Original Word: רָעַץ
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: ra`ats
Pronunciation: rah-ats
Phonetic Spelling: (raw-ats')
KJV: dash in pieces, vex
NASB: afflicted, shatters
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to break in pieces
2. (figuratively) harass

dash in pieces, vex

A primitive root; to break in pieces; figuratively, harass -- dash in pieces, vex.

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to shatter
NASB Translation
afflicted (1), shatters (1).

[רָעַץ] verb shatter (Aramaic רְעַץ smite, shatter; compare perhaps Tel Amarna ra—âƒu, Wkl^{TelAm. 128. 3l; 137,32}); — Imperfect3feminine singular תִּרְעַץ אוֺיֵב ׳יְמִינְךָ י Exodus 15:6; 3masculine plural וַיִּרְעֲצוּ Judges 10:8, accusative of person (of men; "" וַיְרֹצְצוּ).

Semantic and Symbolic Texture

The verb רָעַץ evokes the violent shattering of an object into irrecoverable fragments. In Scripture it becomes a metaphor for decisive divine intervention—whether in salvation or in judgment—portraying power so absolute that resistance is pulverized. The imagery conveys more than physical destruction; it also suggests the breaking of pride, oppressive systems, and hardened hearts (Psalm 2:9; Isaiah 42:3).

Canonical Occurrences

1. Exodus 15:6 celebrates the LORD’s triumph at the Red Sea: “Your right hand, O LORD, is majestic in power; Your right hand, O LORD, has shattered the enemy.” The word underscores the finality of Pharaoh’s defeat. Israel does not merely escape; her foe is crushed beyond recovery, confirming that redemption is not partial but complete.
2. Judges 10:8 describes the Ammonite onslaught: “They shattered and crushed the Israelites that year; for eighteen years they oppressed all the Israelites on the other side of the Jordan in Gilead, the land of the Amorites.” Here the same verb marks covenant chastisement. Israel, seduced by idolatry, experiences the very crushing that had once fallen on her enemies. The narrative warns that the God who rescues also disciplines.

Historical Setting

Exodus 15 resounds in the earliest national memory: the Exodus defines Israel’s identity, and רָעַץ becomes a watchword for victory wrought by divine hand alone. In Judges, the socio-political fragmentation of the tribal period shows a people who have forgotten that history, inviting the same crushing force—now through foreign powers—to bring them to repentance (Judges 10:10-16).

Theological Trajectory

The verb looks both backward and forward. The Song of Moses links it to the promise that Egypt “will never rise again” (Exodus 14:13). Prophets later employ parallel language to predict the Messiah’s rule: “You will break them with an iron scepter; You will shatter them like pottery” (Psalm 2:9). Revelation echoes the motif (Revelation 2:27; 19:15), showing that the final victory recapitulates the Exodus pattern on a cosmic scale.

Ministry Significance

• Assurance of Deliverance: Believers draw confidence from a God who does not merely repel evil but obliterates it. Spiritual bondage, sin, and death meet the same crushing power displayed at the sea.
• Call to Holiness: Judges warns that the covenant community is not exempt from discipline. Persistent rebellion invites the fracturing hand of God, but repentance restores (Judges 10:15-16).
• Hope in Messianic Reign: The crushing of evil culminates in Christ’s return. Until then, the Church proclaims a gospel that breaks chains while offering the bruised reed mercy (Isaiah 42:3), holding justice and compassion in holy tension.

Related Themes and Cross-References

• Divine Warrior motif: Joshua 10:10-11; Habakkuk 3:13-14
• The potter’s vessel shattered: Jeremiah 19:10-11
• Disciplinary oppression leading to repentance: Psalm 107:10-16; Hebrews 12:5-11
• Messianic authority: Psalm 110:5-6; 1 Corinthians 15:25-26

Summary

רָעַץ frames both sides of covenant reality—deliverance for the faithful and devastation for the unrepentant. Its two Old Testament occurrences form a literary inclusio around Israel’s spiritual journey, reminding every generation that the hand which shatters enemies also sets captives free, and that ultimate, unbreakable security lies in surrender to that sovereign hand.

וַֽיִּרְעֲצ֤וּ וירעצו תִּרְעַ֥ץ תרעץ tir‘aṣ tir·‘aṣ tirAtz vaiyiraTzu way·yir·‘ă·ṣū wayyir‘ăṣūInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts