Lexicon :: Strong's H7458 - rāʿāḇ

There was a famine in the land, so Abram went down to Egypt to stay there for a while because the famine in the land was severe.

There was another famine in the land in addition to the one that had occurred in Abraham’s time. And Isaac went to Abimelech, king of the Philistines, at Gerar.

“The seven thin, sickly cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven worthless heads of grain scorched by the east wind are seven years of famine.

“After them, seven years of famine will take place, and all the abundance in the land of Egypt will be forgotten. The famine will devastate the land.

“The food will be a reserve for the land during the seven years of famine that will take place in the land of Egypt. Then the country will not be wiped out by the famine.”

Two sons were born to Joseph before the years of famine arrived. Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest at On, bore them to him.

and the seven years of famine began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in every land, but in the whole land of Egypt there was food.

Now the famine had spread across the whole region, so Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians, for the famine was severe in the land of Egypt.

The sons of Israel were among those who came to buy grain, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

Now the famine in the land was severe.

“For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there will be five more years without plowing or harvesting.

“There I will sustain you, for there will be five more years of famine. Otherwise, you, your household, and everything you have will become destitute.” ’

And they said to Pharaoh, “We have come to stay in the land for a while because there is no grazing land for your servants’ sheep, since the famine in the land of Canaan has been severe. So now, please let your servants settle in the land of Goshen.”

But there was no food in the entire region, for the famine was very severe. The land of Egypt and the land of Canaan were exhausted by the famine.

In this way, Joseph acquired all the land in Egypt for Pharaoh, because every Egyptian sold his field since the famine was so severe for them. The land became Pharaoh’s,

The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by pots of meat and ate all the bread we wanted. Instead, you brought us into this wilderness to make this whole assembly die of hunger! ”

“you will serve your enemies that the LORD will send against you, in famine, thirst, nakedness, and a lack of everything. He will place an iron yoke on your neck until he has destroyed you.

“They will be weak from hunger,

ravaged by pestilence and bitter plague;

I will unleash on them wild beasts with fangs,

as well as venomous snakes that slither in the dust.

During the time[fn] of the judges, there was a famine in the land. A man left Bethlehem in Judah with his wife and two sons to stay in the territory of Moab for a while.

During David’s reign there was a famine for three successive years, so David inquired[fn] of the LORD. The LORD answered, “It is due to Saul and to his bloody family, because he killed the Gibeonites.”

So Gad went to David, told him the choices, and asked him, “Do you want three[fn] years of famine to come on your land, to flee from your foes three months while they pursue you, or to have a plague in your land three days? Now, consider carefully[fn] what answer I should take back to the one who sent me.”

When there is famine in the land,

when there is pestilence,

when there is blight or mildew, locust or grasshopper,

when their enemy besieges them

in the land and its cities,[fn]

when there is any plague or illness,

So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab.

The famine was severe in Samaria.

When Elisha returned to Gilgal, there was a famine in the land. The sons of the prophets were sitting before him. He said to his attendant, “Put on the large pot and make stew for the sons of the prophets.”

So there was a severe famine in Samaria, and they continued the siege against it until a donkey’s head sold for thirty-four ounces[fn] of silver, and a cup[fn] of dove’s dung[fn] sold for two ounces[fn] of silver.

“If we say, ‘Let’s go into the city,’ we will die there because the famine is in the city, but if we sit here, we will also die. So now, come on. Let’s surrender to the Arameans’ camp. If they let us live, we will live; if they kill us, we will die.”

Elisha said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, “Get ready, you and your household, and go live as a resident alien wherever you can. For the LORD has announced a seven-year famine, and it has already come to the land.”

By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine was so severe in the city that the common people had no food.

“three years of famine, or three months of devastation by your foes with the sword of your enemy overtaking you, or three days of the sword of the LORD ​— ​a plague on the land, the angel of the LORD bringing destruction to the whole territory of Israel.’ Now decide what answer I should take back to the one who sent me.”

When there is famine in the land,

when there is pestilence,

when there is blight or mildew, locust or grasshopper,

when their enemies besiege them

in the land and its cities,[fn][fn]

when there is any plague or illness,

“If disaster comes on us ​— ​sword or judgment, pestilence or famine ​— ​we will stand before this temple and before you, for your name is in this temple. We will cry out to you because of our distress, and you will hear and deliver.”

“Isn’t Hezekiah misleading you to give you over to death by famine and thirst when he says, “The LORD our God will keep us from the grasp of the king of Assyria”?

Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, vineyards, and homes to get grain during the famine.”

You provided bread from heaven for their hunger;

you brought them water from the rock for their thirst.

You told them to go in and possess the land

you had sworn[fn] to give them.

In famine he will redeem you from death,

and in battle, from the power of the sword.

to rescue them from death

and to keep them alive in famine.

He called down famine against the land

and destroyed the entire food supply.

Therefore my people will go into exile

because they lack knowledge;

her[fn] dignitaries are starving,

and her masses are parched with thirst.

Then the firstborn of the poor will be well fed,

and the impoverished will lie down in safety,

but I will kill your root with hunger,

and your remnant will be slain.

These two things have happened to you:

devastation and destruction,

famine and sword.

Who will grieve for you?

How can I[fn] comfort you?

They have contradicted the LORD

and insisted, “It won’t happen.[fn]

Harm won’t come to us;

we won’t see sword or famine.”

Therefore, this is what the LORD of Armies says: “I am about to punish them. The young men will die by the sword; their sons and daughters will die by famine.

“If they fast, I will not hear their cry of despair. If they offer burnt offering and grain offering, I will not accept them. Rather, I will finish them off by sword, famine, and plague.”

“Therefore, this is what the LORD says concerning the prophets who prophesy in my name, though I did not send them, and who say, ‘There will never be sword or famine in this land.’ By sword and famine these prophets will meet their end.

If I go out to the field,

look ​— ​those slain by the sword!

If I enter the city,

look ​— ​those ill from famine!

For both prophet and priest

travel to a land they do not know.

“If they ask you, ‘Where will we go? ’ tell them: This is what the LORD says:

Those destined for death, to death;

those destined for the sword, to the sword.

Those destined for famine, to famine;

those destined for captivity, to captivity.