Bible Word Study
רָעַץ
râʻats · to break in pieces; figuratively, harass
רָעַץ
to break in pieces; figuratively, harass
Definition
The Hebrew verb רָעַץ (râʻats) fundamentally means 'to shatter,' 'to smash,' or 'to dash in pieces.' It describes a violent, forceful breaking, often with a destructive physical result. In its two biblical occurrences, it carries both a literal and a figurative sense. In Exodus 15:6, it is used literally of God's right hand shattering the enemy, depicting decisive military destruction. In Judges 10:8, the meaning shifts to the figurative sense of 'to oppress' or 'to crush' a people, describing the psychological and social harassment inflicted by the Ammonites on Israel.
Biblical Usage
This verb is used only twice in the Old Testament, both times in poetic or historical narrative contexts describing oppression and deliverance. In Exodus 15:6, it appears in the Song of the Sea, celebrating Yahweh's victory over Pharaoh's army: 'Your right hand, O LORD, shatters (רָעַץ) the enemy.' In Judges 10:8, it describes the Ammonites' oppression of Israel: 'and they crushed (רָעַץ) and oppressed the people of Israel.' The pattern shows the word moving from describing God's powerful act of salvation to describing the cruel power of Israel's enemies.
Etymology
רָעַץ is a primitive root verb. Its core meaning relates to breaking or crushing. Cognates in other Semitic languages, like Ugaritic and Arabic, support meanings of 'to smash' or 'to pound.' The Hebrew word itself does not derive from a more basic root, indicating its ancient origin as a concept for violent fragmentation.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it highlights God's power in judgment and salvation. In Exodus 15:6, the shattering is an act of divine deliverance for His covenant people, establishing His supremacy. The use in Judges 10:8 shows the consequence of Israel's disobedience, as they experience the crushing they were once saved from. Understanding this Hebrew term enriches the reading of these passages by connecting God's saving power directly to the concept of utterly breaking the forces of oppression, whether literal or spiritual. In the ancient Near Eastern context, 'dashing in pieces' was a common metaphor for total military defeat, often associated with the fate of pottery smashed beyond repair. This imagery would be immediately understood by the original audience as depicting complete and irreversible destruction, whether in physical battle or in social domination. שָׁבַר (shâbar, H7665) — a more general term for breaking, fracturing, or bursting. רָעַץ implies a more violent, smashing destruction. דָּכָא (dâkâ', H1792) — to crush, pulverize, or oppress; often used for grinding something to powder, with a stronger emphasis on the resulting state than the act of striking.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]