Original Word: רֵאשִׁית
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: re'shiyth
Pronunciation: ray-SHEETH
Phonetic Spelling: (ray-sheeth')
KJV: beginning, chief(-est), first(-fruits, part, time), principal thing
NASB: beginning, first, first fruits, choicest, choice, finest, foremost
Word Origin: [from the same as H7218 (רוֹאשׁ - head)]

1. the first, in place, time, order or rank (specifically, a firstfruit)

beginning, chiefest, firstfruits, part, time, principal thing

From the same as ro'sh; the first, in place, time, order or rank (specifically, a firstfruit) -- beginning, chief(-est), first(-fruits, part, time), principal thing.

see HEBREW ro'sh

Word Origin
from rosh
Definition
beginning, chief
NASB Translation
beginning (19), choice (2), choicest (3), finest (2), first (16), first fruits (7), foremost (2).

[רֵאשִׁית] noun feminine beginning, chief (for *רְאֵשִׁית Nö^{GGA 1884, 1019}, compare Holz^{Hexateuch 465}; Syriac ); — absolute ׳ר Deuteronomy 33:21+, construct ׳ר Genesis 10:10+, רֵשִׁית Deuteronomy 11:12; suffix רֵאשִׁיתוֺ Ecclesiastes 7:8, רֵאשִׁתוֺ Job 42:12, etc.; —

1.a beginning of kingdom Genesis 10:10 (J), year Deuteronomy 11:12, reign Jeremiah 26:1; Jeremiah 27:1; Jeremiah 28:1; Jeremiah 49:34;= first phase, step, or element in course of events Isaiah 46:10 (opposed to אַחֲרִית); of a thing (דָּבָר) Ecclesiastes 7:8 (opposed to id.); of sin Micah 1:13, strife Proverbs 17:14, wisdom Psalm 111:10, knowledge Proverbs 1:7 thy beginning Job 8:7 #NAME?his beginning Job 42:12 (both opposed to אַחֲרִית), ׳ר before clause, ׳בָּרָא א ׳בְּר Genesis 1:1 in the beginning when god created (> absolute in the beginning God created); אֹנִי ׳ר Genesis 49:3 (poem) beginning (first product) of my manly vigour ("" בְּכֹרִי כֹּחִי so Deuteronomy 21:17; Psalm 78:51 (both "" בְּכוֺת Psalm 105:36; compare דֵּרְכֵי אֵל ׳ר Job 40:19 (of hippopotamus), דַּרְכּוֺ ׳ר Proverbs 8:22 (of wisdom);=first season (of a tree) Hosea 9:10; גּוֺיִם׳ר Numbers 24:20 (JE), first, earliest, of nations.

b. first of fruits Exodus 23:19 (E), Exodus 34:26 (JE), Deuteronomy 26:2,10; Ezekiel 44:30.a, of harvest Leviticus 23:10 (H), grain Deuteronomy 18:4; 2Chronicles 31:5 dough Numbers 15:20,21 (P), Ezekiel 44:30b Nehemiah 10:38, wool Deuteronomy 18:4; of כָּלתְּֿבוּאָתֶ֑ךָ Proverbs 3:9; Israel is תְּבוּאָתֹה ׳ר Jeremiah 2:3 (i.e. of ׳יs increase); ׳ר=first-fruits Leviticus 2:12 (P), Numbers 18:12 (P), Nehemiah 12:44; הָאָרֶץ ׳ר Ezekiel 48:14

2 first chief, Amos 6:1; גְּבוּרָתָם ׳ר Jeremiah 49:35 (of bows); so apparently בְּנֵי עַמּוֺן ׳ר Daniel 11:41, i.e. the principal part of them (Buhl Marti conjecture שְׁאֵרִית after ᵑ6); מַשְׁאוֺתֵיכֶם ׳ר Ezekiel 20:40, i.e. your chief oblations; שְׁמָנִים ׳ר Amos 6:6, i.e. choice oils; = choice part, of land Deuteronomy 33:21, offering 1 Samuel 2:29, הַחֵרֶם 1 Samuel 15:21; absolute chief thing Proverbs 4:7 (of wisdom).

Range of Meaning

רֵאשִׁית embraces the ideas of beginning, first part, chief value, and firstfruits. Context determines whether the term refers to an inaugural moment (Genesis 1:1), the initial stage of a process (Job 8:7), the premier portion of produce offered to the LORD (Deuteronomy 26:2), or a person or entity occupying first rank (Deuteronomy 21:17).

Creation and Cosmic Origins

The opening word of Scripture sets the stage: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). רֵאשִׁית anchors the doctrine of creation ex nihilo, affirming a definite starting point orchestrated by a personal God. The term occurs once more in Genesis to describe Nimrod’s sovereignty: “The beginning of his kingdom was Babel” (Genesis 10:10). Together these uses show that every realm—cosmos or kingdom—has an origin accountable to God.

Inauguration of Reigns and Historical Periods

Prophets employ רֵאשִׁית to timestamp royal reigns (Jeremiah 26:1; Jeremiah 27:1; Jeremiah 28:1) and military crises (Jeremiah 49:34). The wording underscores divine oversight of political history. Kings rise and fall within a timeline God initiates and directs (Daniel 2:21). For ministry, these texts encourage prayer for rulers, knowing their “beginning” and “end” are in the LORD’s hand.

Firstfruits and Worshipful Priority

More than one–third of the occurrences describe offerings:

• Exodus 23:19 – “Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the LORD your God.”

• Deuteronomy 18:4 – “You are to give him the firstfruits of your grain, new wine, and oil.”

• Nehemiah 10:35 – “We obligate ourselves…to bring to the house of the LORD the firstfruits of our ground.”

Giving God the רֵאשִׁית of harvest expressed gratitude, acknowledged His ownership, and funded the priesthood. The principle predates Mosaic Law (Genesis 4:4; Hebrews 11:4) and undergirds New Testament stewardship (1 Corinthians 16:2). Ministries today model this by allocating first income for gospel work and benevolence.

Wisdom: The Fear of the LORD as the Beginning

Proverbs makes רֵאשִׁית foundational for knowledge and wisdom:

• Proverbs 1:7 – “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.”

• Proverbs 9:10 – “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.”

• Psalm 111:10 echoes the same.

Biblical wisdom starts, not ends, with reverence for God. Christian education and discipleship must likewise start with theology, not pragmatism, cultivating hearts that submit before minds that analyze.

Personified Wisdom and Christological Trajectory

In Proverbs 8:22 Wisdom declares, “The LORD possessed me at the beginning of His work, before His deeds of old.” Early Christians recognized in this stanza a foreshadowing of the Logos (John 1:1-3). While Proverbs presents poetic personification, the Spirit-guided canon leads to Jesus Christ, “the firstborn over all creation” (Colossians 1:15) and “the beginning [ἀρχή] of God’s creation” (Revelation 3:14). רֵאשִׁית thus contributes to Christology: He is both agent and prototype of God’s creative and redemptive acts.

Israel as the LORD’s Firstfruits

Jeremiah 2:3 declares, “Israel was holy to the LORD, the firstfruits of His harvest.” Election placed Israel in a רֵאשִׁית role—set apart for God and destined to bless the nations (Genesis 12:3). Hosea 9:10 echoes the same agricultural metaphor. The prophetic link between firstfruits and nationhood anticipates Romans 11:16: “If the firstfruit is holy, so is the whole batch.” The faithful remnant guarantees future national restoration.

Eschatological Hope and Resurrection

While רֵאשִׁית itself appears only in the Old Testament, its theology culminates in the New Testament term “firstfruits” (ἀπαρχή). Jesus, “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20), guarantees a full harvest—the resurrection of all who belong to Him. The Old Testament festival of Firstfruits (Leviticus 23:9-14) occurs on the morrow after the Sabbath of Passover week, the very day Christ rose. Thus the typology embedded in רֵאשִׁית blossoms in the empty tomb.

Pastoral and Missional Applications

1. Stewardship: Teach believers to honor God with the first portion of income (Proverbs 3:9-10), demonstrating faith in His provision.

2. Discipleship: Establish the fear of the LORD at the beginning of every learning process—children, converts, and seminary students alike.

3. Leadership: Remind officials and church leaders that their “beginning” and tenure rest under divine authority, fostering humility and accountability.

4. Evangelism: Present Christ as the firstfruits of resurrection, offering a concrete pledge of bodily redemption to a death-weary world.

5. Worship Planning: Align celebrations (e.g., Easter) with the biblical trajectory from the Feast of Firstfruits to the resurrection, enriching liturgical understanding.

Select References

Creation: Genesis 1:1; Genesis 10:10

Patriarchal Blessing: Genesis 49:3

Offering Legislation: Exodus 23:19; Deuteronomy 18:4; Deuteronomy 26:2

Devotional Priority: Proverbs 3:9; Psalm 111:10

Wisdom Theme: Proverbs 1:7; Proverbs 9:10; Proverbs 8:22

National Identity: Jeremiah 2:3; Hosea 9:10

Historical Markers: Jeremiah 26:1; Jeremiah 27:1

Prophetic Warning: Amos 6:1; Micah 1:13

Hope amid Suffering: Job 8:7

Through its multifaceted usage, רֵאשִׁית calls God’s people to recognize Him as both origin and owner of time, talent, and treasure, and to live in the expectancy that the One who began His work will bring it to glorious completion (Philippians 1:6).

בְּרֵ֣אשִׁיתָ֔הּ בְּרֵאשִׁ֖ית בְּרֵאשִׁ֗ית בְּרֵאשִׁית֙ בראשית בראשיתה וְרֵאשִׁ֖ית וְרֵאשִׁ֛ית וְרֵאשִׁ֣ית וְרֵאשִׁ֤ית וְרֵאשִׁ֥ית וְרֵאשִׁית֩ וּ֝מֵרֵאשִׁ֗ית ומראשית וראשית לָרֵאשִׁ֣ית לראשית מֵֽרֵאשִׁית֑וֹ מֵֽרֵאשִׁית֙ מֵֽרֵשִׁית֙ מֵרֵאשִׁ֛ית מֵרֵאשִׁ֣ית ׀ מֵרֵאשִׁית֙ מֵרֵאשִׁת֑וֹ מראשית מראשיתו מראשתו מרשית רֵ֘אשִׁ֤ית רֵ֝אשִׁ֗ית רֵאשִׁ֖ית רֵאשִׁ֗ית רֵאשִׁ֛ית רֵאשִׁ֣ית רֵאשִׁ֤ית רֵאשִׁ֥ית רֵאשִׁ֨ית רֵאשִׁית֙ רֵאשִׁיתְךָ֣ רֵאשִׁיתָ֛ם ראשית ראשיתך ראשיתם bə·rê·šî·ṯāh bə·rê·šîṯ bereShit beReshiTah bərêšîṯ bərêšîṯāh lā·rê·šîṯ lareShit lārêšîṯ mê·rê·ši·ṯōw mê·rê·šî·ṯōw mê·rê·šîṯ mereShit mereshiTo mêrêšîṯ mêrêšiṯōw mêrêšîṯōw rê·šî·ṯām rê·šî·ṯə·ḵā rê·šîṯ reShit reshiTam reshiteCha rêšîṯ rêšîṯām rêšîṯəḵā ū·mê·rê·šîṯ umereShit ūmêrêšîṯ vereShit wə·rê·šîṯ wərêšîṯInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts