Hebrew word · Strong's H7225

רֵאשִׁית

rêʼshîyth · ray-sheeth' · noun · “beginning”

In a sentence

Reshit means beginning — the very first word of the Hebrew Bible: “In the beginning (bereshit), God created.” It anchors the Bible’s story in God as origin.

Reshit means beginning, first, the head of something. Genesis 1:1 famously starts with it: bereshit, “in the beginning.”

Proverbs 1:7 then declares the “beginning (reshit) of knowledge” is the fear of the LORD. The Bible insists that whether you trace the origin of the world or of wisdom, you arrive at the same place: God.

Strong's reference

Definition: the first, in place, time, order or rank (specifically, a firstfruit)

KJV usage: beginning, chief(-est), first(-fruits, part, time), principal thing.

Reference gloss from Strong's Concordance (1890, public domain).

Key verses BSB · Public Domain (CC0)

Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

Original BibleDawn word study. Original-language data and the public-domain Strong's (1890) gloss are referenced; see sources.