רֵאשׁ
the head; figuratively, the sum
Definition
רֵאשׁ is an Aramaic noun meaning 'head,' referring literally to the physical head of a person or animal, as seen in Daniel 3:27 where the fire had no power over the hair of their heads. Figuratively, it extends to mean the 'top,' 'chief,' or 'beginning' of something, such as the head of gold in Nebuchadnezzar's statue representing the first kingdom (Daniel 2:32, 38). It can also denote the 'sum' or total, as used in administrative contexts like the list of elders in Ezra 5:10.
Biblical Usage
This word appears exclusively in the Aramaic portions of the Old Testament (Ezra and Daniel). It is used in diverse contexts: for literal heads (Daniel 3:27), for the 'head' or top of a statue (Daniel 2:32, 38), for the 'beginning' of a matter or dream (Daniel 2:28, 4:5), and for the 'chief' or leader in an administrative list (Ezra 5:10). Its usage in Daniel's visions gives it a prophetic and symbolic dimension.
Etymology
רֵאשׁ is the Aramaic cognate of the Hebrew רֹאשׁ (H7218), both deriving from a common Semitic root meaning 'head.' The Aramaic form was adopted into the biblical text in the post-exilic books, reflecting the linguistic setting of the Persian period. Its meanings closely parallel the Hebrew, encompassing the physical head, leadership, and the concept of a starting point or sum.
Semantic Range
In its Aramaic biblical usage, רֵאשׁ carries theological weight, particularly in Daniel's prophecies. It identifies Nebuchadnezzar as the 'head of gold' (Daniel 2:38), a symbol of divinely ordained human sovereignty that initiates a sequence of kingdoms, pointing toward God's ultimate kingdom. Its use for the 'beginning' of dreams (Daniel 2:28, 4:5) underscores God's sovereignty in revealing the course of history from its inception. Understanding this term enriches the reading of Daniel by highlighting themes of divinely appointed leadership and the unveiling of God's plan from the very start.
In the ancient Near East, the 'head' was a common metaphor for leadership, priority, and the essential part of something. The use of רֵאשׁ for the 'sum' in an administrative document (Ezra 5:10) reflects bureaucratic Aramaic, the lingua franca of the Persian Empire, showing how language was used in official record-keeping and correspondence.
רֹאשׁ (rō'sh, H7218) — The direct Hebrew equivalent, used throughout the Hebrew OT with identical range of meaning (head, chief, sum, beginning).
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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