רַבָּה
Rabbah, the name of two places in Palestine, East and West
Definition
Rabbah is a proper noun referring to two distinct cities in the biblical text, both meaning 'great' or 'populous'. The primary and most significant is Rabbah of the Ammonites (modern Amman, Jordan), the capital city of the Ammonite kingdom, famously besieged by King David's army (2 Samuel 11:1, 12:26-29). The other is a lesser-known city in the territory of Judah, mentioned only in Joshua 15:60, likely located west of Jerusalem. The context of each passage clarifies which city is intended.
Biblical Usage
The word is used exclusively as a place name in historical and geographical contexts. 'Rabbah of the Ammonites' appears most frequently, especially in the narratives of 2 Samuel concerning David's war with Ammon and the story of Bathsheba and Uriah. It is also referenced in Deuteronomy 3:11 as part of Og's territory and in Joshua 13:25 as part of the tribal allotment to Gad. The Judahite Rabbah appears only in the town list of Joshua 15:60.
Etymology
Derived from the Hebrew root רָב (rāḇ, H7227), meaning 'to be many, great'. Rabbah is the feminine form, essentially meaning 'the great (city)' or 'the populous one', a common designation for a capital or major urban center.
Semantic Range
Rabbah of the Ammonites is theologically significant as the setting for pivotal events in King David's life, including his sin with Bathsheba and the subsequent prophetic confrontation by Nathan (2 Samuel 11-12). Its capture by David's general, Joab, and later by David himself, fulfills God's judgment and demonstrates the expansion of Israel's kingdom under the Davidic covenant, yet is marred by personal failure.
As a capital city, Rabbah of the Ammonites represented the political, military, and religious heart of a nation often in conflict with Israel. Its designation as 'the great city' reflects its status and fortifications. Understanding it as a formidable enemy capital adds weight to the biblical narratives of siege and conquest.
No direct synonyms as a proper name. Related conceptually to: עִיר (ʿîr, H5892) — the generic Hebrew word for 'city'. Rabbah specifies a particular great city, often a capital.
Word Details
How this works
Hebrew definitions are from Brown-Driver-Briggs (1906) and Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (1890), both public domain. BDB was groundbreaking for its era but reflects 19th-century assumptions about Semitic etymology. Modern scholarship (HALOT, DCH) has revised many entries. Use these definitions as a starting point for exploration, not as the final word on a term's meaning in context.
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