(ra - H7451) This word basically means "bad," but the sense depends on the context. Often it refers to moral wrong, but it can simply mean harm or misfortune. Psalm 121:7 says that the Lord will "keep you from all [ra]," which is often translated "evil" but more likely means "harm."
[From Lois Tverberg: Reading the Bible with Rabbi Jesus : Appendix B]
I have spent several hours working at this study and I hope it was not a waste of time. There is a PDF document containing all the references to this word in the book of Genesis from three translations: the King James Version; the English Standard Version and the New International Version. This study shows the differences in these translations with the NIV being less of a word for word translation than the other two.
However, looking at how this word is used in the first book in the Bible has expanded on the point made by Lois Tverberg. The word 'ra' basically means the opposite of good as is demonstrated clearly in the first mention of the Hebrew word in the Bible.
[9] And out of the ground the LORD God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil [Hebrew 'ra'].
[Genesis 2:9 ESV].
When Adam and Eve followed the advice from Satan and partook of the fruit of this tree, they were able to distinguish between good and evil (Genesis 3:22) but they began to practise sin. Until that point, in their state of innocence, they had only practised good. They were driven from the presence of God and they no longer enjoyed constant fellowship with a holy God. They found that they now were plagued with a desire to do evil [Hebrew 'ra'] This desire to sin has been transmitted to the descendants of Adam and Eve. We live in a sinful world where sin is everywhere. We are engaged in a daily moral conflict of finding it hard to do good and finding it equally hard to resist evil.
In chapter 6 of Genesis, God made a statement about human wickedness ('ra') which was 'great in the earth' [Genesis 6:5] and 'every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil [Hebrew 'ra'] continually. This was when God pronounced judgement on the earth in the form of the flood. In Genesis 13, the men of Sodom are described as 'wicked' [Hebrew 'ra'] as they were sinning greatly against the Lord
There are many consequences of sin in the world. This can be seem from the many references to 'ra' in the Old Testament. The word 'ra' is used a total of 664 times in the King James Version of the Old Testament. It is most frequently translated as 'evil' but the translators in 1611 also translated the Hebrew word 'ra' as wickedness (59 times), wicked (26 times), hurt (20 times), mischief (19 times) bad (14 times), trouble (9 times). If we focus on the book of Genesis, we find some of the consequences of Adam and Eve's sin. When Lot was warned to escape from the doomed city of Sodom, he requested that he be permitted to escape to a nearby city of Zoar as he was afraid to escape to the hills in case he was overtaken by a disaster (Hebrew 'ra'] - this is the word used by both the ESV and the NIV although the King James still uses the word 'evil.' In chapter 31 of Genesis, Laban tells Jacob that he has been warned not to harm him in any way and he uses the word 'ra' to refer to this.
It is in my power to do you harm [Hebrew 'ra']. But the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad [Hebrew 'ra'][Genesis 31:29 ESV].
This verse is interesting because it shows two usages of the word 'ra' in the same verse - the first one relates to physical harm but the second one refers to verbal abuse or threatening words.
The idea of sin causing injury is continued in the next reference to 'ra' in verse 52 of the same chapter where a pillar and a heap were to be witness that Laban was not going to harm {Hebrew 'ra'] Jacob in any way.
It is perhaps surprising that the word is used to describe animals which could inflict serious injury. You will remember that Joseph's brothers lied to their father, Jacob after they had sold Joseph as a slave to the Ishmaelites. They pretended that Joseph had been killed by an evil [Hebrew 'ra'] beast or as the ESV says 'a fierce beast' or a 'ferocious beast (NIV] - all from the same Hebrew word 'ra'. In other words evil is clearly seen as causing harm to the human race.
Towards the end of the book of Genesis, the old man Jacob is reluctant to let the brothers take Benjamin with them when they return to Egypt, and he laments that they would bring down his gray hairs in misery or sorrow [Hebrew 'ra']
If you take this one from me too and harm comes to him, you will bring my gray head down to the grave in misery [Genesis 44:29 NIV]
This is a starter for you own word study as we seek to explore the meaning of the message of the Bible. It is good to be reminded that in the New Jerusalem there will be no more sin or the consequences of sin.
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. [Revelation 21:4 ESV]
Once again, we see that a theme or thread which is introduced in Genesis is completely fulfilled in Revelation.
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