Lexical Summary ragam: To stone, to pelt with stones Original Word: רָגַם Strong's Exhaustive Concordance certainly, stone A primitive root (compare regeb, ruwa', raqam); to cast together (stones), i.e. To lapidate -- X certainly, stone. see HEBREW regeb see HEBREW ruwa' see HEBREW raqam NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to stone, kill by stoning NASB Translation certainly stone (1), stone (7), stoned (7). Brown-Driver-Briggs [רָגַם] verb stone, kill by stoning (denominative ? compare סקל; or originally = throw, hurl ? Late Hebrew רָגַם throw at (rare); Arabic ![]() ![]() ![]() Qal Perfect3plural consecutive וְרָֽגְמוּ Leviticus 24:14 2t., suffix וּרְגָמֻהוּ Deuteronomy 21:21; Imperfect3masculine pluralיִרְגְמוּ Leviticus 20:16,27 ׳וַיִּר, Joshua 7:25 4t.; suffix יִרְגְמֻהוּ Leviticus 20:2, ׳וַיִּר2Chronicles 24:21; Infinitive absolute רָגוֺם Leviticus 24:16; Numbers 15:35; construct לִרְגּוֺם Numbers 14:10; & stone, with accusative of person + בָּאֲבָנִים Deuteronomy 21:21 (D), Numbers 14:10; Numbers 15:35,36 (P), + בָּאֶבֶן Ezekiel 16:40; Leviticus 20:2,27 (H); + accusative אֶבֶן Joshua 7:25 (JE), Leviticus 24:23 (P), 2 Chronicles 24:21; with ב person + accusative אֶבֶן 1 Kings 12:18 2Chronicles 10:18; with עַל person + accusative אֶבֶן Ezekiel 23:47; with accusative of person alone Leviticus 24:14 (P); with ב person alone, רָגוֺם יִרְגְּמוּבֿוֺ Leviticus 24:16 (P). &; Synonym סקל q. v. Topical Lexicon Overview of the Verb רָגַם (ragam) denotes the collective act of pummeling with stones, ordinarily to execute a capital sentence or to repel an enemy. Its Old Testament appearances trace a coherent line from covenant legislation through historical narrative into prophetic indictment, always underscoring the gravity of violating divine order and the communal role in enforcing that order. Canonical Distribution Sixteen occurrences cluster in three primary literary settings: Legal Contexts: Guarding Covenant Holiness 1. Sanctity of Worship (Leviticus 20:2). Idolatrous child-sacrifice to Molech is met with stoning: “the congregation shall stone him”. The penalty protects Israel from syncretism and affirms God’s exclusive claim. In each case stoning is corporate, public, and executed by “all the congregation,” reinforcing shared responsibility for holiness and deterring hidden sin. Historical Narratives: Corporate Judgment and Political Revolt 1. Achan (Joshua 7:25). After the ban’s violation at Jericho, Joshua declares, “Why have you brought this trouble upon us? The LORD will trouble you today!” Israel stones Achan, his household, and possessions, dramatizing the community’s covenant solidarity. Prophetic Imagery: Symbolic Execution of Apostate Cities Ezekiel 16:40 and 23:47 transform רָגַם into metaphor: Jerusalem and Samaria, personified as adulterous women, will be stoned by their former lovers—foreign nations—revealing that covenant curses fall on unfaithful communities just as on individuals. Theological Themes • Holiness and Justice: Stoning highlights God’s intolerance of idolatry, blasphemy, and covenant breach. Historical and Cultural Notes • Ancient Near Eastern Parallels: While other cultures used stoning, Israel uniquely tied the practice to divine revelation rather than royal fiat, grounding penalties in covenantal theology. Ministry Significance Today 1. Preaching: Texts containing רָגַם offer sober reminders of sin’s wage and the holiness demanded by God, driving hearers to the cross where justice and mercy meet. Christological Fulfillment and New Testament Echoes Though רָגַם itself is Hebrew, its concept echoes in the Greek λῐθάζω. Stephen’s martyrdom (Acts 7) and attempts on Jesus (John 8:59; 10:31) show continuity: the same zeal that once rightly punished blasphemy now wrongly targets the righteous, revealing the hardness of unregenerate hearts. At Calvary the crowd chooses crucifixion instead of stoning, yet the substitutionary lesson stands—One dies for the many, satisfying the law’s demand once for all. Forms and Transliterations וְרָגְמ֥וּ וְרָגְמ֨וּ וַיִּרְגְּמ֥וּ וַיִּרְגְּמ֨וּ וַיִּרְגְּמֻ֥הוּ וַיִּרְגְּמוּ־ וּ֠רְגָמֻהוּ וירגמהו וירגמו וירגמו־ ורגמהו ורגמו יִרְגְּמ֥וּ יִרְגְּמֻ֥הוּ יִרְגְּמוּ־ ירגמהו ירגמו ירגמו־ לִרְגּ֥וֹם לרגום רָג֥וֹם רָג֨וֹם רגום lir·gō·wm lirGom lirgōwm rā·ḡō·wm raGom rāḡōwm ū·rə·ḡā·mu·hū Uregamuhu ūrəḡāmuhū vaiyirgeMu vaiyirgeMuhu verageMu veragMu way·yir·gə·mū way·yir·gə·mū- way·yir·gə·mu·hū wayyirgəmū wayyirgəmū- wayyirgəmuhū wə·rā·ḡə·mū wərāḡəmū yir·gə·mū yir·gə·mū- yir·gə·mu·hū yirgeMu yirgəmū yirgəmū- yirgeMuhu yirgəmuhūLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Leviticus 20:2 HEB: עַ֥ם הָאָ֖רֶץ יִרְגְּמֻ֥הוּ בָאָֽבֶן׃ NAS: of the land shall stone him with stones. KJV: of the land shall stone him with stones. INT: the people of the land shall stone stones Leviticus 20:27 Leviticus 24:14 Leviticus 24:16 Leviticus 24:16 Leviticus 24:23 Numbers 14:10 Numbers 15:35 Numbers 15:36 Deuteronomy 21:21 Joshua 7:25 1 Kings 12:18 2 Chronicles 10:18 2 Chronicles 24:21 Ezekiel 16:40 Ezekiel 23:47 16 Occurrences |