Lexical Summary
raeb: hungry, hunger, suffer hunger
Original Word:רָעֵב
Part of Speech:Verb
Transliteration:ra`eb
Pronunciation:rah-AYV
Phonetic Spelling:(raw-abe')
KJV: (suffer to) famish, (be, have, suffer, suffer to) hunger(-ry)
NASB:hungry, hunger, suffer hunger, famished, gets hungry
Word Origin:[a primitive root]
1. to hunger
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
suffer to famish, be, have, suffer, hunger
A primitive root; to hunger -- (suffer to) famish, (be, have, suffer, suffer to) hunger(-ry).
NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origina prim. root
Definitionto be hungry
NASB Translationfamished (1), gets hungry (1), hunger (3), hungry (6), suffer hunger (2).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
(Late Hebrew
id. Hiph`il and derivatives; Assyrian
rûbatu, hunger; Arabic
be roomy, voracious,
desire vehemently; Ethiopic
be hungry); —
Perfect3masculine singularIsaiah 9:19;Isaiah 44:12; 3pluralPsalm 34:11;Imperfect3masculine singularIsaiah 8:21, 1pluralJeremiah 42:14, etc.; —be hungryIsaiah 8:21;Genesis 41:55 (E; of land, = have famine),Jeremiah 42:14 (),Isaiah 49:10 ("" ),Isaiah 65:13 (""id.; opposed to ),Psalm 50:12if I should be hungry (of ),Proverbs 6:30;Proverbs 19:15.
allow oneto hunger, subject :Imperfect3masculine singularDeuteronomy 8:3 (opposed to ),Proverbs 10:3.
Topical Lexicon
OverviewThe term רָעֵב is the ordinary Hebrew verb meaning “to hunger” or “to be hungry,” and by extension the adjective “hungry.” Appearing seventeen times in the Old Testament, it moves fluidly between literal physical need, the social reality of poverty, God-given discipline, and an eschatological promise that hunger will one day cease. Scripture treats hunger as a theological signpost: it exposes human dependence, tests covenant fidelity, and summons God’s people to compassionate action.
Occurrences and Literary Setting
•Genesis 41:55 anchors the word in Egypt’s seven-year famine. Joseph’s wisdom under God turns the people’s cry, “Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you,” into a typological picture of divine provision amid worldwide hunger.
•Deuteronomy 8:3 links wilderness hunger with the lesson that “man does not live on bread alone” but on every word from God.
• The book of Job (5:5; 22:7; 24:10) uses hunger to highlight social injustice: the hungry harvest another man’s field while going unfed, or they are denied bread by the wealthy.
• Wisdom literature warns that sloth and moral folly lead to hunger (Proverbs 19:15), yet promises that “the LORD does not let the righteous go hungry” (Proverbs 10:3).
• Multiple passages in Isaiah (8:21; 9:20; 44:12; 49:10; 65:13) frame hunger within judgment and restoration. Notably,Isaiah 49:10 looks ahead: “They will not hunger or thirst, nor will scorching heat or sun beat down on them; for He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water.”
•Jeremiah 42:14 records Judah’s fear of dying “by the sword, famine, and plague,” illustrating how the threat of hunger shaped national decisions.
Historical Background
Famine and chronic hunger were constant threats in the agrarian Near East. Rain cycles, locust plagues, and invading armies could devastate crops, and storehouses were limited. Ancient law codes and the Torah built in protections—gleaning rights, triennial tithes for the poor, and Sabbath year rest—to mitigate hunger. When these safeguards were ignored, prophets indicted the nation.
Theological Themes
Provision and Dependence
Hunger drives humanity to seek God. InPsalm 34:10, David declares, “The young lions go lacking and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.” Physical need underscores divine sufficiency.
Discipline and Testing
Deuteronomy 8:3 shows that God sometimes allows hunger to test faith and to train His people to rely on His word. The wilderness experience made Israel aware of its frailty, preparing the nation for settled life in the land.
Justice and Compassion
Job 22:7 condemns withholding bread from the hungry, whileProverbs 25:21 commands generosity: “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat.” Scripture thus makes feeding the hungry a mark of righteousness and even of love for one’s enemy.
Judgment
Isaiah 8:21 portrays a people roaming “famished and enraged” because of covenant rebellion. Hunger becomes a curse when God’s word is rejected.
Eschatological Hope
Isaiah 49:10 anticipates the Messianic age when no one will hunger. Revelation echoes this promise (although outside the Hebrew corpus), confirming the future removal of hunger in God’s kingdom.
Wisdom and Ethical Instruction
Proverbs repeatedly contrasts the diligent with the sluggard. Hunger motivates labor (Proverbs 6:30), yet laziness “brings a man into deep sleep, and an idle soul will suffer hunger” (Proverbs 19:15). The righteous steward resources wisely so that neither he nor his neighbor suffers want.
Ministry Application
Practical Care
Believers are called to mirror God’s generosity. Meeting physical hunger—locally through food pantries, globally through relief work—constitutes tangible obedience to the biblical mandate.
Spiritual Hunger
Physical hunger functions as an analogy for the heart’s longing for righteousness. Jesus’ beatitude, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,” assumes the Old Testament background and promises ultimate satisfaction.
Gospel Witness
Just as Joseph became the mediator of bread for the nations, the Church proclaims Christ, the living bread. Acts of mercy validate this message, demonstrating that in Christ both physical and spiritual hunger are addressed.
Use in Worship and Devotion
Psalm 50:12 reminds worshipers of God’s self-sufficiency: “If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world is Mine, and the fullness thereof.” Adoration flows from recognizing that God feeds His people yet needs nothing from them. The believer responds with gratitude, trust, and open-handed service.
Study Questions
1. How doesDeuteronomy 8:3 inform Jesus’ response to temptation inMatthew 4:4?
2. What social structures in ancient Israel sought to prevent chronic hunger, and how might the Church parallel them today?
3. Compare the temporary relief from hunger inGenesis 41 to the permanent relief promised inIsaiah 49:10. How does this shape Christian hope?
Conclusion
Throughout Scripture, רָעֵב serves as both a stark reminder of human vulnerability and a canvas on which God paints His faithfulness, justice, and redemptive purpose. Physical hunger alerts us to deeper spiritual realities, driving us to the One who alone satisfies every need, now and forever.
Forms and Transliterations
אֶ֭רְעַב ארעב וְרָעֵ֑בוּ וְרָעֵ֔ב וַיַּרְעִבֶךָ֒ וַתִּרְעַב֙ וּ֝מֵרָעֵ֗ב וּ֝רְעֵבִ֗ים וירעבך ומרעב ורעב ורעבו ורעבים ותרעב יִרְעַ֜ב יִרְעָ֙בוּ֙ יִרְעָֽב׃ יַרְעִ֣יב ירעב ירעב׃ ירעבו ירעיב נִרְעָ֖ב נרעב רָ֘עֵ֤ב רָעֵ֣ב רָעֵב֙ רעב תִּרְעָ֔בוּ תִרְעָֽב׃ תרעב׃ תרעבו ’er‘aḇ ’er·‘aḇ Erav nir‘āḇ nir·‘āḇ nirAv rā‘êḇ rā·‘êḇ raEv ṯir‘āḇ tir‘āḇū tir·‘ā·ḇū ṯir·‘āḇ tirAv tirAvu ū·mê·rā·‘êḇ ū·rə·‘ê·ḇîm ūmêrā‘êḇ umeraEv ūrə‘êḇîm ureeVim vaiyariveCha vattirAv veraEv veraEvu wat·tir·‘aḇ wattir‘aḇ way·yar·‘i·ḇe·ḵā wayyar‘iḇeḵā wə·rā·‘ê·ḇū wə·rā·‘êḇ wərā‘êḇ wərā‘êḇū yar‘îḇ yar·‘îḇ yarIv yir‘aḇ yir‘āḇ yir‘āḇū yir·‘ā·ḇū yir·‘aḇ yir·‘āḇ yirAv yirAvu
Links
Interlinear Greek •
Interlinear Hebrew •
Strong's Numbers •
Englishman's Greek Concordance •
Englishman's Hebrew Concordance •
Parallel Texts
