רֹאשָׁה (ro.shah)
ro.shah
top
H:N-FQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:N-F
Word Overview
The Hebrew noun roshah denotes the highest point or summit of an object, appearing as a distinct form related to the more common word for "head" or "chief." Its primary meaning is simply "top," emphasizing position rather than leadership or importance. In the entire Old Testament, this specific term occurs only once, found in Zechariah 4:7.
In that single verse, the prophet describes a vision of a golden lampstand where Zerubbabel places a "stone" at the roshah. The context identifies this as the topmost stone, likely the capstone or final piece placed to complete the structure. This usage highlights the word’s concrete sense of physical extremity, marking the literal peak of the temple project rather than a metaphorical authority.
Translators typically render this rare word as "top" or "topmost" to preserve its spatial precision. While other Hebrew words for head often carry connotations of rank or origin, roshah remains strictly descriptive of location. Its scarcity in Scripture underscores how specific and situational this particular term is, reserved here to mark the culmination of a building effort.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word roshah appears only once in Scripture, marking the physical peak of a structure rather than a position of power. In Zechariah’s vision, it describes the capstone placed at the very top of the temple. This specific term highlights the culmination of labor—the final piece that completes the work. It reminds us that every effort has a destination, a point where construction is finished and the structure stands whole.
For your faith life, this offers a quiet encouragement. You may feel like you are climbing a great mountain, facing obstacles that seem insurmountable. Yet the promise here is not about the height of the challenge, but the certainty of completion. The one who begins the work will bring it to its proper end.
When your own projects or spiritual journeys feel stalled, remember this image of the capstone. It is not about your strength to reach the top, but about the grace that allows the final stone to be placed. There is peace in knowing that your efforts are seen and that completion is part of the divine plan.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- <the>/ top1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- הָ/רֹאשָׁ֔ה1×
Key Verses
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Zechariah 4:7
Who are you, great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you are a plain; and he will bring out the capstone with shouts of ‘Grace, grace, to it!’”
This verse uses roshah to describe the capstone, emphasizing the physical completion of the temple rather than metaphorical authority.