I. רֹאשׁ 599 noun masculineLeviticus 13:45 head (common Semitic word; earliest form *
ra’š, Arabic 

, Sabean 
ראס Prä
ZMG xxix (1875). 425 Mordtm
Him. Inschr. 31; Ethiopic 

 Aramharic 

 hence (
a heightened) Assyrian 
rêšu (rarely 
râšu), Aramaic 
רֵישָׁא (Egyptian Aramaic 
ראש Cooke
North-Semitic Inscr. 404), 

, modern 
(Ma'lûla) raïša, Huart
JAs xii (1878), 491 Duval
id. xiii (1879), 464; Palmyrene 
רשא, Lzb
366, compare Biblical Hebrew 
רִישׁוֺן, 
רֵאשִׁית; from
*ra'š, also Biblical Hebrew *
רָאשׁ, 
ראֹשׁ (Lag
Symm. i. 113), Tel Amarna 
rušu(nu) Wkl
189, 18 (gloss to 
ḳaḳḳadunu), Late Hebrew = Biblical Hebrew; SI
6 ראש, Phoenician 
רשׁ, 
ראש (in proper name), Punic 
rus (in proper name, of a location) Schröd
Phoenician Spr. 133, 
ראשת choicest, chief; on MI
20 (suffix) 
רשה, l.
28 ש[
ר], compare Sm. u. So
14 Nö
LCB Jan. 8, 1887, 60); — 
ר׳ absolute 
Genesis 3:15 +, construct 
Genesis 40:20 +; suffix 
ראֹשִׁי Genesis 40:16 +, etc.; plural 
רָאשִׁים (for 
רְאָשִׁים֩ Nö
GGA 1884, 1019) 
Exodus 18:25 +; construct 
רָאשֵׁי Hosea 4:13 + [
מֵרַאֲשֹׁתֵי H7226 1 Samuel 26:12 see 
H4763 מְרַאֲשׁוֺת below]; suffix 
רָאשֵׁינוּ 1 Chronicles 12:19 [
1 Chronicles 12:18], 
רָאשֵׁיכֶם Isaiah 29:10 +, etc.; — 
    1.
    b. head, of animals: of serpent 
Genesis 3:15, dog 
2 Samuel 3:8, ass 
2 Kings 6:25, of 
הַחַיָּה in 
Ezekiel 1:22 compare 
Ezekiel 1:22; 
Ezekiel 1:26, of 
הַכְּרֻבִים Ezekiel 10:1 compare 
Ezekiel 10:11; of sea-monsters, 
לִוְיָתָן Job 40:31 [
Job 41:7]; 
Psalm 74:14, 
תַּנִּינִים Psalm 74:13; especially of animals for sacrifice 
Exodus 12:9; 
Exodus 29:15, 
Exodus 29:19; 
Leviticus 1:4, 
Leviticus 1:8, 
Leviticus 1:12, 
Leviticus 1:15; 
Leviticus 3:2, 
Leviticus 3:8 + 
18 times P; in phrase 
וְזָנָב ר׳ Isaiah 9:13 [
Isaiah 9:14] (figurative of noble and commoner) compare 
Isaiah 9:14 [
Isaiah 9:15]; 
Isaiah 19:15 [
Isaiah 19:16], so (figurative of relative dignity, power, influence) 
Deuteronomy 28:13, 
Deuteronomy 28:44.
 
    2.
    a. top (
88 times): of mountain, 
הַר, 
Genesis 8:5; 
Exodus 19:20 (twice in verse); 
Exodus 24:17; 
Exodus 34:2 + 
34 times; hill, 
גִּבְעָה, 
Exodus 17:9, 
Exodus 17:10 (E), 2 Samuel 8:25; 
מְרוֺמִים ר׳ Proverbs 8:2 + 
Proverbs 1:21 Toy (for MT 
הֹמִיּוֺת), 
גֵּיא ר׳ שְׁמָנִים Isaiah 28:1, 
Isaiah 28:4; of rocks, 
צֻרִים, 
Numbers 23:9 (JE), crag, 
סֶלַע, 
2 Chronicles 25:12 (twice in verse); tower 
Genesis 11:4 (J), stronghold 
Judges 6:26, ladder 
Genesis 28:12 (E), tree 
2 Samuel 5:24 = 
1 Chronicles 14:15, bough 
Isaiah 17:6 compare 
Ezekiel 17:4, 
Ezekiel 17:22, mast (?; 
חִבֵּל) 
Proverbs 23:34 (otherwise Toy); of ears of grain, 
שִׁבֹּלֶת Job 24:24, of stone 
Genesis 28:18 (E), bed, 
מִטָּה, 
Genesis 47:31 (J), throne, 
עָגוֺל לַכִּסֵּה ר׳ 1 Kings 10:19, tabernacle, or its wall, 
Exodus 26:24 = 
Exodus 36:29 (P); pillar (=capital) 
1 Kings 7:16, 
1 Kings 7:17 + 
13 times, 
מְכוֺנָה 1 Kings 7:35; [twice in verse], lampstand 
Zechariah 4:2 (twice in verse), high priest's robe, 
מְעִיל, 
Exodus 28:32 (P), 
פִּנָּה ר׳ Psalm 118:22 top of (the) 
corner, i.e. most conspicuous stone (figurative); = 
tip, end, of staves 
1 Kings 8:8 = 
2 Chronicles 5:9, of sceptre 
Esther 5:2.
 
    b. height of stars 
Job 22:12 (|| 
גֹּבַהּ שָׁמַיִם).
 
    3. + 171 times
    f. especially = 
head of a family (P Chronicles); 
רָאשֵׁי בֵּית (rare 
ראֹשׁ) 
אֲבוֹתָ(ם) Exodus 6:14; 
Numbers 7:2; 
Numbers 17:18 [
Numbers 17:3]; 
Joshua 22:14; 
1 Chronicles 5:24; 
1 Chronicles 7:7, 
1 Chronicles 7:9; 
בֵּית הָאָבוֺת ר׳ 1 Chronicles 7:40; 
לְבֵית אֲבֹתָיו ר׳ Numbers 1:4, compare 
1 Chronicles 5:15, 
1 Chronicles 5:24; 
1 Chronicles 7:2; 
1 Chronicles 9:13; 
1 Chronicles 24:4; 
אֻמּוֺת בַּיתאָֿב ר׳ Numbers 25:15; 
אֲבוֺת ר׳ הָעַדָה Numbers 31:26; compare 
Numbers 32:28; 
Joshua 14:1; 
Joshua 21:1; 
אֲבוֺת הַלְוִיִּם ר׳ Exodus 6:25; 
Joshua 21:1; 
(הָ)אָבוֺת לַלְּוִיִם ר׳ 1 Chronicles 9:33, 
1 Chronicles 9:34; 
1 Chronicles 15:12, compare 
Numbers 36:1; 
Joshua 19:51; 
1 Chronicles 8:6, 
1 Chronicles 8:13; 
1 Chronicles 23:9, 
1 Chronicles 23:24 + 
10 times Chronicles; absolute 
ר׳ (הָ)אָבוֺת 1 Chronicles 8:10, 
1 Chronicles 8:28; 
1 Chronicles 9:9; 
1 Chronicles 26:32; 
1 Chronicles 27:1; 
2 Chronicles 1:2 + 
8 times Ezra Nehemiah (Chronicles); 
אֲכֹתֵיהֶם ר׳ Ezra 8:1; 
רָאשִׁים לְאָכוֺת Nehemiah 11:13; so also 
י׳ alone 
1 Chronicles 5:7, 
1 Chronicles 5:12; 
1 Chronicles 7:3; 
1 Chronicles 8:28 +; apparently combined with idea of 
first in a series 
1 Chronicles 23:8 (series of 3), 
1 Chronicles 23:11 (of 4), 
1 Chronicles 23:19 (of 3), 
1 Chronicles 23:20 (of 2).
 
    †4.
    8. other phrase are : 
נָשָׂא אֶתרֿאֹשׁ פ׳ see 
נָשָׂא Qal 1 b (2); 
יָרוּם ראֹשִׁי עַלאֹֿיְבַי Psalm 27:6, 
מֵרִים ראֹשִׁי י׳ Psalm 3:4 [
Psalm 3:3] (
Psalm 110:7; 
Psalm 140:10 [
Psalm 140:9] see 
רום); 
shake the head, see 
נוּעַ Hiph., compare 
יָנִיד בְּראֹשׁוֺ Jeremiah 8:16, 
מְנוֺד ראֹשׁ Psalm 44:15 [
Psalm 44:14] 
נָתַן דֶּרֶךְ בְּראֹשׁ, i.e. requite, see 
נתן Qal 2 b near the end; 
יָשׁוּב גְּמֻלְךָ בְּר׳ Obadiah 15, compare 
Psalm 7:17 [
Psalm 7:16]; 
1 Kings 2:33 (below 
דָּם 2 i and (with 
עַלרֿ׳) 
Esther 9:25, 
הֵשִׁיב רָעָה בְּראֹשׁ Judges 9:57; 
1 Samuel 25:39; 
1 Kings 2:44, compare 
Joel 4:4 [
Joel 3:4], 
Joel 4:7 [
Joel 3:7]; 
1 Kings 2:32 (sub 
דָּם 2 i, compare 
Nehemiah 3:36 [
Nehemiah 4:4] (
אֶלרֿאֹשָׁם), see also 
2 Samuel 3:29 below 1. 
חוּל 3; see, further, 
דָּם 2 i; 
Daniel 1:10 see 
חוּב Pi..
 
See related Aramaic BDB entry 
H7217.
														
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