רָבָה
𐤓𐤁𐤄
râbâh
H7235 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To become many or great, to increase, to multiply in number or in magnitude. Used of people, animals, possessions, wisdom, or other qualities or entities, emphasizing growth in quantity or extent. In certain contexts, can refer to making something great or causing multiplication.
Semantic Range
to become many, to multiply, to increase in number, to enlarge, to become great, to cause to multiply, to make numerous, to be abundant, to excel, to be authoritative or powerful, to thrive, to prosper
Root / Etymology
Root רָבָה (ר-ב-ה) is a primitive Semitic root meaning 'to become many' or 'to increase.' The verb רָבָה derives directly from this root and expresses the sense of numerical or quantitative growth. Cognate roots appear in other Semitic languages with similar meanings.
Historical & Contextual Notes
רָבָה is widely used in narrative, legal, poetic, and prophetic contexts across all strata of biblical Hebrew, often describing the growth or multiplication of humans, animals, possessions, or abstract qualities (e.g., peace, sin, wisdom). In the patriarchal and early monarchic periods, it regularly conveys the fulfillment of divine promises of progeny and blessing to the ancestors of the Israelites (e.g., Genesis 1:28; 17:2). During the exilic and post-exilic periods, its use also comes to reflect restoration and hope for increase. While English translations often render it as 'increase,' 'multiply,' or 'become great,' these may not fully capture its broad semantic range, which can also include 'enlarge,' 'be numerous,' or in the causative stem, 'cause to increase.' Not to be confused with רָבַב (to shoot, used for archers), which occurs infrequently. The sense of 'being in authority' or 'to excel' arises from the idea of attaining greatness by number or extent. The participle form does not indicate a strict numerical increase but often connotes abundance, prosperity, or greatness. Later usage in post-biblical Hebrew broadens and sometimes specializes meanings in administrative or exegetical contexts.
Translation Consistency
"Multiply" best captures the typical semantic range of רָבָה: both intransitive (to become many/increase) and transitive (to cause to become many), and it is the most common natural English rendering in the corpus. It works naturally for people, offspring, possessions, and abstract increase (abundance, growth), providing a single consistent verb for all forms.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
a primitive root; to increase (in whatever respect); (bring in) abundance ([idiom] -antly), [phrase] archer (by mistake for רָבַב), be in authority, bring up, [idiom] continue, enlarge, excel, exceeding(-ly), be full of, (be, make) great(-er, -ly, [idiom] -ness), grow up, heap, increase, be long, (be, give, have, make, use) many (a time), (any, be, give, give the, have) more (in number), (ask, be, be so, gather, over, take, yield) much (greater, more), (make to) multiply, nourish, plenty(-eous), [idiom] process (of time), sore, store, thoroughly, very.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
רבה (marbeh) — to be(come) many, to become great, to increase
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H4766 | מַרְבֶה | for increase of |
| H4767 | מִרְבָּה | great increase |
| H4768 | מַרְבִּית | increase of |
| H697 | אַרְבֶּה | I will cause to multiply |
| H7236 | רְבָה | he made great |
Word Forms
84 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7235-05 |
הַרְבֵּ֥ה | harebeh | HVha |
much | cause to multiply | much | 45 |
H7235-65 |
וְ/הִרְבֵּיתִ֧י | vehirebeyti | HC/Vhq1cs |
and I will multiply | and I caused to multiply | and I caused to multiply | 10 |
H7235-79 |
יַרְבֶּ֣ה | yarebeh | HVhi3ms |
shall he multiply | he will multiply | he will multiply | 10 |
H7235-11 |
הִרְבָּ֗ה | hirebah | HVhp3ms |
has multiplied | he caused to multiply | he caused to multiply | 9 |
H7235-80 |
יִרְבֶּה | yirebeh | HVqi3ms |
multiplies | he increases | it will increase | 9 |
H7235-01 |
אַרְבֶּה֙ | arebeh | HVhi1cs |
I will multiply | I will cause to multiply | I will cause to multiply | 7 |
H7235-57 |
וַ/יִּרְבּוּ֙ | vayirebu | HC/Vqw3mp |
and they multiplied | and they multiplied | and they multiplied | 7 |
H7235-18 |
הִרְבּ֖וּ | hirebu | HVhp3cp |
gave abundantly | they made numerous | they caused to multiply | 6 |
H7235-49 |
וּ/רְב֗וּ | urevu | HC/Vqv2mp |
and multiply | and increase! | and multiply! | 6 |
H7235-82 |
יִרְבּ֤וּ | yirebu | HVqi3mp |
will be multiplied | they will multiply | they will multiply | 6 |
Occurrences in Scripture
235 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7235-49 |
Genesis 1:22 | וּ/רְב֗וּ | urevu | HC/Vqv2mp |
and multiply | and increase! | and multiply! |
H7235-84 |
Genesis 1:22 | יִ֥רֶב | yirev | HVqj3ms |
multiply | may he increase | may he multiply |
H7235-49 |
Genesis 1:28 | וּ/רְב֛וּ | urevu | HC/Vqv2mp |
and multiply | and increase! | and multiply! |
H7235-04 |
Genesis 3:16 | הַרְבָּ֤ה | harebah | HVha |
greatly multiply / multiplying | causing to multiply | to cause to multiply |
H7235-01 |
Genesis 3:16 | אַרְבֶּה֙ | arebeh | HVhi1cs |
I will multiply | I will cause to multiply | I will cause to multiply |
H7235-57 |
Genesis 7:17 | וַ/יִּרְבּ֣וּ | vayirebu | HC/Vqw3mp |
and increased | and they multiplied | and they multiplied |
H7235-57 |
Genesis 7:18 | וַ/יִּרְבּ֥וּ | vayirebu | HC/Vqw3mp |
increased | and they multiplied | and they multiplied |
H7235-70 |
Genesis 8:17 | וְ/רָב֖וּ | veravu | HC/Vqq3cp |
and multiply | and they multiplied | and they shall multiply |
H7235-49 |
Genesis 9:1 | וּ/רְב֖וּ | urevu | HC/Vqv2mp |
and multiply | and increase! | and multiply! |
H7235-49 |
Genesis 9:7 | וּ/רְב֑וּ | urevu | HC/Vqv2mp |
and multiply | and increase! | and multiply! |
H7235-49 |
Genesis 9:7 | וּ/רְבוּ | urevu-2 | HC/Vqv2mp |
and multiply | and increase! | and multiply! |
H7235-05 |
Genesis 15:1 | הַרְבֵּ֥ה | harebeh | HVha |
very great | cause to multiply | very great |
H7235-04 |
Genesis 16:10 | הַרְבָּ֥ה | harebah | HVha |
multiply | causing to multiply | to cause to multiply |
H7235-01 |
Genesis 16:10 | אַרְבֶּ֖ה | arebeh | HVhi1cs |
greatly | I will cause to multiply | I will cause to multiply |
H7235-59 |
Genesis 17:2 | וְ/אַרְבֶּ֥ה | vearebeh | HC/Vhh1cs |
And I will multiply | let me cause to multiply | and I will cause to multiply |
H7235-65 |
Genesis 17:20 | וְ/הִרְבֵּיתִ֥י | vehirebeyti | HC/Vhq1cs |
and will multiply | and I caused to multiply | and I caused to multiply |
H7235-37 |
Genesis 21:20 | רֹבֶ֥ה | roveh | HVqrmsc |
an expert | one who increases | one who increases |
H7235-61 |
Genesis 22:17 | וְ/הַרְבָּ֨ה | veharebah | HC/Vha |
and multiplying | and causing to multiply | and greatly multiply |
H7235-01 |
Genesis 22:17 | אַרְבֶּ֤ה | arebeh | HVhi1cs |
I will multiply | I will cause to multiply | I will cause to multiply |
H7235-65 |
Genesis 26:4 | וְ/הִרְבֵּיתִ֤י | vehirebeyti | HC/Vhq1cs |
and I will multiply | and I caused to multiply | and I caused to multiply |
H7235-65 |
Genesis 26:24 | וְ/הִרְבֵּיתִ֣י | vehirebeyti | HC/Vhq1cs |
and multiply | and I caused to multiply | and I caused to multiply |
H7235-75 |
Genesis 28:3 | וְ/יַרְבֶּ֑/ךָ | veyarebekha | HC/Vhj3ms/Sp2ms |
and multiply you | and may he cause you to multiply | and may he cause you to multiply |
H7235-08 |
Genesis 34:12 | הַרְבּ֨וּ | harebu | HVhv2mp |
make...very great | Cause to multiply! | Cause to multiply! |
H7235-47 |
Genesis 35:11 | וּ/רְבֵ֔ה | ureveh | HC/Vqv2ms |
and multiply | and multiply! | and multiply |
H7235-57 |
Genesis 38:12 | וַ/יִּרְבּוּ֙ | vayirebu | HC/Vqw3mp |
and the days multiplied | and they multiplied | and the days multiplied |
H7235-05 |
Genesis 41:49 | הַרְבֵּ֣ה | harebeh | HVha |
in great abundance | cause to multiply | in great abundance |
H7235-53 |
Genesis 43:34 | וַ/תֵּ֜רֶב | vaterev | HC/Vqw3fs |
was greater | and she increased | and it was greater |
H7235-57 |
Genesis 47:27 | וַ/יִּרְבּ֖וּ | vayirebu | HC/Vqw3mp |
and they multiplied | and they multiplied | and they multiplied |
H7235-67 |
Genesis 48:4 | וְ/הִרְבִּיתִ֔/ךָ | vehirebitikha | HC/Vhq1cs/Sp2ms |
and multiply you | and I caused you to multiply | and I caused you to multiply |
H7235-57 |
Exodus 1:7 | וַ/יִּרְבּ֥וּ | vayirebu | HC/Vqw3mp |
and multiplied | and they multiplied | and they multiplied |
H7235-80 |
Exodus 1:10 | יִרְבֶּ֗ה | yirebeh | HVqi3ms |
they multiply, | he increases | he will multiply |
H7235-80 |
Exodus 1:12 | יִרְבֶּ֖ה | yirebeh | HVqi3ms |
they multiplied | he increases | they increased |
H7235-58 |
Exodus 1:20 | וַ/יִּ֧רֶב | vayirev | HC/Vqw3ms |
And the people multiplied | and he increased | and he multiplied |
H7235-65 |
Exodus 7:3 | וְ/הִרְבֵּיתִ֧י | vehirebeyti | HC/Vhq1cs |
and multiply | and I caused to multiply | and I caused to multiply |
H7235-34 |
Exodus 11:9 | רְב֥וֹת | revot | HVqc |
may be multiplied | to multiply | my signs |
H7235-03 |
Exodus 16:17 | הַ/מַּרְבֶּ֖ה | hamarebeh | HTd/Vhrmsa |
the one gathering much | the one who multiplies | the one gathering much |
H7235-03 |
Exodus 16:18 | הַ/מַּרְבֶּ֔ה | hamarebeh | HTd/Vhrmsa |
the one gathering much | the one who multiplies | the one who gathered much |
H7235-79 |
Exodus 30:15 | יַרְבֶּ֗ה | yarebeh | HVhi3ms |
shall give more | he will multiply | he will multiply |
H7235-01 |
Exodus 32:13 | אַרְבֶּה֙ | arebeh | HVhi1cs |
I will multiply | I will cause to multiply | I will cause to multiply |
H7235-26 |
Exodus 36:5 | מַרְבִּ֥ים | marebim | HVhrmpa |
are bringing much | those causing to multiply | are increasing |
H7235-25 |
Leviticus 11:42 | מַרְבֵּ֣ה | marebeh | HVhrmsc |
having many | one causing increase of | one causing increase of |
H7235-38 |
Leviticus 25:16 | תַּרְבֶּה֙ | tarebeh | HVhi2ms |
you shall increase | you will cause to multiply | you will cause to multiply |
H7235-65 |
Leviticus 26:9 | וְ/הִרְבֵּיתִ֖י | vehirebeyti | HC/Vhq1cs |
and-multiply | and I caused to multiply | and I will cause to multiply |
H7235-38 |
Numbers 26:54 | תַּרְבֶּה֙ | tarebeh | HVhi2ms |
you shall increase | you will cause to multiply | you will cause to multiply |
H7235-40 |
Numbers 33:54 | תַּרְבּ֤וּ | tarebu | HVhi2mp |
you shall give more | you will cause to multiply | you (masculine plural) will cause to multiply |
H7235-40 |
Numbers 35:8 | תַּרְבּ֔וּ | tarebu | HVhi2mp |
you shall take more | you will cause to multiply | you (masculine plural) will cause to multiply |
H7235-11 |
Deuteronomy 1:10 | הִרְבָּ֣ה | hirebah | HVhp3ms |
has multiplied | he caused to multiply | he caused to multiply |
H7235-05 |
Deuteronomy 3:5 | הַרְבֵּ֥ה | harebeh | HVha |
a-great-many | cause to multiply | a great many |
H7235-44 |
Deuteronomy 6:3 | תִּרְבּ֖וּ/ן | tirebun | HVqi2mp/Sn |
you-may-multiply | you will multiply | you may multiply |
H7235-64 |
Deuteronomy 7:13 | וְ/הִרְבֶּ֑/ךָ | vehirebekha | HC/Vhq3ms/Sp2ms |
and multiply you | and he made you many | and he will multiply you |