First
רִאשׁוֹןStrong’s H7223rishon (ri-shon)
Appears in 173 verses of the Old Testament
In short
Rishon is the Hebrew word usually translated “first”, “former” and “at the first”. It appears in 173 verses of the Old Testament.
“And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.”
Meaning
- First, primary, formerformer (of time) · foremost (of location) · first (in time) · first, chief (in degree)
- First, before, formerly, at first
How it's translated
- first 65
- former 47
- at the first 13
- in the first 9
- the first 8
- the former 8
- at the former 7
- like the former 5
Word-by-word English from the STEPBible tagged text.
Where it's used most
- Isaiah 19
- 2 Chronicles 14
- Numbers 12
- Deuteronomy 12
- Genesis 10
- 1 Chronicles 10
30 books in all.
Explore in Scripture
- Daniel 10:4In contextAnd in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel;
- Daniel 10:12In contextThen said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.
- Daniel 10:13In contextBut the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.
- Daniel 11:13In contextFor the king of the north shall return, and shall set forth a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come after certain years with a great army and with much riches.
- Daniel 11:29In contextAt the time appointed he shall return, and come toward the south; but it shall not be as the former, or as the latter.
- Zechariah 1:4In contextBe ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the LORD.
All 173 verses, by book
Hebrew dictionary
רִאשׁוֹן rishon · first
: first adj 1) first, primary, former 1a) former (of time) 1a1) ancestors 1a2) former things 1b) foremost (of location) 1c) first (in time) 1d) first, chief (in degree) adv 2) first, before, formerly, at first
From STEPBible’s Hebrew lexicon (based on Brown-Driver-Briggs).
Webster's 1828 Dictionary
How the English word “first” was understood when the King James Version was still the common Bible of English readers.
FIRST, adjective
furst. [See fare and for.]
- Advanced before or further than any other in progression; foremost in place; as the first man in a marching company or troop is the man that precedes all the rest.
- Preceding all others in the order of time.
- Preceding all others in numbers or a progressive series; the ordinal of one; as, 1 is the first number.
- Preceding all others in rank, dignity or excellence.
All definitions and other forms of “first”
FIRST, adverb
furst.
- Before any thing else in the order of time.“Adam was first formed, then Eve” 1 Timothy 2:13
- Before all others in place or progression.
- Before any thing else in order of proceeding or consideration. first let us attend to the examination of the witnesses.
- Before all others in rank.
Noah Webster, An American Dictionary of the English Language (1828). Verse references are checked against the KJV. Read the full entry.
Verses are from the King James Version. Word meanings come from the original Hebrew, not from any one translation.