רָשָׁע
morally wrong; concretely, an (actively) bad person
Definition
The Hebrew word רָשָׁע (râshâʻ) fundamentally describes someone who is morally wrong or guilty, actively deviating from God's standards of justice and righteousness. It often refers to a person who is not merely sinful in a general sense, but who is actively engaged in wicked behavior, injustice, or oppression, as seen when Lot calls the men of Sodom "wicked sinners" (Genesis 13:13). In legal contexts, it denotes the guilty party in a dispute or crime, contrasted with the innocent (Exodus 23:7). The word carries a strong connotation of being condemned or in the wrong before God, as Pharaoh confesses, "I have sinned this time; the LORD is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong (râshâʻ)" (Exodus 9:27).
Biblical Usage
רָשָׁע is used 249 times across the Old Testament, appearing frequently in wisdom literature (Psalms, Proverbs) and the Prophets. It is commonly set in direct contrast to the צַדִּיק (tsaddiq, H6662), the righteous or just person (e.g., Proverbs 11:21). The word is used in legal settings to identify the guilty (Exodus 23:7), in narratives to describe oppressive or violent people (Genesis 18:23), and in poetic passages to describe those who actively rebel against God (Psalm 1:1, 4-6). A key pattern is its use to define two distinct groups of people: the righteous and the wicked.
Etymology
Derived from the root verb רָשַׁע (râshaʻ, H7561), which means 'to be wicked,' 'to act wickedly,' or 'to condemn.' The noun form רָשָׁע thus denotes the one who is characterized by this wicked activity or the one who is found guilty. The root conveys an active sense of wrongdoing, not just a state of being.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically central to the biblical understanding of human nature, justice, and divine judgment. It defines humanity's fundamental problem of active rebellion against God's moral order. The stark contrast between the 'righteous' (tsaddiq) and the 'wicked' (râshâʻ) is a major theme in Scripture, framing the need for justice, repentance, and ultimately salvation. Understanding this Hebrew term enriches reading by clarifying that biblical 'wickedness' is not just a passive condition but an active orientation leading to condemnation, highlighting the gravity of sin and the wonder of God's grace toward sinners.
In ancient Israel's covenant-based society, to be רָשָׁע was to violate the terms of the covenant with Yahweh, disrupting social and religious harmony. It implied a breach of relational trust (with God and community) and concrete acts of injustice, not merely private, internal thoughts. This contrasts with some modern, individualized notions of 'badness.' The community had a responsibility to distinguish and, in some cases, purge the wicked from its midst to maintain holiness and justice (e.g., Deuteronomy 13:5).
חַטָּא (chatta', H2398) — emphasizes one who misses the mark or errs, more general for 'sinner.'; פֹּשֵׁעַ (posheaʻ, H6586) — stresses rebellion or transgression, a willful breaking of covenant. ; רָע (raʻ, H7451) — a broader term for 'bad,' 'evil,' or 'harm,' can describe things or abstract evil, not exclusively a person.; אָוֶן (aven, H205) — often 'iniquity' or 'trouble,' with a sense of emptiness or wickedness leading to sorrow.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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