מַרְבֶה
𐤌𐤓𐤁𐤄
marbeh
H4766 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Noun indicating increase, abundance, or the act/process of increasing; refers primarily to a state or quality of being made great or numerous, or to the quantity by which something is enlarged. Contextually can denote growth, multiplication, or greatness in extent, size, or number.
Semantic Range
increase, abundance, greatness, act of enlarging, quantity added, multiplication, extent of greatness
Root / Etymology
From the root רָבָה (ravah), meaning 'to be(come) many, much, or great.' The noun form מַרְבֶּה is formed with the mem-prefix, often indicating a place, instrument, or result of the root action, here denoting the act or result of increasing or the quantity resulting from such increase.
Historical & Contextual Notes
Rare in the Hebrew Bible, מַרְבֶּה appears notably in poetic or elevated language (e.g., Isaiah 9:6 [9:7 in English]), often in constructions emphasizing abundance or expansion. While standard translations render it as 'increase,' 'greatness,' or 'abundance,' its nuance can be broader, encompassing both the concrete (numerical increase, population growth) and the abstract (greatness, prosperity, greatness of rule or peace). Not to be confused with terms expressing 'excess' (such as מוֹתֵר) or 'wealth' (עוֹשֶׁר), it uniquely emphasizes the action or result of becoming many or great. Its use reflects a concept of flourishing or fulfillment, and in later periods, forms derived from this root continue to carry these connotations in Hebrew.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
from רָבָה; properly, increasing; as noun, greatness, or (adverbially) greatly; great, increase.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been submitted for this word yet.
+ Add Bantu Hebrew WordRoot Family
רבה (r-b-h) — to be many, to become great, to increase
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4767 | מִרְבָּה | great increase |
| H4768 | מַרְבִּית | increase of |
| H697 | אַרְבֶּה | I will cause to multiply |
| H7235 | רָבָה | I will cause to multiply |
| H7236 | רְבָה | he made great |
Word Forms
3 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4766-03 |
מַרְבֶּ֔ה | marebeh | HNcmsc |
abundant | one causing increase of | 1 |
H4766-02 |
ל/םרבה | lmrvh | HR/Ncmsc |
for-the-increase | for increase of | 1 |
H4766-01 |
לְ/מַרְבֵּ֨ה | lemarebeh | HR/Ncmsc |
of his government | for increase of | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
3 total occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H4766-02 |
Isaiah 9:6 | ל/םרבה | lmrvh | HR/Ncmsc |
for-the-increase | for increase of |
H4766-01 |
Isaiah 9:6 | לְ/מַרְבֵּ֨ה | lemarebeh | HR/Ncmsc |
of his government | for increase of |
H4766-03 |
Isaiah 33:23 | מַרְבֶּ֔ה | marebeh | HNcmsc |
abundant | one causing increase of |