom the judges shall condemn, he shall pay INT: of both whom condemn the judges shall pay Deuteronomy 25:1 1 Samuel 14:47 1 Samuel 24:13 2 Samuel 22:22 1 Kings 8:32 1 Kings 8:47 2 Chronicles 6:37 2 Chronicles 20:35 2 Chronicles 22:3 Nehemiah 9:33 Job 9:20 Job 9:29 Job 10:2 Job 10:7 Job 10:15 Job 15:6 Job 32:3 Job 34:12 Job 34:17 Job 34:29 Job 40:8 Psalm 18:21 Psalm 37:33 Psalm 94:21 35 Occurrences |
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