Lexical Summary resha: Wickedness, evil, injustice Original Word: רֶשַׁע Strong's Exhaustive Concordance iniquity, wickedness From rasha'; a wrong (especially moral) -- iniquity, wicked(-ness). see HEBREW rasha' NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom the same as rasha Definition wickedness NASB Translation evil (2), Ill-gotten (1), wicked (4), wicked acts (1), wickedness (23). Brown-Driver-Briggs רֶ֫שַׁע noun masculine1Sam 24:14 wickedness; — absolute ׳ר Micah 6:10 +, רָ֑שַׁע Ecclesiastes 3:16; construct (perhaps) רֶ֫שַׁע Ecclesiastes 7:25; רִשְׁעוֺ Deuteronomy 9:27 +, etc.; — 1 wickedness, as violence and crime against civil law Ecclesiastes 3:16 (twice in verse); ׳אֶגְרֹף ר Isaiah 58:4 fist of wickedness; ׳חַרְצֻבּוֺת ר Isaiah 58:6; ׳לֶחֶם ר Proverbs 4:17; ׳מַטֵּה ר Ezekiel 7:11; ׳מאֹזְנֵי ר Micah 6:11; ׳אֹצְרוֺת ר Micah 6:10, compare Proverbs 10:2; בְּרֶשַׁע Psalm 141:4; Proverbs 12:3; ׳עשׂות ר Proverbs 16:12; ׳מֵרְשָׁעִים יֵצֵא ר 1 Samuel 24:14, (proverb). 2 wickedness of enemies: of Egypt Ezekiel 31:11 (dubious Co; gloss Toy); ׳שֵׁבֶט הר Psalm 125:3 (ᵐ5 SS רָשָׁע). 3 wickedness, in ethical relations: "" חטאת Deuteronomy 9:27 (D2); "" עון Jeremiah 14:20; "" עולה Hosea 10:13; opposed to צֶדֶק Psalm 45:8, אֱמֶת Proverbs 8:7; see also Psalm 5:5; Psalm 10:15; Job 34:10; Job 35:8; Ecclesiastes 7:25; Ecclesiastes 8:8; ׳אַנְשֵׁי ר Job 34:8; ׳אָהֳלֵי ר Psalm 84:11; שׁוּב מֵרִשְׁעוֺ Ezekiel 3:19; Ezekiel 33:12 (see רִשְׁעָה 3). Topical Lexicon Meaning and Scope רֶשַׁע designates moral wrong, injustice, or lawlessness that stands in direct antithesis to righteousness. It refers both to the objective presence of evil within society and to an individual’s culpable stance before the holy God. While the word can describe overt violence, its reach extends to the corruption of motives, deceitful speech, and systemic oppression. Thus it serves as a comprehensive theological term for everything that violates God’s covenant order. Frequency and Distribution Approximately thirty instances occur, with the highest concentrations in Psalms, Proverbs, and prophetic literature. It appears three times in Exodus (e.g., Exodus 23:1; 23:7), twice in Job (Job 6:29; 11:14), and repeatedly in Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and minor prophets such as Habakkuk. In wisdom and worship texts, רֶשַׁע often functions in poetic parallelism with “sin” (חַטָּאת) or “iniquity” (עָוֹן), sharpening the contrast with “righteousness” (צֶדֶק/צְדָקָה). In Legal Contexts The Torah employs רֶשַׁע principally in judicial settings. Exodus 23:1 warns, “You shall not spread a false report. Do not join the wicked by being a malicious witness”. Verse 7 exhorts judges, “Stay far from a false charge; do not kill the innocent and the righteous, for I will not acquit the guilty.” Here רֶשַׁע covers perjury, corruption, and bloodguilt. The word thereby highlights that Israel’s courtroom must imitate the perfect justice of Yahweh, who refuses to “justify the wicked.” In Wisdom Literature Proverbs portrays רֶשַׁע as a destructive way of life. Proverbs 16:12 states, “Kings detest wrongdoing, for a throne is established through righteousness,” underscoring that societal stability depends on the rejection of רֶשַׁע. Job pleads his innocence: “Relent, do not be unjust; reconsider, for my righteousness still stands” (Job 6:29). The antithesis between רֶשַׁע and righteousness supports the wisdom motif that “the fear of the LORD is hatred of evil” (Proverbs 8:13). In Psalms and Prophets Psalms presents רֶשַׁע in the laments of the righteous. Psalm 7:14–16 depicts the wicked’s schemes backfiring, affirming divine retribution. In Isaiah, the term surfaces in covenant lawsuits. “Your hands are full of blood” (Isaiah 1:15) frames the nation’s רֶשַׁע as both ritual and social defilement. Jeremiah 14:20 admits, “We have sinned against You,” coupling רֶשַׁע with guilt that demands repentance. Ezekiel 33 stresses personal accountability: turning from רֶשַׁע brings life (Ezekiel 33:12–19). Theological Significance 1. Contrast with Righteousness: רֶשַׁע sharpens Scripture’s moral dualism. It is never neutral; it invites divine judgment (Proverbs 11:21). Christological and Redemptive Implications The Old Testament’s aversion to רֶשַׁע prepares for the gospel, where Christ “was pierced for our transgressions” (Isaiah 53:5). The New Testament identifies Jesus as the righteous One who bears the penalty of human רֶשַׁע, “so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Thus the ultimate answer to רֶשַׁע is not merely moral reform but substitutionary atonement and regeneration. Pastoral and Homiletical Use • Preaching Justice: Exodus 23 motivates modern believers to uphold integrity in courts, business, and government. Related Hebrew Terms • רָשָׁע (rashaʿ, “wicked person”)—the adjectival counterpart. Distinct nuances caution against conflating these words, yet together they provide a full-orbed doctrine of sin. Summary רֶשַׁע embodies every distortion of God’s order, whether private vice or public injustice. Scripture exposes, condemns, and ultimately provides redemption from רֶשַׁע through the righteous work of God’s Messiah. Forms and Transliterations בְּרֶ֑שַׁע בְּרֶ֗שַׁע ברשע הָרֶ֔שַׁע הָרֶ֗שַׁע הָרָֽשַׁע׃ הרשע הרשע׃ כְּרִשְׁע֖וֹ כרשעו מֵֽרִשְׁע֑וֹ מֵֽרִשְׁע֔וֹ מֵרֶ֗שַׁע מרשע מרשעו רִשְׁע֖וֹ רִשְׁע֥וֹ רִשְׁעֵ֖נוּ רִשְׁעֶ֑ךָ רֶ֑שַׁע רֶ֔שַׁע רֶ֖שַׁע רֶ֛שַׁע רֶ֣שַׁע רֶ֥שַׁע רֶ֥שַׁע ׀ רֶֽשַׁע׃ רשע רשע׃ רשעו רשעך רשענו bə·re·ša‘ bəreša‘ beResha hā·rā·ša‘ hā·re·ša‘ hārāša‘ haRasha hāreša‘ haResha kə·riš·‘ōw kəriš‘ōw kerishO mê·re·ša‘ mê·riš·‘ōw mêreša‘ meResha mêriš‘ōw merishO re·ša‘ reša‘ Resha riš‘eḵā riš‘ênū riš‘ōw riš·‘e·ḵā riš·‘ê·nū riš·‘ōw rishEcha rishEnu rishOLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Deuteronomy 9:27 HEB: הַזֶּ֔ה וְאֶל־ רִשְׁע֖וֹ וְאֶל־ חַטָּאתֽוֹ׃ NAS: people or at their wickedness or their sin. KJV: of this people, nor to their wickedness, nor to their sin: INT: of this to their wickedness to their sin 1 Samuel 24:13 Job 34:8 Job 34:10 Job 35:8 Psalm 5:4 Psalm 10:15 Psalm 45:7 Psalm 84:10 Psalm 125:3 Psalm 141:4 Proverbs 4:17 Proverbs 8:7 Proverbs 10:2 Proverbs 12:3 Proverbs 16:12 Ecclesiastes 3:16 Ecclesiastes 3:16 Ecclesiastes 7:25 Ecclesiastes 8:8 Isaiah 58:4 Isaiah 58:6 Jeremiah 14:20 Ezekiel 3:19 Ezekiel 7:11 30 Occurrences |
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