Original Word: רָעָב
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: ra`ab
Pronunciation: rah-av'
Phonetic Spelling: (raw-awb')
KJV: dearth, famine, + famished, hunger
NASB: famine, hunger, famished
Word Origin: [from H7456 (רָעֵב - hungry)]

1. hunger (more or less extensive)

dearth, famine, famished, hunger

From ra'eb; hunger (more or less extensive) -- dearth, famine, + famished, hunger.

see HEBREW ra'eb

Word Origin
from raeb
Definition
famine, hunger
NASB Translation
famine (94), famished (1), hunger (6).

רָעָב₁₀₁ noun masculine^{Genesis 26:1} famine, hunger; — absolute ׳ר Genesis 12:10 +; suffix רְעָבָם Nehemiah 9:15;

1 famine (in land, nation or city), Genesis 12:10; Genesis 26:1; Genesis 41:30,31; Exodus 16:3; 2 Samuel 21:1; 2 Samuel 24:13 = 2 Kings 4:38; 2 Kings 6:25 +; ׳שְׁנֵי( הָ)ר Genesis 41:27,30,36, ׳שְׁנַת ר Genesis 41:50, but also ׳שָׁנִים ר [שָׁלוֺשׁ] שֶׁבַע 2 Samuel 24:13 (on Gender see Albr^{ZAW xvi (1896), 103}) = 1 Chronicles 21:12; with חזק (be) severe Genesis 47:56; Genesis 47:57; 1 Kings 18:2; 1Ki 25:3= Jeremiah 52:6, חזק עַל Genesis 47:20; with כָּבֵד Genesis 12:10; Genesis 47:4,13; גָּדוֺל 2 Kings 6:25; ׳זַלְעֲפוֺת ר Lamentations 5:10; ׳מְזֵי ר Deuteronomy 32:24 + Isaiah 5:13 (see [מָזֶה]), ׳תַּחֲלוּאֵי ר Jeremiah 14:18, ׳חַלֲלֵי ר Lamentations 5:10, ׳אֲסֻפֵי ר Ezekiel 34:29; ׳חִצֵּי הָר Ezekiel 5:16; as scourge of ׳י (+ חֶרֶב, דֶּבֶר, etc.; especially Jeremiah, Ezekiel), Jeremiah 5:12; Jeremiah 11:22; Jeremiah 14:12; Jeremiah 21:7,9; Ezekiel 5:2; Ezekiel 6:11,12 +, etc.; figurative of lack of ׳יs word Amos 8:11.

2 hunger, of individual Jeremiah 32:9; Deuteronomy 28:48 (+ צָמָא, etc.), 2 Chronicles 32:11 (+ id.).

Overview of Usage

רָעָב appears about 101 times and denotes literal hunger or extended periods of food shortage. Scripture presents famine not as random misfortune but as a theologically charged event that tests faith, exposes idolatry, and highlights God’s providence.

Distribution Across the Canon

• Torah: Genesis supplies foundational narratives (Genesis 12; 26; 41–47).
• Former Prophets: Repeated judicial famines in Judges, Samuel, and Kings.
• Latter Prophets: Pronouncements of coming famine (Isaiah 5:13; Jeremiah 14; Ezekiel 5; Amos 8:11).
• Writings: Reflective treatments in Psalms (Psalms 33:19; 37:19) and historical recollection in Nehemiah 9:15.

Famine as Historical Reality

Ancient Near-Eastern economies depended on seasonal rains; crop failure swiftly produced famine. Scripture situates famines in Canaan, Egypt, Philistia, Aram, Moab, and Samaria, reflecting the widespread vulnerability of agrarian societies.

Famine as Divine Instrument

Leviticus 26:19–20 and Deuteronomy 28:22 make famine a covenant curse for disobedience. The Former Prophets repeatedly echo this theology: “The LORD sent a famine on Israel three years” (2 Samuel 21:1). Conversely, obedience brought “grain in abundance” (Deuteronomy 28:12).

Famine in the Patriarchal Narratives

1. Abram: “Now there was a famine in the land” (Genesis 12:10). The test exposes Abram’s dependence on God rather than Egypt.
2. Isaac: Another famine drives him to Gerar (Genesis 26:1). Despite adversity, God reiterates covenant promises (Genesis 26:3–4).
3. Joseph Cycle: Seven years of scarcity (Genesis 41:30) exalt Joseph, preserve Jacob’s family, and move redemptive history toward Exodus.

Famine during the Judges and Monarchy

• Ruth 1:1 sets the book’s opening tragedy: “there was a famine in the land.” The narrative showcases God guiding a Moabite into David’s lineage.
• Elijah’s era: “There will be neither dew nor rain except at my word” (1 Kings 17:1). The subsequent drought-famine confronts Baal worship and authenticates prophetic authority.
• Siege-Induced Famines: 2 Kings 6:25 records Samaria’s plight; 2 Kings 25:3 parallels Jerusalem’s fall—each judgment fulfilling covenant warnings.

Prophetic Oracles of Famine

Prophets adopt famine imagery to announce judgment:
• Isaiah 5:13–14 warns of captivity and hunger.
• Jeremiah 14 depicts land, beasts, and priests mourning together.
• Ezekiel 5:16 speaks of God’s “deadly arrows of famine.”

Yet restoration promises reverse the curse: “I will call for the grain and make it plentiful” (Ezekiel 36:29).

Wisdom and Liturgical Reflection

Psalms celebrates divine rescue: “He delivered them from their distress” (Psalm 107:6). Proverbs 10:3 assures, “The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry.” Famine becomes a backdrop for trusting God’s sustaining goodness.

Metaphorical and Eschatological Dimensions

Amos 8:11 broadens the term: “I will send a famine in the land—not a famine of bread… but of hearing the words of the LORD.” Physical deprivation becomes a metaphor for spiritual barrenness. Eschatologically, famine figures among birth-pangs of the last days (compare Matthew 24:7), showing canonical coherence.

Faith Responses and Providential Provision

• Prayer: David’s inquiry ends a national famine (2 Samuel 21:1).
• Generosity: Joseph’s administration (Genesis 41:48–56) illustrates wise stewardship.
• Storehouses and Charity: Psalm 37:19 promises that the righteous “will be satisfied in days of famine,” implying covenant community care.

Ministry Implications

1. Warning and Mercy: Preachers may use famine texts to call for repentance and highlight God’s readiness to relent.
2. Stewardship: Joseph’s model encourages strategic planning under God’s sovereignty.
3. Compassion: Believers are called to practical aid, reflecting God’s heart for the needy (Isaiah 58:10).
4. Spiritual Hunger: Amos 8:11 challenges congregations to prize Scripture lest they experience drought of divine truth.
5. Christological Fulfillment: Jesus, the “Bread of Life” (John 6:35), ultimately satisfies every hunger, fulfilling the typology of famine and provision.

Summary

רָעָב threads through Scripture as a sobering reminder of human dependence and divine governance. Whether as consequence, catalyst, or metaphor, famine drives the biblical account toward repentance, faith, and the revelation of God’s redemptive purposes.

בְּ֭רָעָב בְּרָעָ֖ב בְּרָעָ֥ב בְּרָעָ֧ב בָּֽרָעָב֙ בָּרָעָ֖ב בָּרָעָ֣ב בָּרָעָ֥ב בָּרָעָֽב׃ בָֽרָעָב֙ ברעב ברעב׃ הָֽרָעָ֔ב הָֽרָעָ֖ב הָרָעָ֑ב הָרָעָ֔ב הָרָעָ֖ב הָרָעָ֗ב הָרָעָ֣ב הָרָעָ֥ב הָרָעָ֨ב הָרָעָֽב׃ הָרָעָב֙ הרעב הרעב׃ וְהָרָעָ֖ב וְהָרָעָ֞ב וְהָרָעָ֣ב וְהָרָעָ֤ב וְהָרָעָ֥ב וְרָעָ֔ב וְרָעָ֖ב וְרָעָ֞ב וְרָעָב֒ וְרָעָב֙ וּבָֽרָעָב֙ וּבָרָעָ֖ב וּבָרָעָ֣ב וּבָרָעָ֥ב וּבָרָעָ֨ב וברעב והרעב ורעב לִרְעָבָ֔ם לָֽרָעָ֔ב לָֽרָעָב֙ לָרָעָ֗ב לרעב לרעבם מֵרָעָ֣ב מרעב רָ֭עָב רָעָ֑ב רָעָ֔ב רָעָ֖ב רָעָ֗ב רָעָ֛ב רָעָ֞ב רָעָ֣ב ׀ רָעָ֤ב רָעָ֥ב רָעָֽב׃ רָעָב֙ רָעָב֩ רעב רעב׃ bā·rā·‘āḇ ḇā·rā·‘āḇ bārā‘āḇ ḇārā‘āḇ baraAv bə·rā·‘āḇ bərā‘āḇ beraAv berao hā·rā·‘āḇ hārā‘āḇ haraAv lā·rā·‘āḇ lārā‘āḇ laraAv lir‘āḇām lir·‘ā·ḇām liraVam mê·rā·‘āḇ mêrā‘āḇ meraAv rā‘āḇ rā·‘āḇ raAv rao ū·ḇā·rā·‘āḇ ūḇārā‘āḇ uvaraAv varaAv veharaAv veraAv wə·hā·rā·‘āḇ wə·rā·‘āḇ wəhārā‘āḇ wərā‘āḇInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts