רַבָּה
𐤓𐤁𐤄
Rabah
H7237 noun
SILEX Entry
Definition
Proper noun designating a principal city, literally 'great city' or 'great (place)'. In the Hebrew Bible, רַבָּה refers primarily to two different cities: (1) Rabbah of Ammon, the chief city of the Ammonite people east of the Jordan, known for its size and significance as an urban, political, and military center; and (2) a city in the territory of Gad, also sometimes identified with a great city. The term conveys the idea of prominence or greatness, usually in the sense of urban or sociopolitical importance. It does not inherently signify greatness of virtue or advantage; rather, it denotes magnitude or status.
Semantic Range
great city, principal city, chief city, capital city, Rabbah of Ammon (Ammonite capital), great city of Gad, metropolis, seat of government
Root / Etymology
From the root רבב (ר-ב-ב), 'to be/grow great or many', with רַב (rav) meaning 'great' or 'chief.' The -ָה ending is a standard feminine marker in Hebrew, and may function here as a toponymic form, indicating 'The Great City.' The place name Rabbâh thus derives from the root meaning 'great' and nominally means 'the great (one/place/city)'.
Historical & Contextual Notes
In biblical usage, רַבָּה designates two cities: (1) Rabbah of the Ammonites, famous for its fortifications, water supply, and later known as Philadelphia under the Greeks (modern Amman, Jordan); and (2) an Israelite city, likely east of the Jordan, referenced less frequently. Rabbah of Ammon played key roles in the narratives of David's military campaigns and in later prophetic oracles. English Bibles often transliterate the city as 'Rabbah' or, occasionally, 'Rabbath.' The name reflects the city's status as the principal city of the Ammonites, not as an exclusively Israelite settlement. In later periods, especially the Hellenistic and Roman eras, the city’s name changed, illustrating shifts in identity and cultural significance. Ancient translations (Septuagint, Vulgate) often render the name transliterated rather than translated. The use of 'great' is specific to urban scale or importance, not religious or ethnic connotation. It should not be confused with terms denoting personal greatness or virtue. The term is distinct from other Hebrew city names prefixed with 'beth-' (house of) or 'ir' (city of), emphasizing its descriptive (adjectival) origin.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
feminine of רַב; great; Rabbah, the name of two places in Palestine, East and West; Rabbah, Rabbath.
Bantu Hebrew
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רבב (r-b-b) — to be great, grow numerous, increase, become prominent
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1337 | בַּת רַבִּים | many |
| H2579 | חֲמַת רַבָּה | great |
| H4764 | מֵרָב | Abundant one |
| H7227 | רַב | many |
| H7228 | רַב | his archers |
Word Forms
7 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7237-03 |
רַבָּֽה | rabah | HNp |
Rabbah | great | Rabah | 7 |
H7237-04 |
רַבַּ֨ת | rabat | HNp |
Rabbah | Great City | Rabah | 2 |
H7237-01 |
בְּ/רַבַּ֖ת | berabat | HR/Np |
against Rabbah | in Great-City | in Rabah | 2 |
H7237-02 |
מֵ/רַבַּ֣ת | merabat | HR/Np |
from Rabbah | from Great-City | from Rabah | 1 |
H7237-06 |
וְ/הָֽ/רַבָּ֑ה | veharabah | HC/Td/Np |
and Rabbah | and the Great City | and the Rabah | 1 |
H7237-07 |
בְ/רַבָּ֔ה | verabah | HR/Np |
against Rabbah | Great City | in Rabah | 1 |
H7237-05 |
רַבָּ֑תָ/ה | rabatah | HNp/Sd |
Rabbah | Great City | Rabah | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
15 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H7237-01 |
Deuteronomy 3:11 | בְּ/רַבַּ֖ת | berabat | HR/Np |
in Rabbah | in Great-City | in Rabah |
H7237-03 |
Joshua 13:25 | רַבָּֽה | rabah | HNp |
Rabbah | great | Rabah |
H7237-06 |
Joshua 15:60 | וְ/הָֽ/רַבָּ֑ה | veharabah | HC/Td/Np |
and Rabbah | and the Great City | and the Rabah |
H7237-03 |
2 Samuel 11:1 | רַבָּ֑ה | rabah | HNp |
Rabbah | great | Rabah |
H7237-01 |
2 Samuel 12:26 | בְּ/רַבַּ֖ת | berabat | HR/Np |
against Rabbah | in Great-City | in Rabah |
H7237-07 |
2 Samuel 12:27 | בְ/רַבָּ֔ה | verabah | HR/Np |
against Rabbah | Great City | in Rabah |
H7237-05 |
2 Samuel 12:29 | רַבָּ֑תָ/ה | rabatah | HNp/Sd |
Rabbah | Great City | Rabah |
H7237-02 |
2 Samuel 17:27 | מֵ/רַבַּ֣ת | merabat | HR/Np |
from Rabbah | from Great-City | from Rabah |
H7237-04 |
Jeremiah 49:2 | רַבַּ֨ת | rabat | HNp |
Rabbah | Great City | Rabah |
H7237-03 |
Jeremiah 49:3 | רַבָּה֒ | rabah | HNp |
Rabbah | great | Rabah |