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

primary "multiply" 33 occurrences

"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.

Alternatives (17 occurrences):
"multiplied" (5x) "very great" (1x) "who increases" (1x) "days multiplied" (1x) "great abundance" (1x) "greater" (1x) "increased" (1x) "signs" (1x) "gathering much" (1x) "who gathered much" (1x) "increasing" (1x) "causing increase of" (1x) "great many" (1x)

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

Root רבה to be many, to increase, to grow, to multiply
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