What does דֶּרֶךְ · רַע · ὁδός · κακός mean in the Bible?
דֶּרֶךְ · רַע · ὁδός · κακός is a Hebrew phrase meaning "a path characterized by moral corruption or wicked conduct".
Hebrew · H1870, H7451, G3598, G2556
בְּדֶרֶךְ רָע
A road (as trodden ); figuratively, a course of life or mode of action, often adverb · bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral) · road · evil/harm: evil
Reading a lexicon entry
What this page is: Each lexicon entry shows the original Hebrew or Greek word behind the English translation: its meaning, its range of use, and where it appears in Scripture.
Strong's number: The Strong's code (H- or G-) is the standard reference number for this word. It connects this entry to chapter and passage language tabs.
Where it appears: The witness passages show where this word is used in context. Click any to open the study page for that passage.
This lexicon entry is part of our ongoing editorial review. If you notice missing content, unclear wording, or a possible correction, please send us a note through the Connect page. Screenshots are helpful.
Words in this compound — expand to study each participant
דֶּרֶךְ H1870 a road (as trodden ); figuratively, a course of life or mode of action, often adverb
Pronunciation derek
Path literally walked becomes metaphor for life's moral and spiritual trajectory; covenant-defining directional term
Open lexicon entry →
רַע H7451 bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral)
Pronunciation ra
Encompasses both moral wickedness and physical affliction; God's judgment often conflates ethical and natural evil.
Open lexicon entry →
ὁδός G3598 road
Pronunciation hodós
Metaphorically denotes a course of conduct or way of life, especially God's approved pathway or the Christian faith itself.
Open lexicon entry →
κακός G2556 evil/harm: evil
Pronunciation kakós
Moral badness or harmfulness; encompasses both wickedness in persons and destructive consequences of actions.
Open lexicon entry →
What does בְּדֶרֶךְ רָע (bederekh ra) mean in the Bible?
דֶּרֶךְ · רַע · ὁδός · κακός is a Hebrew phrase meaning "a path characterized by moral corruption or wicked conduct".
Full entry for בְּדֶרֶךְ רָע (H1870, H7451, G3598, G2556) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How many biblical occurrences are listed for H1870, H7451, G3598, G2556?
H1870, H7451, G3598, G2556 is connected to 1,378 lexical occurrence verses in the lexicon data.
Evidence Summary
Hebrew phrase. a path characterized by moral corruption or wicked conduct
Strong's H1870, H7451, G3598, G2556
Lexical occurrences 1,378 verses Source Gloss
a path characterized by moral corruption or wicked conduct
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Word Origins
בְּדֶרֶךְ רָע is built from this root:
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain