Original Word: רִאשָׁה
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: ri'shah
Pronunciation: ree-SHAH
Phonetic Spelling: (ree-shaw')
KJV: beginning
NASB: first
Word Origin: [from the same as H7218 (רוֹאשׁ - head)]

1. a beginning

beginning

From the same as ro'sh; a beginning -- beginning.

see HEBREW ro'sh

Word Origin
from rosh
Definition
beginning time, early time
NASB Translation
first (1).

[רִאשָׁה] noun feminine beginning-time, early time; — plural suffix רִאשֹׁתֵי כֶם Ezekiel 36:11 (compare ראֹשׁ 4b).

Definition in Context

While רִאשָׁה occurs only in Ezekiel 36:11, the idea it conveys—return to a “former estate” enriched by a divinely guaranteed improvement—threads through the whole canon. The term points not simply to a nostalgic past but to the sovereign commitment of God to restore, perfect, and surpass what was lost through sin and exile.

Prophetic Setting of Ezekiel 36:11

Ezekiel’s oracles to the mountains of Israel follow the devastating judgment chapters (Ezekiel 1–24) and precede the climactic valley-of-dry-bones vision (Ezekiel 37). Into that bleak landscape comes the singular promise:

“I will multiply upon you man and beast; they will increase and be fruitful. I will make you inhabited as you were formerly and will do more good for you than at first. Then you will know that I am the LORD.” (Ezekiel 36:11)

Here רִאשָׁה anchors a three-fold assurance:

1. Repopulation: barren hills will teem with life.
2. Prosperity: fruitfulness will exceed pre-exilic levels.
3. Revelation: the restored people will recognize the LORD’s covenant faithfulness.

Canonical Echoes of the Same Theme

• Job 8:7 – “Though your beginnings were small, yet your latter end would increase abundantly.”
• Haggai 2:9 – “The glory of this latter house will be greater than the former.”
• Joel 2:25 – “I will restore to you the years the locust has eaten.”
• Zechariah 8:12 – “The seed will be prosperous; the vine will yield its fruit.”

These passages resonate with Ezekiel’s רִאשָׁה by affirming that divine restoration outstrips previous blessing, proving that judgment never has the final word in God’s economy.

Historical Outworking

After the Babylonian exile, returnees under Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah experienced partial fulfillment: cities were resettled, worship re-established, and the land cultivated again (Ezra 3:10–13; Nehemiah 11:1–3). Yet the prophets expected more—a climactic era combining agricultural bounty, spiritual renewal, and universal acknowledgment of the LORD (Isaiah 2:2–4; Jeremiah 31:31–34). The partial and the ultimate stand together in a prophetic tension that directs readers toward both post-exilic history and the messianic kingdom.

Eschatological Significance

The New Testament anticipates an even greater restoration through Jesus Christ: “the restoration of all things, which God foretold through His holy prophets” (Acts 3:21). The singular רִאשָׁה therefore foreshadows the consummation when creation itself is liberated from corruption (Romans 8:19–21) and the new heaven and new earth exceed Eden in glory (Revelation 21:1–5).

Practical Ministry Applications

1. Pastoral Encouragement: Broken communities may draw hope from God’s pattern—discipline gives way to heightened blessing.
2. Missions and Evangelism: “Then you will know that I am the LORD” underlines that material renewal serves spiritual revelation; gospel proclamation must seek both.
3. Personal Discipleship: God restores believers not to former mediocrity but to a richer walk: “He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness” (Psalm 23:3).
4. Corporate Worship: Liturgy can incorporate Ezekiel 36’s imagery, celebrating God who turns desolation into fertile ground, both physically and spiritually.

Homiletical Emphases

• Divine Initiative: All verbs in Ezekiel 36:11 are God’s—strengthening assurance amid human impotence.
• Surpassing Nature of Grace: Restoration is “more good…than at first,” urging listeners to expect lavish, not minimal, mercy.
• Knowledge of God: Prosperity’s purpose is doxological, calling the church to interpret blessings as invitations to deeper revelation.

Conclusion

רִאשָׁה captures the heartbeat of biblical restoration: God returns His people to their land, their calling, and Himself—yet always on a higher plane. The solitary occurrence in Ezekiel 36:11 is thus a concentrated testimony that the LORD’s final word to repentant people is abundance, intimacy, and glory beyond anything formerly known.

מֵרִאשֹׁ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם מראשתיכם mê·ri·šō·ṯê·ḵem meriShoteiChem mêrišōṯêḵemInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts