רָעֵב (ra.ev)
ra.ev
hungry
H:AQuick Reference
- Language
- Biblical Hebrew
- Testament
- Old Testament
- Occurrences
- 18 verses
- Root
- —
- Part of speech
- H:A
Word Overview
The Hebrew adjective ra’ev describes the state of being hungry, referring to a physical lack of food that leaves one weak or depleted. It appears eighteen times in the Old Testament, with significant usage in Psalms, Job, and Isaiah. The word captures the immediate, visceral reality of empty stomachs and failing strength, often serving as a concrete image for human vulnerability.
Beyond its literal sense, ra’ev functions as a noun to mean "the hungry person," highlighting those who are most in need of provision. In prophetic literature, particularly Isaiah, this physical condition becomes a metaphor for spiritual longing or desperate dependence on God. The text uses the tangible experience of hunger to illustrate the soul’s cry for divine sustenance and justice.
Translators typically render ra’ev as "hungry" or "the hungry," preserving the straightforward nature of the term. Its power lies in its simplicity, grounding theological concepts in the universal human experience of physical need. By focusing on this basic necessity, the biblical authors emphasize God’s role as provider for the most vulnerable members of society.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word ra’ev captures the raw reality of physical hunger, describing a state where strength fades and need becomes urgent. In the Old Testament, this term moves beyond simple appetite to highlight human vulnerability. When Scripture speaks of those who are hungry, it points to a fundamental dependence on God for survival. This visceral experience grounds our theology in the daily struggle for sustenance.
Yet the text also uses this physical reality to illustrate spiritual longing. Just as the body cries out for bread, the soul seeks divine provision and justice. The Bible invites us to see God as the one who satisfies both stomachs and spirits. It calls believers to reflect this care by sharing resources with those in immediate need.
This word reminds us that true faith involves practical compassion. We are encouraged to look beyond our own fullness to those who lack basic necessities. By meeting physical needs, we participate in God’s work of restoration. This simple act of sharing bread becomes a tangible expression of love and trust in the Provider.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 18 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- hungry4×
- and/ hungry2×
- [the] hungry2×
- [is] hungry2×
- to the/ hungry [person]1×
- to the/ hungry [people]1×
- the/ hungry [person]1×
- hungry [people]1×
- for the/ hungry [person]1×
- and/ hungry [people]1×
- and/ from/ [the] hungry1×
- [are] hungry1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- לָֽ/רָעֵב֙2×
- רָעֵ֥ב1×
- רָעֵ֣ב1×
- רָעֵ֛ב1×
- רָעֵ֔ב1×
- רָ֘עֵ֤ב1×
- רְעֵבִ֥ים1×
- רְעֵבִ֣ים1×
- רְעֵבִ֑ים1×
- רְ֝עֵבָה1×
- רְ֝עֵבָ֗ה1×
- לָ/רְעֵבִ֑ים1×
Key Verses
-
Psalms 107:9
For he satisfies the longing soul. He fills the hungry soul with good.
This verse connects physical satisfaction with spiritual fulfillment, showing that God fills the hungry soul with good things.
-
Isaiah 58:7
Isn’t it to distribute your bread to the hungry, and that you bring the poor who are cast out to your house? When you see the naked, that you cover him; and that you not hide yourself from your own flesh?
Here the word defines the specific act of true worship as distributing bread to those who lack it.
-
I Samuel 2:5
Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread. Those who were hungry are satisfied. Yes, the barren has borne seven. She who has many children languishes.
This passage highlights God’s reversal of fortunes, where the hungry are satisfied while the full go hungry.
-
Proverbs 25:21
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat. If he is thirsty, give him water to drink;
The instruction to feed an enemy shows that compassion extends even to those who oppose us.