Word Nerd Deep Dive: Rhema (ῥῆμα)

The Word That Hits Different

Basic Definition:

Rhema (ῥῆμα) – Greek noun
Pronounced: RAY-muh
Root: rheo — “to speak, to utter, to flow”
Meaning: A spoken word, an utterance, a specific saying—especially one freshly spoken or Spirit-given.

If Logos is the whole library of God's revelation, then Rhema is the sticky note He slaps on your heart for today.

Biblical Usage: Where Rhema Shows Up

• 🗡️ Ephesians 6:17 – “Take…the sword of the Spirit, which is the word (rhema) of God.”
  This isn’t general Bible trivia. It’s battlefield revelation—a timely, targeted truth meant to slice through spiritual attack.

• 🍞 Matthew 4:4 – “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word (rhema) that comes from the mouth of God.”
  Fresh. Vital. Daily. Your spiritual oxygen supply.

• 🕊️ Luke 1:38 – “Let it be to me according to your word (rhema).”
  Mary didn’t agree to a doctrinal abstract. She responded to a specific, faith-fueled assignment from heaven.

• 🔊 Romans 10:17 – “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word (rhema) of Christ.”
  Yes, it says rhema. Faith grows not just by reading—but by hearing what God is saying now.

Rhema vs. Logos

Hebrew & Aramaic Equivalents

📘 Hebrew: דָּבָר (Davar)

• Meaning: word, speech, matter, command

• Usage: Over 1,400 times! Often refers to God's spoken word that carries action.

• Examples:

“The word (davar) of the Lord came to…” — Prophets
“By the davar of the Lord the heavens were made…” — Psalm 33:6

📙 Aramaic: מֵימְרָא (Memra)

• Meaning: “The Word” as a personified, divine agent

• Seen in Targums (early Aramaic paraphrases of the Hebrew Bible)

• Used reverently to express God’s interaction without saying His Name directly

• Echoes of this idea pop up in John 1:1:

“In the beginning was the Word (Logos)...”
Memra → Logos → Rhema

Historical & Theological Context